Hello friends. Hope you are all having a safe and relaxing weekend. Literally as I sat down to finish this newsletter, the election was called and millions of us let our breath for the first time in a week, for the first time in four years if I’m being honest. I truly don’t have much else to say here in light of an intro today. This has been the only thing on my mind and my heart for so long and I know I’m not alone in that.
Let’s stand here for a minute and take in all that this moment means, and where we can go from here. If you feel so compelled, get out in the street and celebrate or scream from your rooftop. Pop some champagne. Put your phone away. Take a NAP. Do whatever you need to do. Spend some time relaxing and having fun this weekend. We deserve it. And then let’s get ready to get back to work.
Keep scrolling for this week’s food for thought. You’ll find more of my thoughts and reflections on the election and what’s next. Plus some lighter foodie news and a few other tidbits to hopefully just make you smile and embrace the season. Sending lots of love to everyone today.
Some things to chew on…
- I will try to keep this short and to the point. Just this morning, the Associated Press called the race for Joe Biden, and a number of news outlets followed. This is a historic moment and a huge victory and it should be celebrated! But it is not all good news here. Given the rhetoric that has surrounded the vote count on one side of the aisle (the President has already said this morning he will not concede the race), it’s unclear how many recounts, legal hurdles and unrest may lies ahead. Beyond that, it’s still unclear exactly where our nation is headed from here, after the damage that has already been done. The thousands of headlines flooding our screens don’t really help either. It’s hard to even know where to start processing the uncertainty, the anxiety, and the stark realizations about the character of our country that this election has caused, despite the outcome. I am horrified at how deep the divisions have become, as shown by just how tight this vote has been, shining a light on how many people in this country are willing to overlook, if not actively support, racism and inequality, as a means to their own ends. Honestly, I don’t think it’s worth lamenting the division anymore that this point. It exists because it has to. Because there is something worth fighting for. So that means that no matter what happens, we keep moving forward and fighting the fight for justice and equality through our actions and words. I’m hopeful that with this tide turning, we can start moving closer to change.
- In light of all that, I think it’s important to take a step back and remind ourselves of the importance of self-care in a moment like this. A lot of us have probably spent the last week glued to our phones, computers and TVs, inundating ourselves with the news and the sea of noise on social media, oftentimes without even realizing it. And while that may have felt necessary at the time, the truth is that the side effects come afterwards, when we find our hearts weary and our minds exhausted. When I get super drained like that, I find that I barely have the energy for my own friends and family, let alone for anything outside of my own circle. So now it’s time for some concerted rest and recharging. A step back from the temporal realm that extends outwards from our screens, and into the innate, eternal and ethereal that can only be found when we connect with our inner selves, and with nature. When we emerge from that kind of spiritual restoration, we have so much more of ourselves to willingly give towards our passions and pursuits. Maybe that means we put our phones down for a day, and go for a hike or a drive through the mountains. Maybe it simply means we curl up with our favorite novel, do some therapeutic baking (I swear by it), or put together a massive puzzle. This feels like a really good time to lean into the principles of hygge, friluftsliv and others that I talked about earlier this week. Whatever you lean into in the coming days, keep your heart and your health in mind.
Some fun foodie news…
- Looks like Iike America got through election night on carbs and alcohol. According to the data, “alcohol sales soared, and blue states drank way more than red states.” On top of that, DoorDash data showed that all we wanted on November 3rd was “fried and carb-filled foods.” In fact, the most-ordered food of the night was french fries.
- In the year of 2020, no source of comfort is too far outside the box. Or so I thought. Just in time for the holidays, KFC is selling once again selling fried-chicken scented firewood. It’s call the 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog and you can get it at Walmart. If you can believe it, it has SOLD OUT the past two years.
- It’s finally that time of year again for allll our favorite Starbucks holiday drinks (I live for Chestnut Praline lattes). But that’s not the only treat. Starbucks is giving away free reusable holiday coffee cups (they gave me one yesterday when I went to pick up a mobile order). I’m sure this is an inventory issue, since they can only serve disposable containers during the pandemic, but who doesn’t love a free gift? However, this still doesn’t make up for the fact that they’re not bringing back the Gingerbread Latte again this year.
And a few treats to leave you with…
- I know I’m not the only one who’s more than a little excited to lean into the holidays this year of all years. And Netflix is here for us. Check out this list of the 28 (!!!) new holiday movies the streaming platform is releasing this season.
- The scent of 2020 is here… and it apparently smells like Joe Exotic, Hand Sanitizer, DIY and Banana Bread. 🤣 Yep. Sounds about right.
- Looking for some mindless entertainment for even just a few minutes? This fun little game from Mental Floss lets you Test Your Color Perception Skills (and See How They Stack Up Against Your Fellow Humans). It was harder than I thought!!
Did you like something in particular from this newsletter? Or did you see a story out there that I should know about? Please reach out and let me know!
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