Hi friends, happy Sunday!
This weekend marks a particular anniversary in my aging journey: my 44th birthday. I can already tell this is the era when I start forgetting how old I actually am, because I nearly introduced myself as 45 the other day without blinking. One thing that truly delights me about getting older is the way our personalities branch off into little side quests. You know what I mean? The hyper-specific hobbies or obsessions that slowly become part of who we are.
As my latest side quest, I’ve fully embodied a Pool Dad. I clean the pool myself, I buy the chemicals, I have strong opinions about skimmer baskets, and yes, I will confidently explain how to backwash a filter to anyone who will listen. Pool Dad insists that with the slightest hint of sunshine, everyone must get in the pool. And honestly, as a Pool Father, I get it. Chlorine doesn’t grow on trees. (Something a Pool Dad would say.)
So if I can get the pool pH to a peaceful place by the Sunday afternoon, there will be people swimming. There better be. That is both an invitation and a threat.
I hope this finds you happily side questing in your own way. Now, to the link I’ve gathered this week!
• Are you team Make Your Own Birthday Cake or do you prefer to be baked for? I always make my own cake (mostly because the only person who has offered to bake one for me is my girl Suzonne with her famous coconut cake). This year’s cake is but Perfect Chocolate Bundt Cake but My 12 Best Birthday Cakes is a solid list if you have a Gemini to bake for. (Instagram, Joy the Baker)
• This one hit deep. The Gen X Career Meltdown is a compassionate and sobering look at what happens when the industries you built your creative life around vanish beneath your feet. If you’ve ever had to reinvent yourself midstream this is a must-read. (The New York Times gift article)
• Somewhere between high school and adulthood, I thought friend group drama would phase out. Spoiler alert: it did not. This guide on How To Survive Friend Group Drama, Without Picking Sides is the grown-up strategy manual I didn’t know I needed. BRB, forwarding this to every Real Housewife franchise. (Self)
• The Louvre could never. Texas Monthly makes the case that the real art gallery of our time is… the Buc-ee’s bathroom hallway. They’re not wrong. The regional art is thoughtfully curated, highly trafficked, and occasionally moving enough to make you tear up next to the hand dryers: Texas’s Hottest Art Gallery Is The Buc-ee’s Bathroom
• Taylor Jenkins Reid is having a moment – again, and we love that for her! She’s very casual about a mega book deal, half of Hollywood circling her work, and the magic of a so-called “easy read”. How Taylor Jenkins Reid Became a Publishing Powerhouse (Time)
• I can see myself eating half of this loaf in one sitting: Jelly Doughnut Focaccia (Substack)
• I’ll be hiding tofu in my macaroni salad all summer! Minimalist Baker’s Vegan Macaroni Salad sounds SO GOOD! (Minimalist Baker)
• Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s real-life ranch was as charming as their TV lives. Think floral wallpaper, game nights, a cow named Duchess, and pool parties with Clark Gable. I love this glimpse of Lucy and Ricky in Real Life (Architectural Digest)
• Tell me this isn’t Pool Dad coded: 29 Frozen Drinks That Are Wort the Brain Freeze (Epicurious)
• Ahead of this years Summer Bucket List, here’s a list of adult hobbies worth trying. You had me at “paint thhrifted mugs” which also sounds like getting holiday gifts out of the way, no? (Joy the Baker, Substack)
• I’ve been watching Poker Face on Peacock, and here’s the deal: for the first half of every episode, I truly have no idea what’s going on, and yet, it always clicks into place. It’s twisty, stylish, a little odd, and really very satisfying. (YouTube)
As we look ahead to Memorial Day, I’ve been thinking about the quiet pride that fills our little town this time of year. In Bellville, banners of the town’s soldiers line Main Street . It’s a good time to pause, to honor those we’ve lost, and to appreciate the sacrifice of so many families . I hope your weekend ahead is filled with sunshine, rest, and a moment or two of remembrance.
With love from the pool,
xo Joy
