Hey there,
Howâs your week been? As I write this Iâm sipping the start of my second cup of coffee, my view is the sun pouring over the backyard poppies and tomatoes, Iâm taking my oldest to her second vaccine shot in a few hours, đ and Iâve got a lovely stack of TBR books on my nightstand next to me because glory hallelujah, I led my last book discussion of the school year this week so now I have more brain space to read the other things I love!
Donât get me wrong, I love the classics, but Iâve got my summer books to get to, you know? Crime & Punishment isnât exactly a poolside readâŚ

5 Quick Things âď¸
1. New episode today! Last week Seth & I talked about going slower; in this part two weâre talking about going farther â and that one naturally leads to the other. Besides not burning out, looking at life with a long-view lens means more opportunities to notice the true, good, and beautiful. Slow and far is worth it.
2. What a lovely written essay about growing up a picky eater and eventually becoming a foodie (and doesnât that new show look delightful?). Fascinating comments section, too.
3. A teenager transformed a 22-acre island into a summer home for bunnies. (Yep, you read that sentence correctly.)
4. This is a good, nuanced piece about the dilemma of us longing to support ethical slow fashion brands while thereâs still a dearth of affordable options. I also appreciated her reminders of greenwashing, the need for more sizes, and how the trend of thrift shopping has raised prices for low-income families.
5. And finally⌠Aaaaah, now I want a cargo bike even more! My oldest is almost 11 (!) so itâs not so much for kid-schlepping as it is for thing-schlepping as I continue my commitment to walk anywhere less than a mile away. âŚThis way, I could bike a bit farther and loosen the chains to the olâ car even more.
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening đ§
This playlist, with special emphasis on John Van Deusen, my new music crush
Quotable đŹ
âBe patient with everyone, but above all with yourself...do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage.â
â St. Francis de Sales #
Good Things Take Time đą
You may have heard me say in 2021 that after several years of being in a non-fiction drought, for whatever reason Iâm back into it. Heading into the summer months, though, if Iâm going to read non-fiction I want it to be slower, thoughtful, and personally enriching â nothing that tells me I have to hustle harder to make my life better (no raised cortisol levels as I read in a hammock under the trees, thank you kindly).
This is why I think Jennifer Dukes Leeâs latest book, Growing Slow, is *chefâs kiss* for me right now, and if you nod your head along with what I write and talk about, I think youâll feel the same. She connects the dots between her life on her familyâs fifth-generation farm with the unhurried model of Christ, and how the rude awakening of constantly chasing results took a toll on her body and soul finally gave herself permission to embrace the truth that it takes time to grow good things. In Growing Slow, Jennifer charts a path out of the cultural pressures of bigger and faster, and into a rooted way of life where the growth of good things lasts.
Head here to order your own copy!
(Jenniferâs team is sponsoring this weekâs 5 Quick Things, and Iâm so grateful! If you have an idea and think 5QT is a good place to tell the community here because itâs a natural fit, contact Caroline at caroline@tshoxenreider.com.)
Elsewheređ


Question For You to Ponder⌠đ¤
In the past twelve months has my âmost important thingâ changed? If so, from what to what?
Have a good weekend!
xo, Tsh
p.s. On my current Iâm-ready-for-summer wishlist: this, this, and this.
I have been eyeing that exact shirt on TeePublic!