5 Quick Things #413 đď¸
meat on fire, double dates, video vs. audio, & book-shelving chaos
Hi there,
As youâre reading this Iâm out camping with my husband, and only my husband (well, and our dog). The boys are at church camp, the daughter is off and marriedâso, I guess weâre able to just ...do things now? What a time to be alive.
It may very well be pouring down rain, so TBD on whether we call it and head home to our shower and bed. However, we do love our new-to-us camper, so I dunno, it also sounds like an adventure to power through the rain and stay cozy in the camper while looking at nature through rain-streaked windows. The dog is the big contender though. No one likes a wet, muddy dog, even when youâre camping.
The goal is to eat steak cooked over a campfire (though: rain, etc., so maybe?), read just for fun in a foldable rocking chair (perhaps under our awning), play a few card games, and if weather permits, go paddle boarding in the lake. After our chock-full spring semester, no agenda but nature for 48 hours sounds positively lovely, no matter what comes forth from the clouds.
5 Quick Things âď¸
1. Speaking of meat cooked on fire, Iâm looking forward to an upcoming long season of dinner prepared mostly in the backyard. I create seasonal menu plans, mostly copy + paste with a few variations here and there, because my clan is simple and doesnât mind repetition. My summer priority is not turning on the oven while getting us all plenty of protein, so that typically means the grill (alongside the trusty Instant Pot and air fryer). Have a go-to meat-based meal thatâs super-simple and meets this criteria? Iâd love to hear it.
2. ICYMI, a few days ago I shared with you all what itâs like to marry off your daughterâIâm still reflecting on all the thoughts and feelings, but for now, Iâm glad my initial words have resonated with you: âWe stand before God and community to promise each other our fealty until death do us part, and what a step of faith that is. We have no idea whatâs coming, all the stretch marks and bills and budget-friendly date nights in the living room after the kids are asleep and late-night bedroom chats about how the teens are doing, and how not knowing whatâs all in store is probably for the best.â
3. On that noteâa few days ago, Kyle and I went on a double date with our daughter and her new husband, and Iâm happy to report that it was a lot of fun and not as weird as I thought itâd be. It felt very ordinary and as-it-should-be, a nice hybrid of easy family hangout and dinner out with another couple like weâve been doing for decades. âŚLike in all stages of life, where we donât have the grace to be in it until we actually are, Iâm starting to look forward to this next stage of life.
4. Also, at the beginning of the week, Commonplace subscribers and I shared our June book plans (plus what we read last month). Itâs our traditional way to start each month, so if this is you, pop over there and share whatâs in your stack!
5. And finally, if youâre an old-school podcast enjoyerâmeaning, you still like laid-back, short-ish, simple conversation-focused episodes, Iâd love to hear from you here regarding your thoughts on the trend of making podcasts video-formatted. I have my opinion, but itâs genuinely helpful to hear from you too as I make plans for Drinkâs next season. I appreciate it in advance!
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening đ
The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley (but Iâm only about two pages in, so I admittedly just started)
Quotable đŹ
âThe Earth has music for those who listen.â
-Reginald Vincent Holmes
How do you organize your books? đ
Hoo boy, can this be a contentious topic, and Iâm regularly made fun of here in my own household... I am a firm believer that books should be alphabetized by author, as the good Lord intended (though I can make some space for topical organization, if itâs then still done alphabetically by author). I tried topical once, but then I lost my Lewis collection all nice and tidy togetherâwho wants Narnia all the way over there, while Screwtape Letters is in another section, while Till We Have Faces is in yet another section? None of that nonsense. Respect the creator of the work, I say.
The vast majority of you are nuts. How can you live in the sheer chaos?
Topic: 39.5%
My own particular method: 28.7%
Vibes: 16.4%
Alphabetically: 7.6%
Color: 6.8%
Acquisition date: 1%
Find the next poll here.
Scotland: Join Us This Summer! đ´ó §ó ˘ó łó Łó ´ó ż
Timeâs running out to register, but thereâs still a bit more space⌠Come join! Make this summer one for the books.
Quick Links đ
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Question(s) For You to Ponder⌠đ¤
Whatâs one thing you could do this weekend to make your next weekâs self happier?
Have a good weekend,
- Tsh
p.s. - Amen.
Crockpot dump meats: 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, 1 drained can artichoke hearts, cook, eat. 3 pounds beef roast, topped with one package dried onion soup mix then 1 can cream of mushroom soup, cook, remove meat and stir remaining ingredients to make gravy. I have others but some are harder to separate the meat after cooking for eating carnivore.
I am 100% alphabetical by author all the way. I secretly love the idea of organizing by color, the artist in me loves a color grade. But the chaos! I get itchy just thinking about breaking up series just because the covers differ. Nope, author is the best!