In The Pipeline: October

Hi friends,

Happy October to You!

We’ve had a gorgeous month full of walks that I’ll be highlighting in photos next week, but now that it’s the weekend, I’m baking pumpkin bread and listening to the Pitch Perfect soundtrack on repeat.

Here are a few links I’m loving lately:

A highlight of this month was that my sister and I did Brene Brown’s online course, The Power of Vulnerability It was so great to do it with Anna because we have this shared language from it now when we talk on the phone. I’m all YES! Nurse that creative spirit! or I know I’m just numbing instead of being willing to be vulnerable. Also, when Anna told me that she is now working with a personal trainer in addition to running + boot camp + owning a restaurant, instead of feeling lazy by comparison, I could genuinely celebrate her need to dig deep and play hard.

Also, I finished Brene Brown’s Rising Strong, and I know I’m turning into something of an evangelist for Brene Brown but really. She’s just so good. Here’s a quote:

We like recovery stories to move quickly through the dark so we can get to the sweeping redemptive ending.

Rising Strong is all about the work that happens while you’re still in the dark middle bit of a story.

Ironically, as a family we are also reading around the dinner table a book called Weakness is the Way. But I kind of love working both sides of the coin of strength and weakness. It is fitting since I think life in Christ is a constant state of being in paradox. Our pastor put it this way recently: God trades in reversals. Reversals are the currency of the kingdom of God.

We loved Me and Earl and the Dying Girl at our house. The nagging mom + son relationship is beautiful to me. At one point she is following him around the house demanding him to do something and he is literally lying on the floor moaning so he can’t hear her. It’s amazing and it reminds me that the teenage/parent interactions around my house are totally normal.

I’ve had zero social media apps on my phone since the beginning of July. What started as a month long experiment is gradually becoming my new normal. And I kind of love it. Whenever I’m craving a little social media energy (or I’m missing those likes), I try to write a letter or email a friend instead. I’m trying to acknowledge in a different way that I am craving connection. So when Alexandra Franzen wrote this piece on not using social media, she was speaking my language. I showed it to Mary Polly and she deleted all her social media too. Of course, we still spend plenty of time on our phones. But I read a story this week about a gal around my age who has decided to live entirely sans cell phone. Fascinating.

Also (from the same website) I loved this story about an adoption social worker who places “hard-to-place” kids.

I had a moment this week when I heard this album on a rough day. Especially this song. Oh and this one too. Now I can’t stop listening.

Mary Karr has a new book on memoir. AND I discovered this month that she has co-written an entire album of country songs.

They are twangy and regretful and remind me of the deep south. In other words, I love them a lot.

That’s it for me friends!

I’m looking forward to a weekend full of friends + walks + berries!

Alison