I have eaten my weight in peppermint bark so far this month. I only eat it one month out of the year, and it feels like I’m making up for lost time. It’s like I won a Survivor reward challenge, and it’s my goal to see how much peppermint bark I can eat before they take it away from me. Every year I feel super guilty about it. But no more! It’s a novelty food, and I deserve novelty in the month of December. I’ve earned it. I’ll eat vegetables again in January. Speaking of novelties in December, the sun came out this weekend!
And so much new TV out this week! The last episodes of The Crown were released on Netflix. I’m sad it’s over (I cried - duh), but it was time to wrap things up. I also broke down and rented The Eras Tour on AppleTV and watched it all by myself. Loved it. But for those of you who are Swifted-out, I’ll spare you the details.
But here are a few other gems I enjoyed this week:
Julia on Max. I’m working on Season 2, and it’s just as delightful as the first season. Julia Child in the 1960s making her TV show The French Chef is the kind of comfort TV I need right now. Bon Appétit!
It Ain’t Over on Netflix. This Yogi Berra documentary from 2022 was much better than I anticipated. I’m not sure why I put off watching it. I loved all the baseball history, but it’s a really great story about the creation of a pop culture icon. And it’s a great story about family too. I only cried two or three times.
How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis. An excellent book if you want to let go of shame when it comes to housework. Someone on Goodreads said, “Short, sweet, and validating as fuck.” I know at least two people who said they were moved to tears by this book, because they struggle with low-dopamine tasks. I don’t have a lot of issues with cleaning or organizing. I’m not great at it (those restocking and organizing Tik Toks can suck it), but I don’t hate it. I also have a very helpful partner. But I like to read how other people think. It makes me a more understanding partner, friend, boss, and co-worker. I also enjoy any book that talks about letting go of shame. Eat the peppermint bark.
The Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra Family Christmas Show on PBS. In 2021 PBS brought this special back to television 54 years after its original airing, and fans of the iconic performers got to see the warm bond the legends and their real-life families shared. The special was shot on the NBC set of Martin's top-rated The Dean Martin Show and was originally broadcast on Dec. 21, 1967. And now it’s yearly viewing for me! I have a PBS passport, but I think you can find it on YouTube now as well. Dean Martin was 50 (and yes, he had seven children) and Frank Sinatra was 52 at the time of the airing. Youngsters!
Here’s yet another installment in my effort to revisit songs, bands, or music videos from the ‘80s that I ignored, didn’t know existed, or forgot about until recently. In honor of the holidays, I’m sharing one of my favorite ‘80s holiday songs by the Pretenders. “2000 Miles” was written by Chrissie Hynde and released in November 1983. It was more popular in the UK, but it has picked up steam in the US over the years. It’s still very underrated, however. I have loved this song at the holidays for decades, but I don’t recall ever seeing the video. Merry Christmas! Enjoy!