Yes! Love everything about imbuing meaning but not "Morals-with-a-capital-M." That makes so much sense. I also love how you went through your brainstorming example.
As usual, I felt "seen" in the Thoughts and Links, as well! My family and I were just in Moscow-Pullman a few weeks ago and bought ourselves a big ol' can of Cougar Gold cheese while getting our traditional WSU ice cream (that campus has a really great dairy shop!). We opened it up last week and have been making our way happily through it--it's esp. delish on crackers. The only weird part is storing the cheese after you open it (I had to cut it up to get it to fit into our storage glassware)? Maybe I could have kept it in the can? Somehow that felt foolhardy, because the lid is very large, so after you open it, its not far removed from a buzz saw blade. But 10/10, would buy again.
My oldest son took barista lessons in Melbourne (he was 14, 15 at the time...COVID broke things up a little) so I also am a Mom to a coffee-loving teen, as well. Does your daughter make you coffee, too? (That's the next step in total Mom heaven.)
I'm so glad to have your endorsement on the Cougar Cheese! I'm excited about it. I didn't even think of how we'll store it after we open it (IN OUR BELLIES?).
My daughter does make me coffee! Even better, she does a ton of baking, so sometimes she appears out of nowhere with a cupcake.
In your bellies is the right answer! We made the mistake of opening ours after we had already eaten dinner and then it was like it was tasty and we wanted to eat it but also, we were in danger of exploding. As a first course, it would have been perfect.
My son will make me coffee, but only when explicitly asked, which makes it so much less fun for me. Sigh--so hard to get good teen coffee help these days. I will make sure to tell him, "Julie's daughter sometimes even includes a cupcake. I'm just saying..."
It's such a bold move to eat dinner and then decide to crack open an enormous can of cheese. I love that. I'm thinking the can of cheese will BE the dinner.
To be fair, the cupcake and the coffee are usually separate transactions, but if you want to tell your son it's a package deal, you have my blessing.
Oh, you know it! Still no cupcake (side eyes spot next to me that would be just PERFECT with a cupcake on it), but I did get a hug this morning as he left the house. :)
Oh! Well, good to know! It really was just me riffing here, while writing. I confess I'm slightly attached to this unhinged door now. We'll see if it turns into anything.
Love this post, Julie! I once went to a Ben Folds concert where he composed an original song right in front of us with a full orchestra (it was amazing and mind boggling) and when you wrote about the door and the hinge here it totally reminded me of that! So so cool to see how your writer brain works and how you craft ideas. Thank you for sharing!
And thank you for noting my essay too—what a delightful surprise! 💕
Oh, I love that! That must have been such a cool thing to witness. I'm so fascinated by process, and so often the process is invisible unless someone is talking about it.
Yes! Love everything about imbuing meaning but not "Morals-with-a-capital-M." That makes so much sense. I also love how you went through your brainstorming example.
As usual, I felt "seen" in the Thoughts and Links, as well! My family and I were just in Moscow-Pullman a few weeks ago and bought ourselves a big ol' can of Cougar Gold cheese while getting our traditional WSU ice cream (that campus has a really great dairy shop!). We opened it up last week and have been making our way happily through it--it's esp. delish on crackers. The only weird part is storing the cheese after you open it (I had to cut it up to get it to fit into our storage glassware)? Maybe I could have kept it in the can? Somehow that felt foolhardy, because the lid is very large, so after you open it, its not far removed from a buzz saw blade. But 10/10, would buy again.
My oldest son took barista lessons in Melbourne (he was 14, 15 at the time...COVID broke things up a little) so I also am a Mom to a coffee-loving teen, as well. Does your daughter make you coffee, too? (That's the next step in total Mom heaven.)
Have a great week.
I'm so glad to have your endorsement on the Cougar Cheese! I'm excited about it. I didn't even think of how we'll store it after we open it (IN OUR BELLIES?).
My daughter does make me coffee! Even better, she does a ton of baking, so sometimes she appears out of nowhere with a cupcake.
In your bellies is the right answer! We made the mistake of opening ours after we had already eaten dinner and then it was like it was tasty and we wanted to eat it but also, we were in danger of exploding. As a first course, it would have been perfect.
My son will make me coffee, but only when explicitly asked, which makes it so much less fun for me. Sigh--so hard to get good teen coffee help these days. I will make sure to tell him, "Julie's daughter sometimes even includes a cupcake. I'm just saying..."
It's such a bold move to eat dinner and then decide to crack open an enormous can of cheese. I love that. I'm thinking the can of cheese will BE the dinner.
To be fair, the cupcake and the coffee are usually separate transactions, but if you want to tell your son it's a package deal, you have my blessing.
Good, because that ship already sailed--it was too good of fodder to not load into the cannon. LOL. "Benji! Guess what I read?..." 😂
I hope he did the obligatory teenager eye roll at you.
Oh, you know it! Still no cupcake (side eyes spot next to me that would be just PERFECT with a cupcake on it), but I did get a hug this morning as he left the house. :)
Thanks, Julie. I am always motivated by your posts.
Thank you, Nancy!
I would the door without hinges book in a heartbeat. I think you have a kernel of an idea here! (Loved this whole post!)
Oh! Well, good to know! It really was just me riffing here, while writing. I confess I'm slightly attached to this unhinged door now. We'll see if it turns into anything.
Love this post, Julie! I once went to a Ben Folds concert where he composed an original song right in front of us with a full orchestra (it was amazing and mind boggling) and when you wrote about the door and the hinge here it totally reminded me of that! So so cool to see how your writer brain works and how you craft ideas. Thank you for sharing!
And thank you for noting my essay too—what a delightful surprise! 💕
Oh, I love that! That must have been such a cool thing to witness. I'm so fascinated by process, and so often the process is invisible unless someone is talking about it.
Aw, thanks for the shout out!
Well THANK YOU in the first place!