THE WEEKLY PAGE π No. 212
Sitting in the discomfort + what to read, watch, listen to and enjoy...
This week I got to host one of my best college friends in Copenhagen while my husband was in London (also enjoying a week with friends). We got some great, blue-skied weather and spent nearly every minute outside walking, biking, or sitting in the sunshine.
She headed back to Wisconsin on Wednesday, so Iβm wrapping up the week solo. The house feels really quiet without our dog, Walter, to keep me company and although loneliness has definitely crept in occasionally in the two weeks since he passed, it has also been nice to rediscover how I want to spend my time β which I suddenly have so much of.
Caregiving β whether for a loved one of the human or animal variety β is consuming of both our energy and our time. And when that responsibility is no longer there, we are left with a gigantic void that leaves us feeling anxious and uncomfortable. No longer having to plan my days in 90-minute increments feels liberating and a bit terrifying. Rather than rushing to fill that void with another responsibilities (puppy! baby! some other time-consuming thing!), Iβm doing my best to just sit in the discomfort for a while.
Enjoy your weekend,
π READ: Do you understand what the college protests and Gaza encampments are about? I shared a simple breakdown on Instagram this week that many people found helpful. In a nutshell:
π΅ Colleges and Universities have investment portfolios (this was news to me!).
π Not all of them are transparent about what they invest in, but some are.
π² Some invest millions+ of dollars in weapons, ammunitions, and machinery that is used to wage war. Such as against the innocent civilians in Gaza (at least 70% of Israeli Military imports come from the US).
βπ» Students have learned that their college or university has an investment portfolio connected to these weapons manufacturers, and want their institutions to stop using their tuition money to fund war.Not really that complex, is it? And perhaps understanding the direct connection between tuition money and how it is funding a war that these students do not support helps you understand what they hope to get from it. The student protests are not unorganized or uninformed. Each encampment has had to publish their demands, they commonly ask for some form of the following two things:
1οΈβ£ That their university be transparent about their investment portfolio so all students, alumni, faculty, and staff can see what they are supporting/funding.
2οΈβ£ That they hold a vote, and if the majority of the community supports divestment the university adjusts their portfolio to support things other than war.
For more on this, I really enjoyed this piece written by
. Here are the opening lines of her piece:There are snipers on the roof of the school where I got my MA.
There are police beating students at the school where I got my PhD.
At each school, I studied authoritarian regimes and how they brainwash people into believing that state brutality is not only expected, but deserved.
You can go here to read Sarahβs entire piece, Thereβs a Sniper on The Roof of the School Where I Studied Authoritarianism. Be sure to take a gander at the flyer she shares for a course she taught in 2011 (πππ).
πΊ WATCH: Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau have teamed up to deliver us a much-needed laugh (thank gawd). The movie follows two childhood best friends when one of them unexpectedly gets pregnant after a one-night stand. I was laugh-crying just watching the trailer.
π§ LISTEN: This week Macklemore (yes, Macklemore) put out a song about the student protests. He has announced that all proceeds from the song will go to UNRWA. You can watch the music video on YouTube (worth watching! TW for war/violence) or stream βHindβs Hallβ on Spotify.
𧑠ENJOY: Need a fun cocktail for your Motherβs Day Brunch? A few years ago the Aperol Spritz really took the world by storm. But this summer I invite you to try out itβs tasty cousin, The Hugo Spritz! A good one, IMO, will have both elderflower liquor and limoncello. A great recipe is below, but you can also watch this video by Join Jules for a tutorial:
THE HUGO SPRITZ
To a wine glass add
4-5 mint leaves
1/2 oz elderflower liqueur (such as St. Germain)
1/2 oz limoncello
Muddle gently, press & twist!
Add ice and top with 4 oz Prosecco & 1 oz sparkling water!
Garnish with fresh mint and a slice of lemon
For a non-alcoholic variety, sub elderflower soda (or cordial, if ya have it!) and lemonade for the liquors and non-alcoholic champagne or club soda for the Prosecco.
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Beside all the tips you share each time, thank you for always being so vocal about Palestine.