What’s been helping lately

I’ve been in a funk of sorts lately – feeling down about the hate in the world, getting sick with a chest infection, and then our cat dying unexpectedly.

Things that have helped: going outside and walking together as a family, swapping stories over a long, slow dinner with new friends, unexpected voice notes from old friends, surprise flowers from my husband, soulful novels, and pizza nights where the sun sets a little later. Everything feels a little bit better when you’re talking about it with others.

I’ve also made a few changes to the design of Friday’s Pizza, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. The old branding didn’t quite capture the feeling I wanted – of coming home and being with loved ones. I hope the changes reflect that better.

We’ve been trying some new pizza variations, including trying burrata cheese for the first time (a-ma-zing flavor!). Once the weather is nicer, it’ll be easier to photograph them again and share them with you.

I was talking to someone recently about our Friday pizza nights, and they said they loved the idea of community but that it’s hard work. Yes, it is… and it’s worth it.

In James Clear’s newsletter, he quoted Divya Venn:

“Being annoyed is the price you pay for community. It means having guests when you’d rather be alone. It means letting someone live with you even when they get on your nerves. It means showing up for events that you’d rather not go to. It means turning the other cheek.”

Some weeks, I’d rather curl up and watch the next episode of The Rookie with the family, and not prep the ingredients, chase the kids to set the table, and help clean up. But it’s always worth it. My life is better when I live it with others. Showing up matters.