my week in objects (mostly).

May 22, 2020

1. these wax markers.

{for being so! great.}

2. this new shade for our night light.

{for being just the little change we needed.}

3. this jar of baking soda.

{freshly filled up.}

4. these polka dots.

{in the bright morning sun.}

5. this bored box.

{because turns out gimmicks sometimes work.}

other things:

nyc: there’s still time!

the compost by my couch.

when parents can’t do it all.

a grand mythology.

we’re all looking for salvation from something.

made for walking (and 40% off). (UPDATE: take an additional 20% off with the code MDWERIN through 5/31.)

the food that comforts me was made by people—women, mostly—who lived within hard limits.

it’s time to cross the threshold.

very, very personal.

a social prescription.

///

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16 Comments

  • Reply Kim m May 22, 2020 at 11:16 am

    Bored box post please! Also just wanted to say how impressed I am by your content output and activism recently (especially with the new babe)

    0
    • Reply ERIN BOYLE May 22, 2020 at 11:23 am

      Thank you! 100 percent due to James taking the parenting lead!

      2
      • Reply Kristin May 22, 2020 at 1:42 pm

        Thank you so much for saying this!! Otherwise it’s so easy to feel like we are failing because we can’t bear the full parenting load AND accomplish … Anything. Haha.

        1
        • Reply ERIN BOYLE May 22, 2020 at 1:59 pm

          Of course. James was on family leave until the end of April and his re-entry load is quite manageable because the semester has ended and classes aren’t in session. In that sense, the timing has been incredibly lucky for us. It’s very hard to imagine how we’ll manage if there’s no school or childcare for our kids in the fall when his work is much more time-consuming and will likely involve distance teaching from our apartment, but we’re taking things one day at a time. One thing that I’m missing in the coverage right now is the perspective from families like ours where it’s simply not financially possible for either parent to leave work or take a step back.

          5
      • Reply Abby May 22, 2020 at 6:23 pm

        Love the Stephanie Madewell article. She really captured what a lot of people are experiencing right now-the need for simple, the need to preserve, to consider alternate uses, to use what previously might have been tossed.

        0
  • Reply Judith Ross May 22, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    Yes, thank you for your posts, which are both helpful and cheering. I hope you are also finding ways to nurture yourself during this emotionally draining, and terrifying time. Stay well!

    0
  • Reply SJ is tired May 22, 2020 at 12:06 pm

    Pretty confused by the husband in The Lily article – mystified by a spouse who opts for giving up a single income source in the worst job market we’ll see in our lifetimes rather than pull 12 hour child care shifts as the primary lead. Especially in a place as expensive as the SF Bay Area. (Perhaps I’m just bitter now that I pull 12 hour solo shifts 4 days a week w my 4 year old while I continue to work from home…..sob) Child care is a grind but unemployment would make it much harder.

    3
    • Reply Christie May 22, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      I wanted to yell: Get over it, at him. You can’t take care of 1 3 year old by yourself? You’d rather your wife give up her career? Jeez. Grow up.

      3
    • Reply Kirsten May 23, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      That made absolutely no sense and I wanted to shake him. Especially as the current primary caregiver for my two tiny kiddos while my spouse works 100 hour weeks as a physician. Grow the eff up man. EVERYONE is exhausted.

      1
    • Reply Mags May 24, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      I also thought it was crazy to give up a sole income at a time like this (it seems their savings are pretty good) but I also felt some comfort as, unfortunately, it reminds me slightly of my own situation. My husband and I both work from home (now) and if he has to put 8 hours in without a break (even if that also includes dinner when I am with him) he complains terribly. I do 8 hours without a break from the kids many, many days. The inequality of household labor is real, even for families that were originally somewhat balanced. Thanks for continuing to share so many links on this subject Erin!

      1
  • Reply Andrea May 23, 2020 at 7:20 am

    Okay I’m glad I’m not the only one who wanted to scream dude, grow the hell up!!!!! I mean wow! Made me think of my daughter & son in law who have two sets of friends, both of them mom is supporting the families while both dads stay home with the kids. Oh, and both families each have four kids all under the age of seven! And this guy’s whining about one? Just wow!

    1
  • Reply Jessica May 23, 2020 at 2:52 pm

    Oh my gosh the night light! Adding this to my list of things to do this long weekend. So beyond lovely x

    1
  • Reply Lisa May 25, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    The baking soda in a jar is such an epiphany! It’s so simple and something I should have thought of years ago. Thanks for the idea!

    2
  • Reply Stephanie May 28, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    Thanks so much for the link to my essay : )

    1
    • Reply ERIN BOYLE May 28, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      Of course! I loved it!

      1
  • Reply Amanda Krieger June 2, 2020 at 1:52 pm

    love the move toward home composting! I’m curius, what will you do with your compost? I put mine in my veggie garden; i’m always curious about what those without large gardens do.

    1
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