Friends! Hi-hello-how are you?  I hope you’re settled in to your Sunday morning with the last of the Thanksgiving pie.  Welcome.  I’m glad we’re here.

I’ve spent the last few weeks settling into Texas full time.  It’s funny, I didn’t realize how much I straddled the fence between New Orleans and Texas.  Even though I was spending most of my days and weeks in Houston, in my mind – New Orleans was home. 

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Hi friends.

My mom and I talk and text multiple times a day. Maybe that’s sweet. Maybe that’s codependent. I’ve never had the need to dig into it. Anyway. The other day she goes, “You sound stressed. Why are you so stressed?” And I was like, “. . .Uh, I dunno, Mom….LiFe??!” Then we both had a long, loopy laugh. Honestly, though, if you’re not stressed right now, tell me all your secrets.

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Friends, hi good morning! I can’t thank you enough for all of your generous words on my move from The Bakehouse and New Orleans.  I’m overwhelmed by your kindness!  We’ve like…really been in this together for a long time.  I’m so thankful that you’re here for the Texas chapter.  Let’s see what we can do with it!

We’re a few weeks away, but can we talk about Thanksgiving? I know I broached the subject back in August when most of you reasonable people were on vacation but, I feel like it’s officially time to start working on an organized shopping list and daydreaming the dessert table.

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Hello, friends! Happy Sunday! I hope that you are finding small moments where you are able to access peace and joy, or something close to it. I suspect I am not the only person feeling heartbroken and exhausted by the state of the world right now. I feel helpless in so many ways: I’ve given money and sent my thoughts to friends, I’ve called my representatives, and I’ve tried to listen and learn about this complicated situation, and to check my own biases and feelings.

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Friends, hi and very good Sunday to you. How have you been this week? Heavy, right? I’ve spent the week doing my normal weekly tasks – things that felt entirely silly and incredibly privileged considering the violence in Israel and Gaza.   It’s been a rough week, really.   

I remember starting these Sunday posts after ISIS murdered journalist James Foley.  I just thought – it’s important that we recognize that we’re all human together and life is so much more than cookies and kolaches.  

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Hello, friends!

What do you have cooking this fall? I’ve been twiddling my thumbs waiting for the weather to finally change so I can bust out all the chili recipes and cozy sweaters. On the personal goals front, I’ve been trying to do more activities on my own. This afternoon I’m going on my first solo hike; and I’m using that term loosely because I will most likely be walking at a moderate clip on a safely populated path.

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Friends, hi!  It’s Sunday and also somehow October 1st. I, for one, am not asking too many questions about this year.  I’m certainly not asking things like HOW? Frankly that’s none of my business.  That’s G’s J.

Running coaches (I have one because I use the Nike Running app) tell runners to look straight ahead.  Looking up, looking down at the literal flight of my feet?

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If you’re a Joan Didion fan, this subhead may give you a clue as to what’s coming. If not, this is my not so subtle way of telling you goodbye. For now. You may still see me round these parts here and there, but I’m stepping back from the regular rotation. 

Joy and I have been friends for a long time and when she asked me back in 2021 to start writing these guest posts, I was thrilled.

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Friends, hi!

You know I love a list. Generally, I reserve my self-indulgent, fun lists to the summer months but I just… I need a little extra this year.   The Summer Bucket List has been going strong since 2015 (can you believe) and the amount of joy I get from crossing off these lists over the years? It’s so much that I’ve decided to let those good times roll into fall.

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Hello! It’s September, which means that I am fully ready for my first viewing of You’ve Got Mail and have spent some time eyeing my sweaters, but I am still sweating every afternoon and using my air conditioner. In California, true fall weather is probably at least a month out, but in my heart, I am ready. 

Over here in my world, school is well under way, and I am enjoying my students so far.

Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 435! at Joy the Baker.