my week in objects (mostly).

April 2, 2021

1. these seed packets.

{and alyson for choosing them.}

2. these eggs.

{and getting to devil them.}

3. these shoots.

{for popping up.}

4. this detritus.

{because i can’t keep track of the abandoned kid projects this week, but this one looked pretty on the sill.}

5. this tote.

{with just a few treasures, ready for baskets.}

other things:

the true cost.

a public good, foundational to a functioning society regardless of whether you directly benefit from its existence.

how to raise a kid to thrive in America, a place where practical and emotional help is in short supply.

you can just do something if you want to.

torta di ricotta.

curious.

turbovax.

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6 Comments

  • Reply Steph April 2, 2021 at 8:14 pm

    While it was heartwarming to read about people helping others get vaccinated, these stories also point out the sad disparity among different states. I was able to help some people make appointments, but it mostly seemed like an exercise in futility. The larger hospital sites required an email address and even pharmacies required insurance information. Most appointments were made in the small hours of the morning. If seniors were able to get through by phone, the closest appointment might be over an hour away and there is no public transportation. Our governor refused to move up teachers, saying it was unethical and immoral. But SMOKERS moved ahead. I am certain if it were easier to make appointments, there would have been more of these stories. It’s devastating that our state has been so lax in getting the virus under control.

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  • Reply Anna April 3, 2021 at 12:18 am

    Thank you for sharing these two excellent articles on child rearing practices and the child care system. As a new parent who has also worked in different roles within the child care field, I am passionate about (and often infuriated by) the realities described in these pieces. I think it could be really powerful for influential bloggers (like you!) to use their platforms for working parents (the bloggers themselves and/or other parents) to share more openly about how child care works (or doesn’t work) in their families. As the Vox piece mentioned, these details are not often discussed in public, which contributes to our society’s continued failure to “plug the hole” in the broken bucket of a system (although I certainly recognize this is by no means the sole cause of this failure– it is not an individual problem, as this article describes). I’ve been thinking about this for a while and reading these articles motivated me to post, in case it’s something you’re interested in writing more about! Thank you for consistently using your voice and platform to highlight these and so many other important issues.

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  • Reply Joyce April 3, 2021 at 7:36 am

    That romper article! YES. I never could articulate my refusal to read “French-based” parenting books but now I can. Fascinating that American culture, where so many people are “othered” also creates this phenomenon where we (subconsciously or otherwise) are quick to “other” ourselves. Not that the othering ourselves IS the problem, to be clear. I believe it is a symptom of the much larger problem. As a young mother with one on the way (soon!), I have a lot of resistance to “well meaning” self-help people telling me my burdens are mental— my burdens are not mental. I care for a child all day, everyday with nearly no breaks. This is not a “false sense of should” but the reality of a society completely unsupportive of parents. You might enjoy the FreshAir interview with Claire Cain Miller from Feb 18. It resonated some themes in this piece and made me feel less alone. My only gripe is it hones in on how the pandemic hurts “working mothers” and, as a SAHM, I strongly believe all mothers are working mothers.

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  • Reply Nicole April 5, 2021 at 10:37 am

    Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times over to the Romper piece! I have been SEETHING over a number of recent pieces offering “helpful advice” on how ancient cultures can help us parent better… hearing my own brew of emotions and reactions articulated so forcefully was really validating. Thank you, Erin, for sharing. I share your frustration and rage at the lack of structural support and respect for caregivers in this country.

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  • Reply Elizabeth April 5, 2021 at 10:40 am

    I need more information about this deviled egg situation. I LOVE THEM but have never been able to make them.

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  • Reply Marie April 6, 2021 at 7:34 am

    prettiest seed packages ever !

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