The following is an excerpt from the play Rabbit Hole (there was also a movie with Nicole Kidman based on the play - the movie was very forgettable, but the play is great). It's probably my favourite scene in the whole piece, mainly because of how brilliantly written it is. To give a small summary, it's just a conversation between two women (mother and daughter) describing what it's like to handle the death of a child in the family. Anyway, you may not think it's great, but man... it really is.
BECCA: This feeling. Does it ever go away?
NAT: No. I don’t think it does. Not for me, it hasn’t. It changes though.
BECCA: How?
NAT: I don’t know. The weight of it, I guess. At some point it becomes bearable. It turns into something you can crawl out from under. And carry around – like a brick in your pocket. And you forget it every once in awhile, but then you reach in for whatever reason and there is it: “Oh right. That.” Which can be awful. But not all the time. Sometimes it’s kinda… Not that you like it exactly, but it’s what you have instead of your son, so you don’t wanna let go of it either. So you carry it around. And it doesn’t go away, which is…
BECCA: What?
NAT: Fine… actually.
Peppermint Extract For Lips
If you’ve ever bought any sort of product that advertises itself as a lip plumper, then please read on. If not? I don’t know, maybe go here and make your brain better or something. (Also, if you’re a woman who’s adequately happy with what her lips are doing for her? I envy you.)
I never buy any of those products anymore - mostly because the majority of them are trash. Expensive trash. I read the following tip in a “Fun Facts” section of a cookbook once, so that’s probably why I trust it.
After you put your lip balm on, dab a bit of peppermint extract on next. It pumps them up like mad. I’ve been doing this for about, oh, say six months or so and I feel like it’s been working.
(Extra tip: using hot sauce does the same thing, in very small quantities, of course. Though, I wouldn’t fully endorse that idea because then you just smell like you ate something spicy all day. Not the hottest, but I’m sure some people are into it.)
“Dull nail polish? Dull life.”
Tip of the Day - Change Your Bedspread
Something that you should do at least once every season (so at least four times a year): change your bed sheets. Now I’m not talking about “having clean sheets”, silly. This isn’t what I’m saying. I mean the main bedspread that you have on top your mattress, that needs to change with the seasons. Why? Because everyone needs a bare amount of variety in their lives. I only started adhering to this policy last year, and I’ve got to say - it makes a difference. Mentally.
I don’t want to get too metaphysical on you right now, but doing this just feels important to avoid ever feeling stale or dated or basically just less happy, surroundings-wise.
I like to change them up as the seasons change, since that just makes sense logically to me. Whenever you’d like to do it, just make sure it gets done. You don’t feel the same way consistently every month, week or day - so it only makes sense that you shouldn’t immerse yourself with monotony.
This may seem like a dumb tip, and if you firmly still think that it is, well, cool. What of it. This is just something I feel pretty strongly about and with the nicer weather coming up, I wanted to propose the idea to you.
Steve Harvey’s face in the second last square just made me laugh a lot.
Mom Says
“When someone’s lying down, never walk across them. The person lying down will not continue to grow if you walk across them.”
If People Talked About Seinfeld Like They Talk About Girls
Just read - so great. (Even though this was already queued up to be posted, thanks to Adele for sending it to me and knowing me so well.)
“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
The Old Farmer's Almanac
This is a reference book that is pretty dominant in my life. I primarily use it for the dates and times that it tells you to do certain activities - these times are supposed to be the most advantageous times to do these things. Does that make sense? If I’m unclear explaining the book, maybe it’s better to just go on over here to read about it.
There’s a website (which is easier to browse as opposed to the book) that is pretty useful, if you’re… what’s a kind word for it… *unique* and you place a lot of value in this kind of stuff. I, unfortunately, do. Thanks to my mother, who has read it for years. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been as into this stuff as I am now if it weren’t for her influence.
I really only go to the site to see what days I should wax my legs on, since there are specific days when you can cut your hair and it’ll grow less/more depending on what you want and what day it is. If that sounds like witchcraft, well, it sort of is, I suspect. And I don’t know how hardcore I believe in this stuff, but I still do it, so I guess that says it all really.
For example, the upcoming days you should cut so your hair so it won’t grow quickly are:
March: 5th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 27th, 28th, 31st
April: 1st, 5th, 6th, 27th, 28th, 29th
May: 2nd, 3rd
And there are a ton of other specific dates to do things other than cutting hair, such as the perfect days to go hunting, quit smoking, harvest, buy a home, host a party and even slaughter. There are a few nutty ones like that last one, but I didn’t want to list all the absurb ones ‘cause I thought it would lessen the validity of me telling you, “Hey! Try this! It’s neat!”
But seriously, c’mon, take a look, it’s pretty neat.
Peardrax
This is a drink from Trinidad. It is delicious. I suggest you seek it out and drink it.
Sorry to be so blunt. It’s just that fabulous, so I don’t need to get wordy. Also, jesus, do I have to have a million reasons why you should try it? Trust that I’m not an idiot in my recommendations, please. You’re embarrassing us both.
If you want to pay way too much for a bottle online, you can order them here. Or you can be a human being and just find a West Indian or Caribbean market in your neighborhood and get a bottle there.