Diving in, staying cool
An unforgettable book + a restorative run + a Friday hello on this steamy day.
It’s Friday! Hello, my fellow Moving Through travelers.
Is it hot where you’re at, too?
It’s 79 degrees here today — “feels like 80” — which is a smidge cooler compared to this week’s stifling heat that left our front door windows covered in condensation one early morning because we’d cranked the AC for a good night’s sleep. I think it eventually topped 90 that day, which I know isn’t even as warm as it has been in other U.S. cities.
Here in northern Michigan, it’s not unusual for July and it’s certainly not unwelcome. Even more reason to get to one of our many bodies of freshwater.
But here I go, talking about the weather like any respectable midlife Midwesterner tends to do — yes, this video that I most definitely shared with my kids IS ME. In fact, after a humid, tree-shaking, short-lived rainstorm a couple of nights ago, this was in fact very me. Only difference from the woman and man in the video? We sat outside on the front porch to watch the action until the gusts pushed us back indoors.
I’m working on my next edition of Things to Love for you all — I have read a number of absolutely original and beautiful books lately that I can’t wait to tell you about, including this one that I’ll just mention now because I stayed up way too late the night before last finishing. I was told this was a propulsive read and was this ever spot on. It was described to me as the film Sliding Doors (a 1998 movie I loved) meets Life After Life (an all-time favorite book of mine) and this is apt.
I highly recommend The Names by Florence Knapp. Dottie, pictured below, would probably agree with me, I have a feeling. She cuddled on my lap while I devoured this novel.
But before I send out this latest Things I Love issue, I wanted to check in with you and see how everyone is doing? How are you soaking up the sun? Doing anything especially fun and meaningful? Any great food you’ve enjoyed lately? I’d love to hear about all of it!
And I’ll wrap up this little update with a couple of photos from a particularly happy run I had this past week. It was just an ordinary run, on the trails by our house, where I’ve been getting out and logging miles this summer, but something about this day on the winding paths, experiencing the serenity of being out there by myself, left me feeling at peace. Euphoric even.
I did jump right back into some major work stress not long after I returned to my home office, but let’s not dwell on that right now. Instead, I’m choosing to remember the beauty of doing something good for myself, if only for about an hour over lunch. It DID help me keep things into perspective, eventually.
And speaking of keeping moving, I’ve also been slowly working on building a new online store that features a few items I love and that speak to a love of nature and movement. I’d really like it if you checked it out, if you’re so inclined. (And let me know if you’d like to see something in particular there—I’d like to offer items that you all would be interested in, if that’s your thing!)
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More soon!
Stay cool, go swimming, keep moving, dive into life, my friends. (Reminders for me, too!)
XO
Heather
Hi Heather!
Mt favorite temps are in the low to mid 70’s. I’m not a hot/warm weather gal & never have been.
So far this summer we’ve entertained lots of company, been to a couple Pit Spitters games (13 straight wins in a row!), going to our association picnic this afternoon. It’s been a good season so far as summers go. Enjoyed a few concerts across the lake @ Interlochen with a few more to listen to on the pontoon.
Many books devoured, of course. Here’s the variety I’ve gone through:
Patricia Cornwell’s The Book of Dead. I love murder mysteries!
Our Little Secret by Lisa Jackson
The Better Sister by Alafair Burke
Your Year for Change by Bronnie Ware 52 Reflections for Regret-Free Living. This is a book to pick up read, think about, & go back to weekly.
Enjoy the rest of your summer. I really looking to our first Fall up here! The weather, the visits from friends, are there no cider mills up here? 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤔