5 Quick Things #211 🎨

making friends, indie artists, small towns, & Halloween

Oct 22, 2021

Hello! I’m currently typing this clear across the city in a cuter-than-cute coffee shop in downtown Austin — my kids are probably still sleeping in their cozy beds in our cozy town while I’ve just had a photoshoot. My author headshots are several years old — I’ve since fully embraced my silver and am growing out my pixie, so it’s like I’m not even the same person anymore. I just spent my morning laughing alone at a salad, and now I’m grateful to be back in regular clothes, looking like my normal self.

Sunlight falls on trees in the Dents du Midi mountains in Le Sepey, Switzerland.

5 Quick Things ☕️

1. 👉 New episode of A Drink With a Friend! 👈 What makes music, movies, books, and visual art fall-ish? Seth and I share musicians, writers, and visual artists we’re digging as the temps dip and the colors change. Living sacramentally naturally includes living seasonally, so it makes sense to also shift what we read, watch, and listen to as the seasons change.
2. Guess what? Halloween is more Christian than pagan. …I’m actually not that surprised but it’s still interesting.
3. I am such a fan of small towns, both to live in and to visit. I’ve only been through one of these, so now I have 16 more to add to my travel list.
4. 36 questions that can help kids make friends… I mean, forget kids — I like these for me.
5. And finally, I was a guest on the Cordial Catholic podcast, a show I greatly appreciated during my own discernment process. I loved my chat with Keith — if you’re curious about some of my journey, listen in.

Currently Reading, Watching, Listening 📚

Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr (I plan to read this slowly throughout the holidays)

Quotable 💬

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.”

— G.K. Chesterton #

This is Fun… 🎉

My friend Annie Downs has finally written a children’s book! I say ‘finally’ because she’s so great with kids in real life — she’s an auntie to tons of children — and she’s now spreading that childlike spirit and joy to others.

Fun is everywhere — science experiments, the farmer’s market, the kitchen? Yep! With parents, friends, and even annoying siblings? Naturally. The world has felt less fun for a while, so What Sounds Fun to You? is the perfect book for kids ages 3-8 to think about how to create their own fun right wherever they are, anytime. Hooray for Annie for spreading her natural joy! This book makes a fantastic, fantastic gift, especially for the upcoming holidays.