It’s 4:20pm on a Sunday, which is usually the time that words or ideas are ready to pour out of me into a weekend reading post. Except that today, instead of thinking about a topic or things that I might say, I’ve been sitting on my couch giggling as I exchange dumb memes with a friend .

In theory, I should be getting more done. I’m behind on work right now, and there’s a lot to do. But I’m feeling forgiving of the idleness and silliness. And I guess that’s the message today: sometimes the best way to spend a Sunday is pushing aside all of the stuff you planned on accomplishing and having a laugh with a friend.

Clearly, the theme of my experience lately is to spend more time with people, to get out of my head and into the world more, to savor summer in the city that I love as it comes back to life.

At any other moment in time I’d be feeling anxious about the big work project that’s vying for space with my desire to have fun, the many blog posts I’ve wanted to write but haven’t gotten around to, the deadlines I’ve pushed back.

But it’s not any other moment in time. It’s June 13, 2021. Given what we’ve all just been through, I can’t bring myself to feel overly remorseful about the desire to enjoy myself. When I think about where I was just before the pandemic—so depressed that I was all but unable to laugh or connect—I feel so grateful for where I am right now, as I procrastinate recklessly.

So on that note, I’ll get back to ridiculous memes and to waking up a little earlier tomorrow in order to rest a little more today. Not a bad tradeoff 😉

Hope you get a delightful sip of idleness as your weekend wraps up, too. Here are some recipes and reads.

Recipes

These cheery blueberry nut butter cookies are the perfect June snack!

Umami bomb cheesy kimchi udon noodles.

Jessica’s sticky sesame cauliflower wings are perfect.

I love a white pizza pie from time to time!

I can never resist a rice crispy treat, and Natalie’s chocolate version is calling my name.

Reads

1. CNN reports on growing advocacy for weight shaming and stigma to be classified as a public health crisis. I hear too many stories from my nutrition clients about traumatic encounters with healthcare providers along these lines, not to mention the shaming that has long happened within families. I hope that awareness continues to shift.

2. I missed this story when it first came out, but I’m glad to know of it now that it has earned the recognition it deserves: how running fails Black America.

3. A harrowing story of illness with an incredible outcome: a hand transplant.

4. We don’t know, and may never know, the real impact of Covid-19 on Indigenous people.

5. Pamela Petro reflects on becoming a “cooking archivist” early in the pandemic.

Happy Sunday, friends. Till soon.

xo