5 Quick Things #225 š„
dead thinkers, farm dogs, yes but no, & most hyperbolic thing EVER
Good morning from icy central Texas, where itās thankfully nothing like last year here (so far š¤). Weāve had several days of snieet (snow + ice + sleet) on the ground, not really enough to do much playing in but enough to close off the roads. Iām sure you Yankees would laugh, and if I were still living in Oregon I would, too āĀ except that Iām rather enjoying this everyone-at-home frosty extended weekend.
Iām stoked to continue our living room snug-fest watching the Olympicsā opening ceremonies tonight! I feel like they rather snuck up on me this year, but Iāll take āem āĀ the winter ones are always so entertaining because theyāre sports I forget exist until these two weeks show up. Skeleton? Biathlon? Super G? Curling? Sounds good.

5 Quick Things āļø
1.Ā š New episode of A Drink With a Friend!Ā šĀ Liz Gilbert once said that if she didnāt write, sheād become a farm dog and chew up the couch. Why do we partake in creative pursuits if weāre not going to profit financially from it? Lots of reasons, actually. We chat with friends Maile & Shawn Smucker about why they have an insatiable need to create āĀ and why each and every one of us needs to as well.
2.Ā Two of my favorite current thinkers, discussing a favorite topic of mine (his latest book on the topic really is good).
3.Ā āIt's as if we've found ourselves forced into service as participants in an experiment designed to confirm the wisdom of both āChicken Littleā and āThe Boy Who Cried Wolf.āā Yes indeed āĀ America's hyperbole habit is the worst thing ever.
4.Ā The positive no āĀ I know someone who does this so well I nearly feel complimented whenever she declines my request. This is a worthwhile skill to cultivate, I think.
5.Ā And finally, 12 lessons from 12 months of owning a bookstore. As someone who dreams of opening a small shop on our square, I really loved this. These lessons are applicable to so much in life, not just small-town business ownership.
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening š
The Moviegoer, by Walker Percy
Bitter & Sweet š
Bitter & Sweet officially released Tuesday, so it means itās officially out in the world and available for your shelves! (Weāre not making a giant to-do about it just yet, simply because it almost feels like its real āreleaseā is March 2, when Ash Wednesday beginsā¦).

I love seeing you with your copies āĀ as always, itās truly an honor to have my words in your home!
Quotable š¬
āI wonder how many people I've looked at all my life and never seen.ā
ā John SteinbeckĀ #
$350 off for Italy! š·
Reminder: From now until February 18, youāll get $350 off per person for our summer trip to Italy when you use this link. Right now you only need to secure your spot with the deposit! Iād love you to join us.
Amazing art and architecture, otherworldly food, and probably best of all āĀ meaningful, life-changing conversations overlooking the God-swept Tuscan countryside⦠You donāt want to miss it and I donāt want you to, either.
Itās already a reasonably priced trip, considering our phenomenal itinerary, yet with this current special, itās even more affordable. Come along!
Question For You to Ponder⦠š¤
Are the five things you tend to most often do before bed helping you sleep better? If not, what should you edit from your routine?
Have a great weekend,
Tsh
p.s.Ā Hello, friend.
Recently trading a few minutes of mindless social media scrolling or watching sitcom reruns for reading books I want to read has helped my quality of sleep - a lot!