image via here

READING Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo and loving it.

DREAMING of Lake Erie on a summers day.

LISTENING to TED Talks Radio Hour on my morning walks. Today’s was The Act of Listening.

HOPING for another Cavs win tonight; really getting into the finals.

SHOOTING some new looks for The Disco Emporium and am missing my California crew, photographer (Albert) and model (Farrell).

WANTING to get back into painting and dreaming of a little studio space in my next permanent residency.

1.) Is Depression A Disease or Symptom of Inflammation (via Chris Kresser) A really interesting and fascinating read on the role that inflammation plays on our mood and symptoms of depression. –Farrell

2.) It’s “Meditation Summer” on Governors Island (via WellandGoodNYC) I’m still working out the rest of my summer schedule but I’d love to make it to one of these guided mediations on Governors Island.  -Lauren

3.) 9 Things You Need to Stop Doing if Your Want to Be Successful (via LifeHack) Even though the title doesn’t completely grab me, since I think every one of you is already successful just by being YOU, this list in interesting and brings up some great points. –Farrell

4.) Let’s Celebrate the Art of Clutter (via NYTimes) I am still slowly making my way through the Kondo book on tidiness; this article makes some solid counter points.  As in most things, I guess moderation is key.  -Lauren

5.) L.A. Frock Stars (via Smithsonian Channel) is a fun & informative reality show about a vintage store in Los Angeles and the team who runs it.  Plus the name is genius.  -Lauren

6.) John Stewart on Caitlyn Jenner (via The Daily Show) He makes a really good point. – Farrell

My mom arrived in NYC last night. We’re driving back to Cleveland tomorrow – just in time for the first Cavs vs Warriors game!  It’s a beautiful day in the city, after some chilly rain earlier in the week, and we’re heading into Manhattan to get a reflexology massage at the best place in Chinatown, have some lunch and hopefully hit up the Yayoi Kusama exhibit in Chelsea.  See ya on the flip side!

via @dulcetones

WEARING a FitBit for my works month long fitness challenge. Here’s to me winning!

LISTENING This American Life’s episode on Americans living in China. It is taking me back to the good ole days.

FEELING really excited to go back home for a couple of weeks.

WAITING to pick up our mom from the airport this afternoon for a little city time together before heading back to Cleveland.

SEEKING a subletter for my NYC apartment.  Let me know if you have any leads!

HOPING the photos @shoesofnyc took of my feet over the weekend make it to their feed; but either way loving the photos on this account!

1. Recent Books that Women Should Read (via Huffington Post)  Though we don’t like the word SHOULD in our family, I found this article interesting. I was surprised and excited by some of the choices but I have added a couple to my reading list. –Farrell

2. Watermelon Salad (via Cup of Jo)  I had a delicious watermelon salad at the Memorial Day BBQ that I went to on Monday, and a super refreshing watermelon cocktail at an event I was at last night.  Tis’ the season and I’m all for it!  -Lauren

3. The Four Stages of Life (via Mark Manson) I am not always a huge fan of Mark Manson’s writing. I find that it can be a little intense or sarcastic at times. When I first read this post, I wasn’t totally in love. However I have been thinking about it all week. Am I in stage two or stage three? Could I have made it already to stage three? –Farrell

4. Philip Glass on Legacy (via Fresh Air)  I caught a snippet of this interview the other day and it sounded really good.  I’ve been wanting to go back and listen to the whole thing.  -Lauren

5. 13 Effective Ways to Quit Sugar (via Healthy and Natural World) I would say that I have really been trying to quit sugar for the past year or so. It is a hard one but oh so important to me. These are all really great tips. I find that using cinnamon, as well as not even purchasing sweet foods helps our house out the most. –Farrell

6. Mid Week Distraction (via Miss Moss) is an incredible selection of art, culture and entertainment from around the web.  It is published every Wednesday and there’s always at least two are three amazing things to find.  -Lauren

ENJOYING these Coconut Almond Macaroons.

FINISHING reading How a Person Should Be? by Sheila Heti. I don’t think I like it.

GETTING into the practice of Yin Yoga for rehabilitating after workouts.

LOVING the hot summer weather in NYC.

TAKING advantage of a day to myself after lots of bouncing around all over the city this past week.

LOOKING forward to a 30 days of yoga challenge I’m doing in June.

1) Dear Ones: A Letter from Elizabeth Gilbert (via Facebook) This letter stuck with me this week and I thought others might find it striking. –Farrell

2) How Some Men Fake an 80-Hour Workweek, and Why It Matters (via NYTimes)  The topic of hours per week worked came up in multiple conversations I had with friends yesterday.  To ask first or apologize later, that is the question.  -Lauren

3) Young Couple Aged with Make-Up (via Bored Panda) I have been talking about this video all week with people who have seen it. The common consensus is that it is emotional and sweet. Watch it. –Farrell

4) How to Stop Clenching or Grinding Your Teeth (via LifeHacker) has me embarrassingly practicing the ‘screaming stretch’ all around town!  -Lauren

5) Michael Singer on Oprah (via Oprah) This author wrote the book that I am currently reading call The Untethered Soul. I like what he discusses in this video and have made a pact to myself to notice my thorns. –Farrell

6) The Best Summer Hats (via loveTaza) I want them all!  -Lauren

Storm coming in off of Lake Erie

There aren’t any storms in Los Angeles. This is the first place I have ever lived where it doesn’t storm and one of my favorite things in the whole wide world is to watch a storm come in. The way the wind picks up slowly and the sunny sky starts to turn black. That feeling of excitement but fear because you just never know how powerful it is going to be. When I was little storms would fly in off of the lake on a summers day without any warning. You would race home to head into the basement in case of a tornado (which rarely happened so close to the lake). I was scared for sure, but I also loved the extreme change in the weather.

Living in Los Angeles, the weather is so pleasant. Everything is smooth and predictable and easy. Almost every day is sunny and for the most part I would never trade that feeling. But it just hit me that there is something missing without storms.

Sometimes you really just need to weather a storm.

SPENDING more time at the beach even though it’s been chilly and windy here. It makes me so happy. The perfect reset button.

WORKING on staying in the moment and not closing my heart.

LOOKING forward to spending some time in Cleveland. I miss home.

FEELING excited for dinner with my dad tonight.

BONDING with the sweetest terrier, Wendy, in my favorite Brooklyn neighborhood, Clinton Hill, this week.

GEARING up for another weekend of The Disco Emporium at Artists & Fleas Williamsburg.  I’ll be there Saturday and Sunday!

every so often I revisit this Andrew Bird album. there is a lot of music I once loved but don’t like to listen to very often anymore because it pulls me too far into the past. I love this body of music by Bird so much I keep bringing it back; and now it is a part of so many times. including today.  back in New York riding on the train.

*

I’m a Bird

Before the power goes out, find the house. There’s something there inside that will be useful to you in the dawn.

Don’t let yourself continue to sleep so long; repeat the lyrics to your favorite song. Prepare for flight (an obvious rhyme about casting light). Prepare for snow, you’re always cold. Where to go and how and why. How those birds flap freely in the sky! Untethered ends

Decorum serves order, simply sung. Don’t you know you’re not the only one? Whistling wands create the sun. Slow it down. The final plucks.

First voice heard. humming sweetly starting over | second city of light.

Spring will come, ray by ray. Bask in brightness, beat your drum. Summer clouds turn into storms. Bird songs dizzy winding down.

[Repost from Dec ’13}