Joy & Tell
What I loved this June.
This weekend, on a walk with a friend, we both agreed that there is not a chance in you-know-what that it is the end of June. It surely is only like June 7th, right?
Alas, somehow, June is really over for this year. On the one hand, part of me feels a mixture of nostalgia in saying such a thing. May and June bring some of my favorite moments and weather of the year, and to inch toward midsummer already makes me feel a wee bit sentimental.
On the other hand, July and August always symbolize the epitome of summertime for me. I picture sailboats, bonfires, bathing suits, an abundance in the garden, and sunshine when I think of those two months. There is still much to look forward to this summer as the calendar turns to July tomorrow.
Before it does, let’s take a moment to reflect on the joy June brought with it.
Here’s this month’s joy & tell.
1. Last Meals
I’m no stranger to shows like Hot Ones, and I do enjoy an occasional YouTube binge of shows depicting another side of celebrities. Oftentimes we only see quick little bursts of the famous, and it can feel very superficial. Shows like Hot Ones have really bridged that much-needed gap, capturing the more human side of the people who grace our screens.
I stumbled upon another series in that same vein called Last Meals. As the name implies, the show has celebrities eating their last meal with the host while getting deep with the questions. It’s a fascinating watch… if there’s a celebrity you really love, you may end up learning more about their life than you ever expected.
A few I’ve enjoyed (or have on my to-watch list):
Alton Brown Eats His Last Meal (this one was really deep!)
Sean Evans Eats His Last Meal (two worlds collide!)
It does make you wonder — what would your last meal be? I’m still working on my full list, but so far it includes hand-cut french fries, Spanish vegetable paella, the chocolate peanut butter cake from my favorite restaurant, chocolate chip waffles, sticky toffee pudding, and some kind of soup.
2. A New Jane Austen Classic?
I love Jane Austen. Full stop.
Her stories have stood the test of time, and I truly adore being able to watch the adaptations and build my own list of favorites. If you’re curious, my top two are Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Emma (BBC 2009).
Imagine the thrill, then, of seeing the newest trailer for an adaptation of Sense and Sensibility coming out later this year! I’m still trying to nail down my favorite version of this novel—maybe it’ll be this one? I’ll find out come autumn.
3. Letter Writer
If you’re a Jane Austen fan, you’ll know how much of an impact letter writing has on the stories. It’s what moves a good portion of the plot forward in stories like Pride and Prejudice, and it even culminates in the best letter ever written, in Persuasion.
When was the last time you wrote a letter? Not a thank-you note, but a real, honest letter to someone?
It had been years for me…I realized this month.
While I’m still in the midst of completing Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way 12-week program, this past week had me embarking on a reading deprivation exercise, where I wasn’t allowed to read books for the week, or otherwise had to decrease my media consumption. It’s meant to stretch you… and stretch me it did!
It was in the desperation of wanting to distract myself with a book that I reached for some paper and a pen to write a dear friend of mine a letter.
Much like a character of Jane’s, I found myself writing about the little details of my day and my life as of late. And in doing so, it brought to light how much I missed conversing this way with people.
So much time is spent catching up in short increments, or not wanting to bore someone with the mundane details of life. But in letter writing, you’re almost expected to talk about the littlest moments that make up your days.
If you find yourself longing to write a letter, I found this cute Pinterest pin about things to include, too!
4. Stephen Colbert… and Arthur?
Growing up as a 90s/early 2000s kid, I have some of the fondest memories of rushing home to catch my favorite after-school TV shows.
One of them was Arthur. I can still remember how much I’d replay the library card song on my CD player in the car… I re-listened to it while writing this, and I can confirm it’s still a banger of a song.
This month, I came across this video of Stephen Colbert and crew redoing the beloved theme song, and it brought such a smile to my face. It’s an oldie from early on in Stephen Colbert’s show, but a goodie.
5. Heat Wave, Anyone?
After watching our friends over in Europe suffer through a heat wave, we managed to have quite lovely temperatures over here across the pond… until this week.
I walked outside to water flowers this morning, and there was that feeling of being hit with a wall of heat as I stepped out of the AC.
As the garden center checkout cashier told me yesterday, “It’s going to be a beautiful week… to stay inside with the AC.”
While inside and on YouTube, I saw this channel called Gardener’s Guide, hosted by our friends over in the UK. It’s very wholesome and lovely.
A recent episode is all about gardening during a drought. It also takes you around Britain to look at gardens coping with the heat wave. How timely! If you’re missing the great outdoors because of this heat, check out their videos to bring a little gardening mood into your heart, from the comfort of an air-conditioned house.
June joy - blue skies, puffy clouds, family visits, good friends, positive thinking!
Thanks for the joy you send!