That last thing is of my own doing, and I have zero regrets — I spin these ideas up and execute them with complete joy, no sarcasm, and it’s not only because of the legacy of magic-making that my mom passed on to me (herself a full-time-work-outside-the-home mother who danced on hot coals without my ever noticing it), but because I need to make this magic for myself
I am continually in awe of your ability to beautifully summarize how I am feeling in this newsletter. I needed that permission slip, so thank you. ❤️❤️ also, a member of the climate anxiety club in addition to the general anxiety club so appreciate the warning.
I always look forward to your book recommendations, but lately, I’ve been especially thankful for your pep talks. There is so much to find overwhelming in the world and I’ve felt such a pressure on my heart about all of the conflict. Especially with a son who is fast approaching military age. He wants to join the Air Force and I am deeply proud of that decision, but it is also beyond scary. Your reminder that the greatest overwhelm I should be feeling is the sense of overwhelming gratitude resonates truer than the fear and uncertainty. Thank you.
I'm truly glad, Amanda -- I worry that the handful of people who unsubscribe every time I post leave because I do such a bad job of sticking to my "one thing," my brand, as it were, which is books and reading for children. (Though obviously, that never compels me to actually do anything differently 😂)
And, fwiw, I don't believe in "should" when it comes to feelings. You feel what you feel and it's all allowed. And in this case, I think it's a both/and -- it's okay to be grateful AND it's okay to be scared. A loved one joining the military is incredibly hard -- I have been there, I have lived through deployments of people I couldn't stand to lose (not even my *child,* which is a whole other level altogether), I have kissed people goodbye terrified I'd never see them again, and I have also welcomed them home, grateful beyond words. I'd honestly think there was something wrong with you if you *weren't* worried about that.
Maybe it's just the writer in me, but books and life are intertwined so tightly that there's no separating them. You're good at picking and commenting on books because of your experiences. I think what you write is all part of your "brand." Life and books go together like peanut butter and jelly. (I seriously tried to think of something else, but having just made school lunches, that's the best I could come up with.) Keep doing what you're doing. It's a gift.
Ooh...the "World Without Fish" caught my eye; my daughter is doing a year-long project on octopus and wants to go into marine biology. I think she'd find this fascinating. Oddly enough, it's my 'year of the comic-book', that which having never read a single comic before this year (!), I am finding as a new favorite genre.
The Brownstone series are so, so good. Flying Tiger is one of my favourite kid publishers these days. I said I’d stop buying picture books but they are such keepers.
Ahh, fall break. And with a Halloween hunt to boot. Do you put the candy outside in its wrapper only or have you procured Halloween-themed eggs of some sort? This is a friendly request for more information and/or a visual. Hooray for you making all of the magic for yourself and for others.
My kiddos are OBSESSED with the Brownstone books. For the month of September, they wanted to read at least one in the series every night and only when I brought out the Halloween books have they stopped requesting the Brownstones each night. With trepidation, I've requested the World Without Fish and look forward to checking out Wings. Thank you!
I actually don’t do very much candy — we have lots of friends with allergies and I want everything to be safe for them (and for their Halloween-beleaguered parents to be able to let down their guard when they come to our house), so it’s maybe 10% allergy-safe candy (Yum Earth is awesome) and 90% goodies like pencils, stickers, bubbles, slap bracelets, squishies, etc. I can provide a visual 😊
I used to care — and be frustrated— and now I don’t (thanks to Virginia Sole-Smith / Burnt Toast). But I also know all these kids, mine included, are going to get plenty of candy trick-or-treating on Tuesday night so it’s not like I’m depriving them.
Anyway, I’ve noticed — having done this for awhile now, albeit never at this insane scale — that the hunt is really the thing that matters. They don’t care all that much what’s on the other end (I mean, I’m not handing out cucumbers 😂 but they are happy with small fun things, which they then spend an hour trading, and then running manically around our yard).
I should let the candy thing go. It’s really the battle after the fact that I struggle with — and it helps that our school collects candy and so we get rid most of it.
I would love to see what would happen if you handed out cucumbers. I bet they’d find it hilarious.
You are making me think I should host a hunt next year. Does it happen on Halloween?
Want me to email you with all the details? (It happens the weekend before Halloween. As in, tonight 🎃😘 I started doing it when we couldn’t trick or treat during lockdown, and we were in a bubble with five other daycare kids. This is the first time I’m doing it at night, and the first time with, oh, 55 more people than that 😂)
Thank you for that permission slip 💛
And World Without Fish is going on my TBR (trepidatiously)!
It's amazing. It ruined a lot for me. Highly recommend 😂
Thank you for being a magic maker with your words.
Thank YOU for always seeing whatever kind of magic I make 💖
That last thing is of my own doing, and I have zero regrets — I spin these ideas up and execute them with complete joy, no sarcasm, and it’s not only because of the legacy of magic-making that my mom passed on to me (herself a full-time-work-outside-the-home mother who danced on hot coals without my ever noticing it), but because I need to make this magic for myself
Love this legacy!
It's a lot to live up to, but I try 😘
SO grateful I took the time to read this today--thank you!
Thank you, Alison -- and you're so welcome.
This was exactly what I needed ❤️ thank you for writing it!
I'm so glad 🩷
I am continually in awe of your ability to beautifully summarize how I am feeling in this newsletter. I needed that permission slip, so thank you. ❤️❤️ also, a member of the climate anxiety club in addition to the general anxiety club so appreciate the warning.
I hope you know that your opinion means (very close to) more than anyone else's...
❤️❤️❤️ forever your biggest fan
“The legacy of magic making” ✨ Beautiful, Sarah.
💖🩷
I always look forward to your book recommendations, but lately, I’ve been especially thankful for your pep talks. There is so much to find overwhelming in the world and I’ve felt such a pressure on my heart about all of the conflict. Especially with a son who is fast approaching military age. He wants to join the Air Force and I am deeply proud of that decision, but it is also beyond scary. Your reminder that the greatest overwhelm I should be feeling is the sense of overwhelming gratitude resonates truer than the fear and uncertainty. Thank you.
I'm truly glad, Amanda -- I worry that the handful of people who unsubscribe every time I post leave because I do such a bad job of sticking to my "one thing," my brand, as it were, which is books and reading for children. (Though obviously, that never compels me to actually do anything differently 😂)
And, fwiw, I don't believe in "should" when it comes to feelings. You feel what you feel and it's all allowed. And in this case, I think it's a both/and -- it's okay to be grateful AND it's okay to be scared. A loved one joining the military is incredibly hard -- I have been there, I have lived through deployments of people I couldn't stand to lose (not even my *child,* which is a whole other level altogether), I have kissed people goodbye terrified I'd never see them again, and I have also welcomed them home, grateful beyond words. I'd honestly think there was something wrong with you if you *weren't* worried about that.
Thank you, Sarah. "Both/and," I can embrace that!
Maybe it's just the writer in me, but books and life are intertwined so tightly that there's no separating them. You're good at picking and commenting on books because of your experiences. I think what you write is all part of your "brand." Life and books go together like peanut butter and jelly. (I seriously tried to think of something else, but having just made school lunches, that's the best I could come up with.) Keep doing what you're doing. It's a gift.
Thank you 🩷🩷
Ooh...the "World Without Fish" caught my eye; my daughter is doing a year-long project on octopus and wants to go into marine biology. I think she'd find this fascinating. Oddly enough, it's my 'year of the comic-book', that which having never read a single comic before this year (!), I am finding as a new favorite genre.
She probably would enjoy this book, yes -- and I think it should be required reading for any current or future marine biologist.
May I strongly suggest Lynda Barry's work. Any of it. Makes me literally LOL, as an adult.
okay I saw that my library has a number of her books and that there is a comic book about Menopause. LOL SOLD!!
I LOVE THIS
The Brownstone series are so, so good. Flying Tiger is one of my favourite kid publishers these days. I said I’d stop buying picture books but they are such keepers.
Agreed!
("I said I'd stop buying picture books" -- I could never say that, but I admire it 😂)
Ahh, fall break. And with a Halloween hunt to boot. Do you put the candy outside in its wrapper only or have you procured Halloween-themed eggs of some sort? This is a friendly request for more information and/or a visual. Hooray for you making all of the magic for yourself and for others.
My kiddos are OBSESSED with the Brownstone books. For the month of September, they wanted to read at least one in the series every night and only when I brought out the Halloween books have they stopped requesting the Brownstones each night. With trepidation, I've requested the World Without Fish and look forward to checking out Wings. Thank you!
I actually don’t do very much candy — we have lots of friends with allergies and I want everything to be safe for them (and for their Halloween-beleaguered parents to be able to let down their guard when they come to our house), so it’s maybe 10% allergy-safe candy (Yum Earth is awesome) and 90% goodies like pencils, stickers, bubbles, slap bracelets, squishies, etc. I can provide a visual 😊
Even better. The candy is the one part of Halloween that is so frustrating.
I used to care — and be frustrated— and now I don’t (thanks to Virginia Sole-Smith / Burnt Toast). But I also know all these kids, mine included, are going to get plenty of candy trick-or-treating on Tuesday night so it’s not like I’m depriving them.
Anyway, I’ve noticed — having done this for awhile now, albeit never at this insane scale — that the hunt is really the thing that matters. They don’t care all that much what’s on the other end (I mean, I’m not handing out cucumbers 😂 but they are happy with small fun things, which they then spend an hour trading, and then running manically around our yard).
I should let the candy thing go. It’s really the battle after the fact that I struggle with — and it helps that our school collects candy and so we get rid most of it.
I would love to see what would happen if you handed out cucumbers. I bet they’d find it hilarious.
You are making me think I should host a hunt next year. Does it happen on Halloween?
Want me to email you with all the details? (It happens the weekend before Halloween. As in, tonight 🎃😘 I started doing it when we couldn’t trick or treat during lockdown, and we were in a bubble with five other daycare kids. This is the first time I’m doing it at night, and the first time with, oh, 55 more people than that 😂)
You know I do! Thank you!
I love your newsletter. It makes me feel better.
What a wonderful compliment — thank you!
Lovely, as always. Thanks for the permission slip.
😘😘