On the town
Delights for moments when you're out and about
We’re over halfway through February and it’s time for some more delights! We have been keeping our spirits up with a series of lovely little things, including a little weekend mini-break in Milwaukee for me and Jon. Rosie is on a church retreat and Lucy is at school — it’s a practice run for empty-nesting!
A fancy dinner at Ca’Lucchenzo in Milwaukee, with the extra delight of being served by our dear friend Maggie.
My birthday is now less than a week away and I’m seeing that I need to get strategic if I want to achieve my goal of fifty delights by February 21. In the process of taking notes on these delights, I’m observing something interesting — not every beloved thing makes the cut. For example, I had been fully expecting to list “the music of U2” as a delight, but I’m noticing that my emotional experience connected with their music is too complex to be categorized as simply a delight. For some things, I’m finding a way around it (see below), but other things might just be left off the list. It’s a new thing for me to realize that not every beloved thing is a true delight.
Today’s collection is loosely themed “out and about” — delights that I experience when I’m exploring the world.
Getting bundled up and heading into winter weather. A few weeks ago, I noticed this delight after an evening meeting at a local university. I stood at the doorway to the outside world, bundled myself up fully with hat, scarf, mittens, and coat, then headed out into the chilly winter air while retaining my toasty indoor warmth. Why is this so pleasant? I don’t know, but if you can manage it with a mug of tea, all the better.
Walking to the Milwaukee Art Museum with Jon on the lakefront path this weekend.
My favorite fan. My fluctuating internal thermostat is a mostly-manageable fact of life in this season, but there are tools that help. Although the ambient temperature in the winter months allows for a simple de-layering to cool oneself down, the summertime requires a different set of skills altogether. My favorite fan isn’t particularly special — anyone with an Amazon account can buy one — but it fits nicely in my hands, unfurls quickly, stays free of splinters, and it looks pretty.
Reading Gift from the Sea on vacation. Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s classic meditation on personhood and creativity and relationships bears reading and re-reading. I’ve read it nearly every year for two decades, but my very favorite setting for reading Gift from the Sea is one that mimics its creation: on vacation, preferably near a body of water, with the sounds of waves crashing and seagulls calling in the background.
Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. I don’t wear much makeup, but this has been a staple in my purse for many years. My friend Jane taught me about the magic of Black Honey back in the early 2000s — and I’ve never looked back. This delightful cosmetic is part lipstick, part lip balm, in a color that looks good on everyone who ever tries it. Lucy and Rosie are now hooked too!
A mother-daughter lipstick photo from Halloween 2024. I’m wearing Black Honey (as usual), while my mom opts for her favorite: Revlon’s Fire & Ice.
Walking home from the gym. Over the past two years, I’ve painstakingly cultivated a weight-lifting habit at our local gym. I’m not a naturally athletic person, but I have become convinced by the research that says strength training holds great benefits for women as they age. I don’t always love my workouts, but I can manage two or three times a week, 30 minutes per session. The delight comes in the walk back home, listening to music or a podcast, feeling satisfied that I’ve lived into my commitment to long-term health.
Feeling strong after my deadlift and happy to walk home!
The aroma of incense in a church. In my childhood, we were part of a Catholic church, and I always found the sweet-smoky scent of incense to embody the mystery and awe of spiritual journeys. These days, our church doesn’t do much incense, but whenever we’re traveling and step into a beautiful church or cathedral, I inhale deeply as I walk into the sanctuary. Smells like home.
We visited Grossmünster Church in Zurich, but it didn’t smell like incense. At least we know how to behave in a house of worship.
Larry Mullen Jr’s drumming. Although I’m a lifelong U2 fan, I don’t often categorize their music as a pure delight. The songs hold so much emotion for me, especially having experienced them through some of my most formative years. However, I can isolate one element of their music that does bring delight: Larry Mullen Jr.’s drumming, which has a wild and delightful energy, especially on early albums like War and October. Try the beginning of this song. It’s great for those tough gym workouts!
Setting up “house” when traveling. Although I am terrible at packing, I do like to unpack — and one of my favorite delights is creating new spaces to hold all of my little things. Tiny toiletries on bathroom shelves, journal by the bedside, a little space for lip balm. Bonus points if you can find a tray or cutting board to delineate the space. Delight!
A collection of items cluttering up the counter feels so much better gathered onto a wooden cutting board.
A real cup at a coffee shop. I enjoy going to a coffee shop to work or read, and I will go out of my way to find one that will serve me coffee in a ceramic cup. This can be surprisingly difficult, although I have heard that there is a movement to bring back the “for here” cup in the most ubiquitous of coffee shops. My favorite, though, is discovering a place that serves coffee in a chunky diner mug.
These mugs at the Café at the Plaza isn’t terribly elegant, but it will do!
Armchair Anonymous Podcast. I’ve been a fan of the funny and honest conversations featured in Armchair Expert podcast for many years, but their recent Armchair Anonymous series holds a special, delightful place in my heart. Be forewarned: many stories are disgusting, risqué, or both — but they are also reliably hilarious. Lucy and I have developed a practice of listening to Armchair Anonymous in the car together on her drives back to campus, and we both enjoy laughing hysterically as we get ready to send her back into her life at school.
More delights coming soon! Thirty-one more to go!
Tidbits
I’m slowly finding my way into learning how to respond to the chaos in our government these days. It’s rather horrid out there. I’m trying to establish a balance of responsible consumption and restorative retreat. Would you like to hear about a few things that are helping me?
Assembly Required Podcast with Stacey Abrams. For years, I’ve been a fan of Stacey Abrams and her empowering, long-game view of civic activism. Stacey started a podcast just a few months ago and it’s just the kind of helpful information we need for this time in history. Her interviews are thoughtful and full of insight, and she always includes practical tips at the end of the episode for ordinary people.
“What does courage look like in this moment?” This is a question I keep asking myself these days. I am heartened by identifying instances of courage that I find in acts of resistance, and I am also pondering with curiosity how to engage courageously in my own context, within my own sphere of influence.
Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletters. Heather’s newsletters give such great perspective on the situation at hand and the way history informs our political landscape today. I especially appreciate that she offers a podcast version of the newsletters as well. Heather makes me smarter.
The Next Right Thing Podcast with Emily P. Freeman. I’ve been listening to Emily’s podcast ever since it started, but over the past few months, I’ve chosen it as my morning podcast. Those of you who have known me for awhile might remember that I had a habit, during the pandemic, of starting my days with Dean Robert’s morning prayer. Sadly, the Dean is no longer with us — a great grief to me — and so I’ve shifted to Emily’s gentle voice for my morning listen. She helps me to not wake up and immediately start consuming news, and her ideas are so fresh and thoughtful!
Love these, Ann!