Here's my recap for the month of June. Similar to last month, I'm skipping a recap of my workouts because yaaaaaawn. And I also added an article that's worth reading, especially for fellow Midwesterners as you likely have some reserved men in your lives.
Podcasts:
On Being: The Myth of Closure - In this podcast, the host interviews Professor Pauline Boss. Boss specializes in grief and loss, and one of her areas of expertise is "ambiguous loss." An example of ambiguous loss is losing a person mentally, but not physically, which is what happens when a loved one suffers from dementia. Phil lost his dad to Alzheimer's and several of my friends have lost parents, so the topic of grief and loss is pertinent for me as the better my understanding, the more I can support those who have lost loved ones. One thing I really loved about this podcast was her emphasis on the fact that we can not expect closure when we lose a loved one; instead, it's something we will grieve for the rest of our lives. I also thought it was interesting how she emphasized that the 5 stages of grief were never meant to apply to the living - they were designed as a framework for those preparing for death to deal with the reality of dying.
Books:
I read 7 books in June. My favorite book was Wonder. It's a middle-grade novel but I think most adults would benefit from reading it. I loved its message of "being kinder than is necessary." The starred books are books I read for the read harder challenge; the bolded books are physical books I already owned so those count toward my "read 12 books I own" challenge for 2016.
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton - 3 stars
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens - 3 stars
Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed by Meghan Daum* - 2 stars
Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons - 2 stars
Wonder by R.J. Palacio* - 5 stars
The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie - 3 stars
Momo by Michael Ende - 3 stars
Looks:
After a couple of months of feeling blah about my looks, I have a couple of outfits to share!
Last month I bought a couple things from Cabi, including these bright citron-colored pants. I am sure that some people think this color is obnoxious, but bright-colored pants are my jam!
My second look doesn't feature anything new. I got the top from Stitch Fix last summer and the skirt is a Banana Republic skirt that I have had for many years. I like the color combination of the khaki and bright blue, and of course I love that the top is striped!
Bonus Article:
How my dad's reserve prepared me for life with Minnesota men - This short essay about reserved men perfectly describes the kind of men my dad and Phil are. They are quiet and reserved and not prone to big shows of emotion, and they prefer to show their love through actions, not words. The paragraphs below really express the essence of how my dad and Phil express their love.
"This is how my dad expresses himself: It’s not that he never says “I love you,” it’s that he feels the truth of it more in action than in words. (If my) Dad heard I needed something that he could provide, ... he quietly provided it. He is allergic to making a show of something, even when there is legitimate sentiment behind it. In Dad Land, you must never mistake a lack of words for an absence of feeling. In fact, it is the opposite: The more intense the emotion, the less likely you’ll ever hear a word about it. So you have to pay attention.
... I have to remind myself to listen to the actions of the Minnesota men in my life, because the expression of their affection and loyalty is so underplayed. Everyone is so circumspect. No one wants to make anyone uncomfortable with an outpouring of emotion."
Happy July, everyone! Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends and Happy 4th of July to my American friends! I'm taking next week off from blogging so will check back with all of you when I return from my time at the lake.
I'm excited for a long weekend, too! And I really like the yellow pants: I have a pair almost that color and I always get a ton of compliments when I wear them.
ReplyDeleteHappy Independence Day to you! Have a great time at the lake with your family! I am also taking the entire week off to go up to Oregon and then to drive down and do some hiking in the Sierras. It should be a good one!
ReplyDeleteI love those yellow pants, although I could not pull them off. I would get a lot of comments at work though, as all they see me in normally is black, black and more black! Maybe I should get some just for that reason alone. It's fun to throw those guys off track...
Oh, that podcast episode sounds really interesting! I'm going to give it a listen.
ReplyDeleteThose pants are AWESOME and I feel like brightly colored pants is just your signature now. :) They look great!
I, too, love the yellow pants! I love color!
ReplyDeleteThat paragraph you quoted about reserved men is so true.
Sounds like you have a great week off to relax and get some sun and surf! I am so excited to have almost everyone at the lake next week! Kevin has to travel and Andrew has baseball tournaments next weekend so they won't be with us! Boo!
I loved the reserved men quote. As you probably know, Eric is not a reserved man... about anything really ;) But, I would describe both my dad and Eric's dad as reserved about emotions. Neither are reserved if you just met them and were hanging out having a beer, but they are both not showy about their emotions. But their actions speak loud enough I don't think anyone would question who they love. Sometimes I think I have a little of this in me. I try to be better at telling people how I feel since I think it's important too :)
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th of July to you!! Have a wonderful time celebrating :-)
ReplyDeleteOkay, multiple comments in one here....first off, that top outfit looks incredible on you and I absolutely love the colors! Second, keep me posted about the potential visit to Oregon. I'm going to New Orleans the 22nd-25th but would be around the rest of that month and would love to see you! Third, if you'd like other Oregon suggestions, let me know :) Fourth, this article reminds me of my dad also. He once drove EIGHT hours in one day just to bring me cough medicine while I was an undergrad and to see with his own eyes that he'd let me know that he cared. Not a man of a lot of words always, but his selfless actions are incredible. Fifth, I'm definitely going to have to check out one of those books you recommended in the prior post--thank you for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful family week ahead!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love those citron colored pants! How are you feeling about the read harder challenge at this point in the year? Enjoy your time off at the lake!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the yellow pants!! I think they are awesome. Coloured pants are my favourite. My dad is a lot more emotional now after all of his health issues than he ever used to be. It's so funny how much different men are than women with their emotions.
ReplyDeleteHave so much fun at the lake house with your family! I am so jealous :)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I think the article about the "reserved" Minnesota men perfectly describes us Germans... because we never say "I love you" that much (with family members) and even though my parents are both kind and warm-hearted, loving people, they've always (!) shown their love more through action than through words.
I have to remember that too about the reserved men in my life! My dad didn't tell me he loves me til after I graduated college and not without me obnoxiously "training" him.
ReplyDelete"I love you dad."
"grunt."
"DAD I LOVE YOU"
"okay."
"DAD SAY IT BACK!!"
You can wear those cute pants and no one will look at your butt in a bad way! They're really cute on you!
ReplyDeleteA delightful post, Lisa! Hope your Fourth was great!
This is my husband and dad. They do things big or plan events but randomly saying I love you? Yeah, no. ha. Hugs? NO. Cuddles? No. I love that stitch fix blue and white shirt! Cute!
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