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By the wonderful Grace Farris. Her new book, See One, Do One, Teach One: the Art of Becoming a Doctor, comes out March 24.
P.S. Spring reading scenarios, and every trip to the grocery store.
Stuff I Just Love
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Finding a grocery list reminds me of days working the circulation desk and the library. You just never know what cool stuff you can find inside of a returned book. Sometimes icky stuff, too, unfortunately.
I have a Kindergarten daughter and some of her art and writing brings me to tears. I think, “I will treasure this forever. I will still love this when you are big and grown and out there in the wild world.” This weekend, she filled the house with decorated signs that say, “43 eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt!” 43 is not a special number; that’s just how many eggs I happened to pull out of the box this year, but she’s made sure we won’t forget it. Maybe we’ll do 43 eggs every year from now on, just so I can display these adorable signs over and again. [Note: If anyone figures out how to freeze time, let me know; I am loving this age!]
Here in New England USA,my favorite sign of spring is the Frost Heaves signs. (That’s when ice under the rural roads begins melting unevenly so the road gets these weird buckles.) Just as good as crocuses.
For those who live found grocery lists, a great gift is the book ‘Milk, Eggs, Vodka’ by Bill Keaggy. Lots of used copies available, too!
A book! Amazing! Grace Ferris seems like one of the most interesting and kind people.
When the joyful unexpected happens…Last week I was in Victoria Canada for a concert of my favorite musician…and ran into him on the street drinking coffee earlier that afternoon!…Then seeing peacocks in a park the next day!
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I feel so seen with the grocery lists. I love when I find lists or even grocery store receipts in library books. In a world where more and more people are using apps to ‘write’ lists or order groceries online etc, the hand written lists are more and more special.
Aw…happy memories finding grocery lists in my coat pockets written in large cursive and thick purple felt pen. I was a volunteer grocery shopper for my beloved Bessie who was blind. We had a wonderful friendship for 13 years when she passed at 97. ❤️ Blessed
Yes to all of these! 📝🛒🖼️🌼
My 14 year old daughter has been into wearing my “vintage” clothes- she recently wore a jacket I have not put on since the late 90s and found a shopping list in the pocket- gob smacked that the list had “cigs” written on it… and that is how she found out her Mum used to smoke- Ha!
Ha!
I like finding old lists, bookmarks, etc. in used books!
Birds singing and species showing up on my Merlin app.
The kids art thing is so me. My now 12 almost 13 yr old would LOVE it if I would take down some of her earliest baby, toddler, elementary school art. I just will not! I look at them every single day,and remember when the girl who is now as tall as I am was so little, so little, so sweet, so fun, and so easily entertained by paper, crayons and markers. She is still sweet. We still paint together sometimes, it is such a joy. Never ever not loving my kids art on display!
I also always pick up forgotten/discarded grocery lists! I love the different writing styles, the things they planned to purchase and what the list is written on…my fave being random notepads you know they got for using a vendor ten years ago (AAA Glass Repair, Blackwell’s Gutter Guards, etc)
I thought it was just me with the grocery lists.
Right? I used to collect them, they seemed anthropologically valuable, lol. Now I just feel a little ping in my heart – the intimacy of a lost list gives me a little feeling of connection to the human race somehow.
Have been collecting other people’s shopping lists for years (and trying to guess the age, social status and plans of the writers).
As our local museum has a permanent exhibition on stuff people collect, one day I’ll frame mine and give it to them, maybe adding a book for people to record their guesses …
Greeting from Switzerland
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Very cool plan!
First spring sightings that I look out for: redbud tree blossoms and butterfly caterpillars.
I would love to see butterfly caterpillars! What’s a good way to spot them?
YES! In the car yesterday, I looked over outside and shouted “Wow, look at those daffodils!!” to my husband and kids. It’s a magical spring sighting.
daffodils forever!
also love finding people’s bookmarks or lists in used books or library books too.
There is a Friends of the Library book donation center near my office and I freaked out over there one day – they have bookmarks posted on the wall that they found in donated books, and my old bookstore from MA, long closed, was represented! I was like, HEY I USED TO WORK THERE!
I haven’t worked at a grocery store, but I think I’d never get tired of seeing all the fun things people choose to buy and imagine what they’ll make! I always laugh to the cashiers at TJs that I bet they can guess how old my kids are, as they ring through boxes of Mac and cheese, all the berries and popsicles (3 and 6) :D
I always wonder if checkers are judging people, or perhaps impressed by healthy or adventurous baskets! I’m sure they’re just thinking about their next break lol.
Geese calling overhead as they fly back home in the spring, after their winter migration.
A few years ago after a lifetime of not liking my first name (Harriet), I wondered whether I was too old to have a nickname (Hattie). I asked a good friend, who responded, “Not at all and I think Hattie suits you.” When I decided to plow ahead, the first thing I did was to order personalized notecards with my nickname surrounded by a garland of flowers. It made it official and I’ve enjoyed every moment since I became Hattie.
I love both names !
Love from a fan of Harriet the Spy , the book by Louise Fitzhugh :)
I’ve always wanted to name someone Harriet and have Hattie be their nickname, but I have a long-gone distant relative named Hattie that was awful, so the idea has not seen reality.
Hattie this is so lovely! What a great friend, and a special decision to make for yourself
Also long time fan of Harriet the Spy, and live in PNW.
I am named after my great aunt, of whom I know nothing except that my mother would always refer to her as “Aunt Julia, the bitch”! So she was able to love the name, abhor the person, I guess1
And my niece’s middle name is Harriet. :)
I love when I see an adult eating ice cream out in the world sans kids. It makes me so happy. Like yes treat yourself! Your younger self would think you are living your best life being able to have the ice cream treat you wanted and when you wanted it!
Haha this was me all last summer while pregnant with twins 😅 The big belly full of babies made me feel super cute about frequenting the local ice cream place solo as an adult.
I live in a touristy area with many retirees, and I noticed there’s lots of older men that go get an ice cream as their lunch in the middle of the week. Goals for sure!
I share this love!
Theoretically it should work the same for any other sort of treat, but somehow seeing an adult eating ice cream solo brings me the most joy.
Ironically I don’t enjoy eating ice cream by myself very much.
YES! I recently stopped drinking alcohol and in the summer instead of going out for drinks I always suggest going out for icecream. It’s so fun!
SAME! This is my glimmer! Currently living in a foreign country (Latvia) and one thing I noticed very early on is that I often see older – often quite elderly – people outside eating an ice cream cone. It’s often hand-held and it’s rarely fancy – like one of the individually packed cones/bars you might get out of the deep freeze section of the convenience store or grocery store. Picture the cutest old lady, dressed elegantly in that old-fashioned way, walking slowly through the park with an ice cream! Or an elderly couple walking slowly together out of the grocery store, each unwrapping their ice creams. It immediately fills me with a huge hit of joy and delight!!!
I also think it can be a radical act to be a not-thin woman out in the world feeding her body with food others might not approve of. One morning, I stopped by a donut shop on my way into work and ate a chocolate frosted donut on the walk from my car. I was hungry, it was delicious and yes, I got a few looks (including an admiring one from a kiddo on a bike with training wheels). Did I mention it was delicious?
I totally agree!! Especially in the middle of the day!
So sweet and so true! AUSTIN PEEPS: does everyone know that the lovely Grace Farris has a book signing at Book People at 5pm Monday (4/6)??? See you there!
Thank you!!
Oh yes! We should have a secret CoJ lapel pin so we can find each other.
(That said, we have a copy of her book signed already because what a gem, she did a reading and signing at my kids public elementary school! But Id still gladly go for the CoJ of it all.)
I feel so much better about keeping a grocery list my friend left in the pocket of a borrowed pair of overalls. It brings me such joy to see her handwritten items (for the curious: chickpeas, quick oats, trail mix, naan). My husband said I’m weird, but Grace gets it!!!
Oh these are treasures! And if they include drawings instead of words… diamonds!
Love from Paris
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