Inaugural Fun
Monday Missives #1 (The first in a series called Monday Missives; not the other thing happening today)
Most of the time when I write, my voice can be quite serious. That can be especially true in the longer pieces I write. That’s why I am adding a new thing to this space: Monday Missives.
Every week, I will post short snippets of my random thoughts on a little bit of everything or nothing at all. I will also include some weekend highlights (if there are any), what I’m listening to (music or podcasts or both), what I’m watching (or not watching), and what I’m reading. But I will definitely not talk about what I’m cooking (only where I ate out) ‘cause anyone who knows me, knows that cooking is not really my thing. Well, sometimes I cook (even breakfast—I make a mean French toast) but only to express care for the people I love the most, even if it means pushing into my discomfort zone. I do however bake and when I do, I go big (not home). One year, for Thanksgiving, I baked four different kinds of cakes, including two different kinds of pumpkin pie (my first time baking any kind of pumpkin pie, btw).
But I digress. The short, short version:
Monday Missives is where I plan to have some fun.
So, if you’re enjoying any part of any of this, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. And of course, feel free to pass this on and share with anyone you think might enjoy being here too.
Meals Out: Paladin Downtown (lunch on Friday), Sexi Mexi (Sunday brunch)
Listening (voice): ESPN Radio (that’s a whole, kinda long story for another time)
Listening (music): Catch & Release - Deepend Remix, Matt Simons, Deepend
Watching: Murder, She Wrote, Season 3 (finished Season 1 & 2) on Amazon Prime
I have a TV (no cable) but I never watch anything there. Instead, I stream everything on my iPad (usually when I go to bed).
Reading: Being a Brain Wise Therapist by Bonnie Badenoch
Most Hours Logged Doing: Writing my new piece “Keep Me Secret” (which I will publish this Wednesday) and working on a new banner for the weekly Substack email. Once I fall into the Photoshop rabbit hole, it is very hard to climb back out. (Special shout out to my bestie in NOLA for the Sunday feedback session).
And finally, every day, after I wake up and before I do anything else, I spend up to an hour (usually less) reading, meditating and journaling. As part of that ritual, I choose a new set of books (usually some kind of daily reader) at the start of every year. For 2025, I am using three different books: One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, As Bill Sees It, and 333 Oracle of Heart Wisdom.
So, my Monday Missives will end with whatever takeaway I have jotted down from my first morning meditation of the week.
Monday Morning Mediation: 1.20.25
Patience is a practice that starts with a decision to do something different from what I have always done. Instead of reacting, or lashing out, I can choose to slow down, pause and be curious about why I am so upset. Even if I won’t do it perfectly every time, I will wait before I speak so that when I do, I can do so with kindness and clarity. ❤️