Friday Finds and Feelings

The good things that I'm paying attention to this week and the emotions that came with them

Hi there,

This week I’m feeling…

happy that the sun is still here (and I’m holding my breath that it stays)

surprised that I haven’t made a dent in the 1,235 episodes saved in Spotify even though podcasts are the eternal background to my life

frustrated that I haven’t solved for tired yet

afraid that these are these are the years I have to catch myself but I feel like I’m running out of time to do so

sad that the year is passing so quickly, we’re almost in summer but my mind still thinks we’re newly in spring

love for the bulbs in my garden that are ever trying to emerge (and the white and purple alliums that have).

You?

Onto this week’s finds…

How do we listen as women?

I haven’t stopped thinking about Alice Vincent’s talk on her new book Hark: How Women Listen at Toppings in Bath. It’s a book about how selfing and sound go together, how our identities can be shaped by what we hear.

Alice talked about how we live in a cacophony of noise and what that does to us, how we’ve come to fetishize silence, how our experience of sound can be embodied, why we hear what’s not there (like our baby crying) and how patriarchy has defined for us the idea of the good listener basically women).

I’m now a few Chapters in but I’m already finding that I’m noticing the soundscapes of my own life maybe for the first time. (On Substack Alice Vincent)

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How curiosity and change are connected

This is just brilliant on how curiosity rewires your brain for change from Big Think and Anne-Laure Le Cunff. Curiosity is often the number one measure of my wellbeing. I know if I’m feeling down, my curiosity ebbs. If I’m ready to explore, then I know I’m feeling better.

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Family dynamics that matter more than you think

I’m looking at our family dynamics anew having listened to The Daily episode about how your siblings influence you more than your parents. What do you think? I’m now paying much more attention to how my kids might be impacting each other than before.

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Downtime escapes that feel like old friends

Abbott Elementary is back with Season 4 and I love it as much as ever. There’s something soothing about sinking into an old series and not having to get to know new characters. It’s like a party where you know everyone already. I’m still undecided on The Four Seasons (read this is a brilliant watch-along with off-duty therapist (Kaitlyn Elizabeth) and The Studio, both of which feel almost too awkward to watch for very different reasons. What should I add to my next watch list?

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Conversation brainfood from inspiring midlife women

I am though going into a deep dive on a few conversation podcasts: Davina McCall’s Begin Again, particularly episodes on nutrition and aging, Katherine Ryan’s What Age Are You? (guests actually give their blood), and Michelle Obama’s (with her brother Craig Robinson) In My Opinion.

Let me know anything else you’ve been discovering that helps you make sense of the world or just feel that little bit better when it all gets too much.

I’d love to hear about your own feelings list. You can use the same ones I did at the start of this post if that helps you connect with where you are (emotionally) at the end of this week.

Until next time,

Claire

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