Juniper Disco || no. 4
Space Age kitsch, Chewbacca, antelope masks, and the best lists of 2019
Is anyone else feeling extraordinarily anxious right now? Like many of you who celebrate, I’m so not ready for Christmas and I have three days until the family arrives to kick off a week of festive activities (including our You Are Not Forgiven, Hallmark Channel, We Only Watch Lifetime Now Holiday Movie Day with the squad.) There are currently five ornaments on my tree. I’m feeling pressure to finish all the things on my 2019 list — I mean, why aren’t they done by now?? I’m trying to stay informed on the impeachment stuff by very quickly and very carefully peaking at Twitter. And now! there are STAR WARS SPOILERS out there!! People have seen it and they know what happens, how it all goes down, who dies, who lives (Chewbacca, please)! I think I’m going to hermit in my house and ignore the rest of the world for the next week. Fa la la la la! Joy to the World!
(Also, welcome to all our new subscribers, for a cheat sheet on the categories in the newsletter, see the first edition.)
Not sure if you have noticed, but we are about to see the end of a decade — the Twenty Tens(?). Whatever they are called, have you thought about what these past 10 years have meant for you in your life? Self-reflection is a super power. It is guaranteed to make you grow. Maybe after you find out whether Chewy makes it to the end or not (oh my God, what if he doesn’t???), spend a few minutes making a list. Here’s mine:
I turned 40. I went to therapy. I launched Juniper Disco. We adopted Stephen. I left a career that made me miserable. I got to be part of a team that opened a world class museum. I found joy in listing “homemaker” as my profession. My Nana passed away at 94. My friends, Sarah and Polly, died way too freaking soon. I stopped coloring my hair, stopped wearing Spanx, and stopped wearing makeup. I celebrated most of my birthdays this decade in Jamaica or Mexico. I adapted to chronic pain that limited my life activities for two years. I learned to manage my fear of flying. I replaced my T pass with an SUV. We left the city for the suburbs and then the suburbs for the Cape. We’ve made ourselves a real home here in Provincetown. I had six body parts surgically removed. I became a previvor and my mother an ovarian cancer survivor. I started eating vegetables. I have breast implants where there used to be breast tissue. I became a bird nerd. I learned to listen to and support marginalized people. I voted for a woman for President of the United States. I now consider myself a writer.
INTERESTING END OF THE YEAR LISTS
“The Best Overlooked Books of 2019.” I like overlooked things. (Also, the annual NPR’s Book Concierge is so comprehensive, you don’t need other lists.)
Paste’s Best Documentaries of 2019, Hyperallergic’s “Best of 2019: Our Top 15 Feature Films”, and John Waters’ top films of the year. Again, I like things that are just to the side of mainstream. Many of these gems are available now via streaming.
“The 19 Best Audiobooks of 2019.” It’s so hard to know if a good book is also a good listen.
“The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2019.” CHOREOGRAPHY.
“The Best Art and Coffee Table Books of 2019.” Swooning over the space book. And the Tulum one.
INTERESTING END OF THE DECADE LISTS
“33 Ways to Remember the 2010s.” Gay culture, duck face, true crime, Goop, the High Line, Gamergate, Stans, to name a few.
“All the Species Declared Extinct This Decade.” Sobering. “Scientists estimate that species are going extinct 1,000 times faster than they should be.”
“The Worst Takes of the 2010s.” “… a list of articles that shows just how warped our brains got in the last 10 years.”
“The 10 Most Influential Films of the Decade (and 20 Other Favorites.)” I’ve seen nine of them. Guess which one I didn’t?
“Lists: Best of the 2010s Decade.” A list of lists and lists and lists of everything from Lady Gaga’s best outfits to the biggest tech scandals of the decade.
While I was working on my last Notes from a Clamshell Path post for the blog, I came across a daily journal I wrote in 2013 while on vacation here in Provincetown. It was
so interesting to revisit the experiences of Summer Visitor Me. Year-Round Resident Me’s daily list wouldn’t be nearly as zen.
This is Day Four:
an early morning walk at Herring Cove with Tipper and having the beach to ourselves
watching Tipper run
joyful glee in discovering I was the first one at the pool ("It's mine, mine, MINE!")
a butterfly landing on my towel
those peach daiquiris again
a tasty grilled chicken caesar salad
Bob Marley on shuffle
sitting in an Adirondack chair looking out at the curve of Cape Cod Bay
hearing a man in his Jeep, top down, singing Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at the top of his lungs
not watching TV since Monday (nope, not even to see that baby)
finishing another book
starting a third that is gripping from the first word
peri peri wings and bunny chow at the South African restaurant in town (no actual bunnies in the bunny chow)
ice cream before bed
COOL STUFF
“The silver Christmas tree, an icon of Spage Age kitsch, turns 60.” “Lucy Van Pelt [author edit: that bitch on wheels] encouraged Charlie Brown: “Get the biggest aluminum tree you can find, Charlie Brown — maybe painted pink!”
Mr. Boddington’s custom color prints are really special. You choose the colors AND the specific things listed that are important to you or to the person you are buying it for. Prices start at $75.
“The Remarkable Way Chewbacca Got a Voice.” I’m practicing making a Chewy noise like Keri Russell did on The Tonight Show. (Also, Felicity is in Star Wars. Stop it right now.) And, when I finish my Goodreads goal for the year, I will reward myself with a Disney+ subscription to watch Amy Sedaris hold Baby Yoda.
Are you watching/reading/listening to …? Kitbull. Pixar's tearjerker of a short animated film about a kitten who befriends an abused pitbull. Oh, my heart! // Pasta Grannies (YouTube.) I LOVE these short videos of older Italian women making pasta -- check out lolli nte usa from Sicily and spicy gnocchi from Calabria. // Looking for Alaska (Hulu). I knew I was in for a good cry when I saw this was based on a John The Fault in Our Stars Greene book. Also, stories set in boarding schools are my catnip. // The Accident (Hulu). It's pretty grim, but I was drawn into the drama of who gets blamed when a tragic accident happens.
The Millions' A Year in Reading. This is my absolute favorite end of the year series. A couple favorites: Ayse Papatya Bucak’s list. “For me, the action that reading triggers is writing.” And Merve Emre’s. A list organized by who was around when she read them. // The 2020 Tournament of Books Long List. And the Short List! One of these years I’m going to play along. // The Big Scottish Book Club. Scottish accents and authors talking about their books. Perfect for a winter afternoon!
The Shortwave episode, “Uganda’s Solution For Treating Extreme Pain.” Simple, effective, and surprising. // The Daily’s three-part series, “The Jungle Prince.” “For decades, they lived in a crumbling palace in Delhi, claiming to be the royal heirs to the fallen kingdom of Oudh. Who were they?” // The Roxane Gay on Kara Walker’s “Christ’s Entry into Journalism” episode of The Way I See It.
Lambert. He performs minimalist piano tunes while wearing an antelope mask. Perfect winter music. //
TOKiMONSTA’s latest, “Love That Never.” “With the cold winter months approaching, she seemed to want to provide a relaxing soundtrack for staying in as precarious weather coats the outside world. Yet the warm, overall feel of the track creates a sense of hope and subtle excitement for when the sun comes out again.” //
The Cool Hunter’s Weekend Music Playlist 33. They say we stop listening to new music around age 30 (33 to be precise). Even though there are scientific reasons for that I try to listen to new-to-me stuff every day.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The winter solstice is on Saturday. Because we’ll have a house full of guests, I’m doing my morning solstice hike on Friday instead. We plan to have the fireplace roaring all weekend. What do you do to celebrate the shortest day of the year?
A FEW BITS AND BOBS
I’m forever learning new things about being a dog mama. A few things we should all know:
Winter safety tips for your pets. If you need a coat, so does your dog. // Those essential oils you are diffusing in your home could be poisonous to your dog. // If you are taking your dog with you to Grandmother’s house this year, here are some travel safety tips. // Don’t give your dog rawhide gifts for Christmas. They can’t digest the big chunks. // I realized I never updated you all on the ongoing saga of determining what to feed Stephen after we found out his grain-free dog food was on the FDA’s list of brands associated with heart disease in dogs. Here’s some advice on how to pick the best food for your dog. After using the tool cited in that article and consulting with our vet, we went with Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight. // Did you know 10 million dogs and cats are lost and stolen in the U.S. every year??!!?? Consider a GPS collar for your dog.
Here are my top five favorite instagrams this year. Click through to watch!
1. I have watched this video of Malinda Herman singing to her chihuahua at least 50 times! It is the most precious thing I have ever seen.
2. While I love everything Mark Kanemura posts, his Sex and the City theme song dance is SPECTACULAR!
3. I started following Kinley’s instagram after I saw her giving it her all in this video.
4. The ending of this Pattiegonia video sends me into hysterics every time!
5. And a photo of my mom holding hands with a drag queen.
Wishing you all peace and joy and no drama for the holidays, friends!!
