Ironically, the list I’ve been most preoccupied with lately isn’t even this one—it’s my to-do list. Since our office is closed for the next few days, I plan on taking full advantage of the extra hours to do every little thing I’ve been putting off this year, which reads a bit like a manic scavenger hunt across L.A. (here’s a snippet for your reading enjoyment):
Get flu shot
Try out new neighborhood yoga spot
Find sunglasses
Konmari home (again)
Pick up dry cleaning
Buy eggs and stamps
Find cobbler and get shoes fixed
I didn’t say it was glamorous, but the satisfaction of crossing each item off is better than any Christmas gift I could hope to receive (just me?). Here’s what I’m obsessed with this week (besides finding a shoe cobbler, of course):
It’s hard to imagine a better metaphor for the tech industry’s unprecedented takeover of liberal, hippie Northern Californian than Steve Job’s daughter. Born on a commune farm in Oregon when her parents were just 23, Lisa’s mother supported her with government assistance, as Job’s devoted all his time to Apple—and denied her existence, then later controlled her. In her memoir, Jobs comes off as cruel and callous—but Lisa explains a lot of his wrongdoings away as “lessons.” Her book provides an intimate look at a family you won’t find from a biography. You can read an excerpt here, or purchase the book here.
Recently, Jonah and I started a new Friday tradition that I love: Our neighbors come over for beers, takeout, and the majorly nerdy, but incredibly fun board game, Catan. I love it and could play it all week—except that it requires three or more players. At the recommendation of a local board game store, Jonah and I picked up a new strategy game we’re obsessed with: Hive. It works a bit like chess, with bugs you move around to encircle your opponent’s queen. It’s incredibly simple, so that a kid as young as eight could play it, but just as addictive for “grown ups,” if you will. Since it comes with a travel pouch, we’re planning on bringing it with us over the holidays.
Before listening to Radiolab’s new podcast, Unerased, I knew little-to-nothing about conversion therapy beyond its existence. Each of the four episodes, which include interviews with survivors of the therapy (some of whom literally ran away for their lives), paint a clear picture of a deeply flawed system grounded in hate, the well-meaning but misguided parents who supported it, and the brave people who are working to topple it. After listening to it, I recommend seeing the new movie, Boy Erased, starring Lucas Hedges, which depicts the story told in the first episode of the podcast.
This week has been all about turning fridge odds n’ ends into meals in anticipation of being out of town for the week. I’ve gotten creative with a leftover cucumber, am still turning the five-pound bag of potatoes we bought for latkes into hash browns, and recently found a dip that repurposes herbs into a weeknight meal. This Garlic White Bean Dip from Naturally Ella calls for parsley, dill, and chives, but I took the liberty of throwing in our remaining cilantro, basil, and even the last of our sour cream (though it’s normally dairy-free) and it was delicious. It’s elegant enough to serve at a holiday gathering, but take it from me: It’s delicious with hash browns.
Have a very happy holiday season! The list will be back January 2019—until then, send me your recommendations at info [at] cupcakesandcashmere.com with the subject line THE LIST.
