Things I'm Loving: November 14, 2018.

Agnes's jacket.

W/ Stephanie outside of Spa Visage.

Sequence for Kids cards.

No fall foliage in this pic but this was one of the most beautiful mornings I remember seeing.

​This article. A 19th-century woman who lived in an asylum “stitched her life story onto her jacket.” I am a little blown away by this story; you have to read it and then see the photos of the jacket itself. So much of what we know about Agnes and her life seems very sad, and yet, there’s something incredibly beautiful—and to me, rebellious—about how she recorded bits of her life (and that she did it at all).

This massage. My amazing friend Stephanie treated me to a Birthday massage at Spa Visage. The word magical would not be a hyperbolic word to describe the experience. Sitting in a robe and sandals and having a sustained conversation with one my closest friends before the massage; having a personable and skillful massage therapist who also appreciated my desire to be quiet and relaxed. It was all so good. (And before that I went to Barnes and Noble and then out to eat at a place that only serves chicken salad. So. Best day ever.)
 
This dry shampoo. I’m never more unreasonable than when it comes to my hair. I’m not sure if it’s plain foolishness or unflagging optimism, but I expect amazing results with nearly zero effort. But now that my hair is growing out, I’ve been using this dry shampoo to perk up my lackluster locks just enough to pull my hair in a stubby ponytail and not be embarrassed to step out into society.
 
This game. I’ve written before about how we’re finally getting to the stage in life where Sam can handle playing an age 3+ board game. It’s not very relaxing (much of the time is spent repeating instructions and threatening to put the board game away if he doesn’t listen), but it’s also been surprisingly fun. Sequence for Kids is a new favorite.
 
This season. I’ve written before about how much I love fall. I’ll go ahead and admit that part of the reason is probably (read: most definitely) because I was born in the middle of October, and I’ve always been a little too excited about my Birthday. But having kids really makes this season even more special for many reasons. First, there was Halloween, which as one of my closest friends, Mary Catherine Starr, noted, is so exciting with a toddler. And then there are the changing leaves, which always fill me joy (especially when I win an anonymously submitted three-person “best leaf” contest judged by my picky husband). And the mild afternoons and cool mornings and evenings. It’s the best. 

Other things I'm loving: planning Raymond's first Birthday parties (!) ; seeing Dan's progress on our fireplace renovation and bookshelf construction; almost being done with the rough draft of my second book.