5 Quick Things #412 đ»
creating new life, building new-old things, summertime reading, & being fully human
Hi there,
Greetings from my first normal week in âŠthree months? Six months? A year? I donât know anymore. Whatâs normal? At minimum, greetings from my week in which I do not have a Huge Major Family Milestone Moment on the calendar. âI hardly know what to do with myself.
Our oldest is officially married, our second is officially graduated, and our youngest officially turns sixteen (and hopefully gets his driverâs license soon afterđ€) in about two weeks. How am I at this stage of life? Among the many other wild things Iâve had to process lately, this is a big one Kyle and I keep repeating to ourselves like a couple set out to pasture at a retirement home: time sure flies, doesnât it? Werenât we just married? Wasnât this scholarship-amassing new college student of ours just worrying us with his lack of speaking? Werenât we just dealing with our youngest as a three-year-old constantly getting in to everything, climbing out-of-reach shelves to reach Halloween candy and super glue? Alas, all the clichĂ©s about time, etc., have been loudly ringing true these days. Iâve got an essay in the works reflecting on some of these thoughts, and I hope to hit publish on it soon.
In the meantime: the summer season is here! đ Even if these months donât reflect my favorite temp on the thermometer, summer is my favorite season because of its pace of life. Perhaps itâs the homeschool mom in me, perhaps itâs the teacher in me, perhaps itâs simply the Texan in me who prefers cut-offs and bare feet, but summer mode is the Best Mode. Bring on the easier books, cold drinks, and porch swings. I am so very ready.

5 Quick Things âïž
1. Earlier this week I asked Commonplace subscribers to share their monthly gratitude lists, so if youâre a sub, donât forget to add yours! (it was on Memorial Day, so you may have been wisely offline and thus missed it). Some favorites Iâm seeing so far: âThe beauty of a thunderstorm and the rainbow that followed,â âan ancient light pink patchwork quilt on our bed,â âthe camaraderie around the Route 66 celebrations going on during the 100th anniversary of the Mother Roadâitâs been fun meeting people from all across the nation who are traveling through,â and âhaving a few friends that I keep in touch with via hand-written letters.â
2. A new papal encyclical dropped this week! đ For those unaware (because I didnât know until I swam the Tiber), popes often write documents that serve as letters to a global audience, often about social or theological issues. Here it is directly from the Vatican, and so far this is my favorite commentary slash explainer (though I look forward to eventually watching this discussion when itâs available to the public). âŠLots to unpack in this document.
3. Speaking of the spirit of being full persons in the age of technology, I appreciated these words and photos of Carmelite monks in Wyoming building a Gothic cathedral by hand, while also using technology and modern tools, like robots: ââŠEverything from Champagne to lowercase letters to water-powered forges have been invented by enterprising monks. It is this tradition of innovation that the Wyoming Carmelites are leaning into to answer their prayers for a mountain monastery.â
4. Griffin Gooch hits it out of the park with his recent reflections on having kids when thereâs never a good time to have kids. As I told himâthere is, indeed, never a good time to have kids, which is why itâs always a good time to have kids. His words beautifully capture the essence of parenting: âSometimes, Iâm even thankful that the world sheâs coming into isnât perfect. Neither of us ascribe to the belief that a life without resistance, hardship, let down is what makes for a flourishing life. We need every note on the scale of human emotion in order to stumble into a textured, beautiful life.â
5. And finally, from the archives⊠A few years ago one of my students requested a summer reading list from me for her transitory months between her junior and senior years. Hereâs what I came up withâIâd love to have written another one for this year, but I just havenât had time. Nonetheless, I think this list is still a strong one! (Iâll share my own summer reading plans for this year in our monthly subscriber book chat soon).
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening đ»
My Summer playlist from last year (until I have time to make this yearâs)
Quotable đŹ
âSomeday, you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.â
-C.S. Lewis
Whatâs better in the shower? đ§Œ
A completely random question, I know, and I bet you can guess where I was when it came to me⊠I used to be a ride-or-die liquid soap gal, but for about a decade Iâve used good, minimal-ingredient bar soap inside a bag sorta like this, and itâs a game-changer. Not only does it last longer than liquid soap (and therefore cheaper), but the scratchiness on the skin is weirdly therapeutic. 10/10, would recommend.
Bar soap: 52.6%
Liquid soap: 47.4%
Find the next poll here.
Scotland: Join Us This Summer! đŽó §ó ąó łó Łó Žó ż
I canât emphasize enough how formative a pilgrimage like this is in your lifeâŠ. If youâre on the fence, take these words as a sign from the Lord and SIGN UP. You wonât regret it.
(Psst⊠Those of you already going: check your inboxesâI wrote you this week!)
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đŽó §ó ąó łó Łó Žó ż Join the next pilgrimage: Scotland!
Question(s) For You to Ponder⊠đ€
Whatâs one of your favorite ordinary summer memories from your childhood?
Have a good weekend,
- Tsh
p.s. - Window pane glue! âŠI have so many questions, but especially for Norway, Lithuania, and Germany.






Somehow I missed this one when it was posted. I am *so* impressed by what the Pope said about AI. Very impressive (especially compared to other religious 'leaders' and their lack of caution re: AI.