Checking in. I usually leave the draft of this weekly-ish email open in a tab and work on it over several days. With the pace of the news cycle right now—whether that’s personal, local, or national—it seems like everything I write becomes immediately irrelevant and obsolete in this manic, frenetic world bouncing between one topic to another and our surge capacity becomes depleted. Too much is happening, there is a crisis every day, and we are still isolating in our homes as the world spins around us. Life feels slow, life feels fast, life feels surreal. Loss continues and feels normalized with each passing month. It doesn’t feel like March anymore.
My Three Simple Questions series is coming back in the upcoming weeks. I have some very interesting and fascinating interview subjects who I am eager to share with you. You can read past editions here.
I’ve also started a new business—I’m getting back into retail and design. More on that to come, too.
Photos in this edition from the rose garden at Memorial Park
What I’m reading
The Selected Works of Audre Lorde, a definitive selection of Lorde’s prose and poetry, edited by Roxane Gay. In her introduction, Roxane writes, "She recognized that there would never be a perfect time to speak up because 'while we wait in silence for that final luxury of fearlessness, the weight of that silence will choke us.'” I had been waiting with great anticipation for this book to arrive, and I am devouring it.
This piece from The Cut, which is part biography and part cookbook review: Barefoot in Quarantine: Ina Garten has served up comfort and cocktails for decades. We need that more than ever. I have always felt very warm toward Ina Garten because she reminds me so much of my own mom. Same no-nonsense attitude, same values of unpretentious comfort balanced with effortless perfection—and they even look alike.
My Omaha Obsession, the new book written by Miss Cassette, a friend of mine who seems to have been in every room, seen everything that happened, and knows all the fascinating details. This book is about the unusual stories and history behind Omaha’s neighborhoods, buildings, architecture, and people.
Things I’m so glad I bought
These pink masks - they also come in blue (which is a little cheaper), grey, and black. I usually wear reusable silk masks from Touche de Soie (Fair warning if you order these: shipping takes FOREVER. There are probably better sources for silk masks.) but I like having these disposable ones on hand in the car and in my purse. Sometimes my daughter forgets hers, or I can offer one to someone else.
I wrote in April that I had purchased a skymall-esque foot massage contraption that remains one of my favorite purchases of 2020—it has paid off tenfold for me. I added another contraption to my home, this highly-rated Shiatsu back and neck massager. Two weeks ago I woke up with a stiff neck and shoulder, and then my other shoulder joined in, and I haven’t been able to get much relief except with this thing.
Airpods. Ok, I get the hype.
Gloss Nail Gel Strips - I got a sample of these in one of those beauty subscription boxes, and I get the hype on these, too. My manicure lasted more than two weeks and the strips were easy to apply and remove.
What else?
I’m eating this sweet potato ravioli with brown butter pecan sauce, homemade by my 10-year-old. We got a pasta roller for this… and it was delicious. She did great. We made plenty to freeze.
We have looped fully back around into track suit season!! I am endlessly looking for an Adidas Franz Beckenbauer Tracksuit in Vapour Grey - made more famous by Daniel Dae Kim in the movie Always Be My Maybe.
Khruangbin is playing on repeat at my house for the last several weeks. The new album Mordechai is wonderful. Also don’t miss the Tiny Desk Concert they did for NPR.
On the political side of things, my first virtual town hall is October 25th at 2pm. I'll share a summary of the 2020 legislative session, share my 2021 legislative agenda, and answer questions. If you want in on that, you can sign up here: http://bit.ly/MeganHuntTownHall
More to come. If you know someone who would like this in their inbox, forward it to them and tell your friends to subscribe. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter, too. Mask up, and stay safe!
Meg