💐 Things I Loved in June

Dear reader,

I'm trying out a new newsletter series! Inspired by Carolyn Yoo's monthly roundup of 7 things she's enjoyed, here are things I loved this past June.

1) I got married!

And the celebration was everything I hoped it would be. My husband's (!!!) family mostly lives on the West Coast, my family mostly lives on the East Coast, and our friends are all over the place. We really wanted to have a big party with everyone, and our loved ones more than delivered. It's hard to describe how meaningful the day was to me, especially because I'm a sappy person who loves love.

2) Saving Time

I'm trying to read my unread books this year, and I finally picked up Saving Time by Jenny Odell as part of that project. Its optimism surprised me; the thesis of the book is essentially that the world hasn't always been a capitalist hellscape, so it doesn't need to be one forever. By exploring how exactly we got into this situation, Jenny Odell helps us imagine other ways of looking at time. I couldn't put this book down.

I also came across this Ursula K. LeGuin gem in a few different places last month, which gets at the same ideas:

We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings.

It's not inevitable that billionaires will destroy the world — we can still choose to do things differently.

3) cataloging my zines

So another part of my "using what I have" project is actually knowing what I have. I have a little crate of zines on my bookshelf, and I really enjoyed spending a little time with each one as I photographed and cataloged them all. (Take a look if you like!) I may expand this to include all my small press publications as well!

4) gardens at the art museum

I became a member of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston this year, which makes me feel very fancy. Their most recent temporary exhibition was called Framing Nature: Gardens and Imagination, and I loved it! It brought together so many different kinds of artwork from seemingly disparate eras and places (medieval tapestries, Japanese woodblock prints, Dior dresses, and contemporary paintings for example) to examine how artists have conceptualized and portrayed gardens in art.

One photograph of an elderly immigrant proudly showing off his vegetable garden reminded me so strongly of my grandpa. The whole exhibit made me think differently about my own garden, and how I might want to tend my neglected rental backyard.

5) going to the farmer's market

I haven't been much of a farmer's market guy in previous summers, but I decided I would start going on Saturday mornings and now I'm hooked. I like to chat on the phone with my mom or sister on my walk over and then peruse all the booths before buying anything. I love seeing exactly what's in season; the arrivals of ramps, fiddleleaf ferns, and garlic scapes were very exciting, and I'm impatiently awaiting summer fruit.

I usually come home with oyster mushrooms from the mushroom farm, pastries from my favorite bakery tent, a selection of tempting veggies, and fresh flowers from the flower stand. (Only 9 more bouquets until I finish my punch card!)

I always run into at least a couple people I know—from my gym, my mutual aid group, or my favorite dog park—and the farmer's market really makes me feel like a part of the neighborhood.

6) spending as little time on my phone as possible

I may dedicate a future newsletter just to this topic, but since bricking my phone I've been experimenting with even more ways to make it unappealing. The main one: I took the internet away! I can't search for anything, shop for anything, or open any links, and it kinda rules.

I considered getting rid of my smartphone entirely, but it does still work — and the most sustainable tool is the one you already have. But once this thing dies, it may not come back...

7) ice cream!

I don't really care for hot weather except when I'm eating ice cream. My favorite local spot is Gracie's, the leftist ice cream shop with constantly rotating flavors. My husband is partial to ube and I love anything black raz (chip, Oreo, Reese's pieces, etc.); I've always been curious about the spicy Manischewitz flavor but not brave enough to try it when it appears. I also love an at-home sundae with a little hot fudge and whipped cream!

What have you been enjoying lately? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!