Indie Bookstore Day, Coffee shop fun, & the new Emily Henry
I sure hope the sun has been shining where you are. It’s been shining its little heart out here, and my goodness, what a difference it makes in everyone’s mood (or maybe just mine?). Mostly because (as I mentioned in last week’s message), we’re still waiting to move into our new house and I’m still so disorganized that I’m basically wearing the same three outfits over and over again. But I’m trying to be grateful for this part, thinking about the good advice from Roy Kent for times like these and trying to enjoy it as much as I can.
& I have five little things to share ⤵
Something fun. . .
Tomorrow is Independent Bookstore Day in the US! It’s the one day of the year when many indie bookstores across the US collectively throw a big party with author events, live music, cupcakes, scavenger hunts, kids events, art tables, readings, barbecues, contests, and other fun stuff like exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day (according to the Indie Bookstore Day website). I’ll be trying out a little indie bookshop I’ve never been to before that’s close to our new house, and I’m so excited I can hardly stand it! I hope you find something fun at your local indie bookshop tomorrow too!! (Click here for a link to the map of participating bookshops, but even if your local bookshop isn’t on the map, they still need your support—And more than likely they’ll have something fun going on tomorrow to celebrate the day!)
Something good to read. . .
The new Emily Henry novel Great Big Beautiful Life hit the shelves this week, and let me tell you it’s SO, SO, SO good! I had my copy preordered on Libro, so I woke up when it was released on Tuesday morning, started reading immediately, and I haven’t been able to stop since. It’s different from her usual stuff, and although I adore her usual stuff, I think the difference is making me love it that much more. Especially since it has some fun synchronicity with my own life’s current events of late — it’s set in a place that sounds 99.9% like Tybee Island, the characters spend a lot of time in Savannah, there’s a hot pink door in the first few chapters (the same color as the door of the new house we’re about to move into), and the main character’s mom homeschooled her (I love reading about adults who were homeschooled, even if they’re fictional characters). It’s also just a really, really good story. Highly recommend.
Something yummy. . .
To me, there’s something extremely satisfying about setting up shop for the day at a local coffee place, ordering iced lattes and breakfast sandwiches, and proceeding to spend the next few hours working away on my Macbook while everyone around me chats, reads, or types away on their own laptops. I don’t do this nearly enough. Most of the time, I work from home and only run into my local coffee shop for something to go. But yesterday I had no Zoom meetings on my calendar, so I took myself to the cutest little coffee shop in the cutest little downtown I’ve ever seen, plopped myself there for three hours, and left buzzing with energy, positivity, and happiness. I’m still buzzing. I think this might need to become a weekly thing I do now that I’m back in the land of cute downtowns (a big reason we chose to settle in this part of Maine). In my mind, you’re sitting right beside me, writing your stories on your Macbook, too, or reading, chatting, or chilling with me. I guess now, in a way, you are :)
Something helping me thrive. . .
A sweet sunset the other night brought to mind this nugget from How to Thrive in the In-Between Times:
“How true it is that we control almost nothing. How true it is that the more we embrace our lack of control, the more joy we introduce into our lives. On the flip side, though, the more we try to wrangle people, circumstances, timelines, outcomes, or anything really, into our particular opinion of how they ought to be, the more miserable we make ourselves and those around us.
While it is true that we have some agency over our lives and a certain amount of responsibility to show up for ourselves, to show love for our people, to do the work we’ve been called to, to love and care for our world, to make our own dreams come true, we only have part of that equation.
We don’t have all it takes to make it all happen at any given moment and we never will. We have to trust the people in our lives to have and do and be the other part. We have to trust them to be smart and kind and to show up for us, too. We have to trust that everything isn’t up to us, that not everything is on our shoulders. We have to detach sometimes, at least once a day, and just be.
Just be, my friend. Just be. Here’s to thriving in the midst of it all.”
Something soothing. . .
At the risk of dipping too far into personal waters, I’d love to share a quick, soothing personal story this week. After 40+ years of working full-time or more, my Dad retired last week. So when I got a call from him on Tuesday morning, I had to ask how it felt. His answer? “I’m feeling great. I’m walking every night and actually riding my bike right now. I’ll be working in the yard this afternoon and then I’ll get in the pool. . . “ I can’t even tell you how much peace this brought me. It’s been a long time coming for him, and hearing him relaxed and happy soothes my soul so deeply I have no words to describe it.
💛
Wherever you are this morning, I hope you’re finding things you love, and I hope you’re thriving. I hope all the best for you.
Big hugs,
Celeste
