My Current Three Sources of Delight (Until the Government Bans Them)

...or shackles them on a plane to Columbia.

Hi, it’s me.

I’ve had a hard time figuring out how to show up in your inbox lately, not wanting to add to the noise, and also not wanting to float on like everything’s normal. I don’t know how to compartmentalize. Can I write about my new obsession with sparkly fingernail polish while also fighting fascism? Let’s find out.

I went to church a couple of weeks ago. I don’t go often, but it was my pastor’s last Sunday after fifteen years with us, and the email said there would be a potluck. If you know anything about church culture, you know the two most sacred activities are prayer chains and potlucks.

She preached her final sermon that week—the day before inauguration day—on the topic of transitions. How points of entrances and exits—the transition points—are the most vulnerable in terms of security. How Jesus performed many miracles while en route from here to there. How a grown man who’d never walked suddenly had ankles and legs strong enough to stand on for the first time in his life. What would he do next? Where would he go? His physical change sparked new internal questions.

My pastor said change happens to us—in moment or a split second, whether we see it coming or feel broadsided, whether a thing is given or taken, whether something stops or starts, whether forward motion is halted or we get diverted to somewhere unexpected—but transition happens in us as we figure out how to live with the change.

She also said transition is a skill that requires practice, which is lucky because I’m transitioning the hell out of life right now. I’m going to be so good at transitions by the time I die!

Here are my current three sources of delight:

Because fighting fascism is a marathon, not a sprint, I’ve had to build in some me-time to unwind after a day of reading executive orders and asking my co-workers if we still have jobs.

1) Letterboxd Comments

Letterboxd is an app for cataloging and reviewing movies and limited series, and most of the “reviews” are actually hilarious comments of observational humor. After several instances of waking Bryan up by laughing so hard the bed shook, I exclaimed, “HOW IS LETTERBOXD MY HAPPY PLACE NOW?” Here are examples of comments that made me laugh out loud:

That last one is so specifically niche that I would like to frame it and hang it on my wall.¹

2) 2025 Garden Planning

One of my favorite things to do in the dead of winter is plan my garden for the next season. I map out where everything will go, check my seed inventory, and make an order.

I bought this February Gardener print from Lore Pemberton. Every year after Christmas I hang it next to the window looking out over my garden.

It’s a loose plan at best since I always manage to make changes at the last minute. Will I regret not planting basil? Probably. Then I’ll panic and stick it somewhere inconvenient. At the end of last season I decided to plant fewer tomatoes this year, so of course I planned for more because Last Year Jen was wrong.

The 2025 garden plan (subject to change).

3) Glitter Nails, Cute Earrings, and Curling My Hair

I know it’s small and superficial, but I’m leaning into my Cute Era. As someone who rarely spends time making myself look “put together,” I’m delighting in “doing myself up” in the morning and keeping my nails painted.

New handmade red earrings from a local artist, my latest glitter nails color combo, and my best attempt yet at curling my hair.

This particular act of engaging in self care, despite being visible and external, is just for me. I work from home, have very few video meetings, and most days I leave the house only to walk my dog. Sometimes Bryan and the kids are the only people who will see me looking so fabulous. I find these specific activities delightful because of the process—at least for my hair and nails. I have to make time for it. I have to focus my attention on the technique. It’s something I do with my hands and not a screen. These are habits that are keeping me from doomscrolling right now.

(My collection of earrings are special because many of them are gifts or items I bought from local artists at farmers markets or while traveling.)

If we were walking our dogs together in the cemetery across the street, what would you say is delighting you right now?

Until next time (if there is a next time),

Jen

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More Delights! (Books I Read Over the Holidays)

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson—is a fun, Agatha Christie style whodunit that takes place at a ski resort in Australia. Did you know Australia had snowy mountains? I did not, and I was thoroughly confused about the setting until I finally googled, “Is there snow in Australia?”

The Guncle Abroad, by Steven Rowley—is a sequel to his beloved book, The Guncle, one of my favorite books of all time. If you loved the first Inside Out movie and also loved the second Inside Out movie and recognize how rare it is for sequels to be amazing, then you will understand my love for this book. The story continues, the characters are growing up, life is changing and they’re learning how to transition well!²

From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir, by Lisa Marie Presley & Reiley Keough—I highly recommend listening to the audio book. Riley (Lisa Marie’s daughter) reads her own portions, and it’s beautifully personal and intimate. Her description of an intense season of grief toward the end resonated with my own experience of grief. Classic #DementiaJen Story: I was on chapter five before I realized I had been picturing Priscilla Presley as I was listening, not Lisa Marie. I kept waiting for the book to talk about her time on the 80’s tv show Dallas, and then suddenly it was 1995 and I’m like, wait… ohhhhhhh…. 😂

Big Gay Wedding, by Byron Lane—This book is green vibes. I laughed, cried, and appreciated the story of a mother finally engaging her emotions after ignoring them through several giant life transitions. The audio book was delightful and well acted. Read it (or listen!) before Trump bans it.

How to Dungeon Master Parenting, by

Shelly Mazzanoble

—What a delightful read! I’ve never played Dungeons and Dragons before (Satanic Panic, baby!), but that didn’t matter. She gives the reader just enough DnD context without bogging you down in nerdy details. Parents with a sense of humor will feel empowered by the tools and mindset of a bad ass dungeon master.

Reading anything good?

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1. Jake Peralta is the main character in the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine who loves and frequently references Die Hard, a movie that many reviewers have compared to Carry-On, the movie this person is reviewing. (Yes, “reviewing” is a loosely held term in this instance.)

2. Yes, that was a call back.