What I’m Reading
When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston. Griff Barlow is a retired Michelin-star chef living in an aged care facility, and he has had enough. Enough of the beige food, the grief he has been carrying for decades, and the lie he has been telling the one person who still bothers to show up. So he breaks into the nursing home kitchen to bake himself one last tart. Except the act of cooking does what cooking has always done for him: it wakes something up. Before long he is sneaking in after dark, turning out real food for his fellow residents, all of it built on a secret he cannot afford to have discovered.
Meanwhile his younger sister Lisa, the one who keeps showing up despite years of silence between them, is dealing with her own midlife news: a new ADHD diagnosis, an unexpected romance, and something else that could change everything. Johnston has written a book about what happens when two people who have hurt each other run out of reasons to stay apart. It is warm and funny and quietly devastating in all the right places. If you read The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife (Johnston’s debut), you will want this one.
What I Watched
A new-to-me YouTube channel this week: Frybrook House, a Georgian manor built in 1753 in Boyle, County Roscommon, in the west of Ireland. Two friends, Mark Attwood and Gary Kealy, have taken on the extraordinary project of restoring and transforming it into a holistic wellness retreat, with plans for regenerative farming, retreats, events, and what sounds like a genuine community space. Six acres, a remarkable building, and a vision that is part preservation and part new life for a place that deserves both. I am already looking forward to watching what they build.
Outfit of the Day
Outfit Details Below
I hope your Monday is off to a gentle start. If you have not taken a slow morning walk lately, the kind where you leave the earbuds at home and just look around, I cannot recommend it enough. You might be surprised what is out there waiting for you.
What have you been reading this summer? And what is your favorite thing that you have done?
Before I go, I want to say thank you. The kindness, the prayers, the words of support you have sent regarding my stepfather going to hospice have meant more than I can say. This community, the friendships we have built here, is exactly what Pinecones and Acorns is all about. I am so grateful for each one of you.
Find me on Pinterest at pinterest.com/pineconesacorns for more of what I love, and if this post brightened your Monday even a little, I would love it if you shared it.
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On My Radar
I too have been out walking very early lately but not just because..but because our new rescued Cavalier aged 2 can’t wait to see the world and eat so sometimes she’s up at 4am..ugh…well she was kept in a cage for breeding her first 2 years so it’s understandable..so was my 8 year old cavalier that has so been enjoying his new sister. Anyway..I love the quiet as well and we see so many rabbits hopping about..peaceful.
So sorry to hear about your friend issues..I deal with friendship changes too..it’s a good thing I like to spend time with myself..LOL!!
I hope the hospice care for your step father goes well. I’m grateful for those folks that work with hospice care. I’m seeing many neighbors here with generations living in the same house. What a great thing to have family like that. I’m not sure I was meant to live with multiple generations under one roof but it would have been helpful when my son was born for sure. Money is a big issue for many no days that buying a house is so out of reach in this market.
Those fawns must be beautiful and a joy to watch. I don’t get to see many deer here in our suburban area.
The baby deer sound like they would be delightful to see, they are so beautiful and graceful. One time I saw a deer running across a field full speed and it was breathtaking to watch. For myself, I like to see the hummingbirds in my yard when I go out there in the morning. One always hovers around me for a bit to check me out.
I think that life transitions has to be the hardest experience, and the hospice workers that took care of my family members were a godsend to my family and to me. I send you and your family thoughts of comfort and peace.
Alexandra, I love your description of the deer and the hummingbord. There is something magical about a hummingbird. I would love it one hovered around me! That is so exciting.
I cannot even image being a hospice worker, they are angels on earth. Not only are they tere for the person transitioning they help the family navigate this time as well. Sadly we are across the country and are only able to be there for shaort visits. My mother in law lived for a year after she entered hospice care.
Thank you for your kind thoughts. I appreciate it.
I enjoy your blog. I enjoy seeing the book recommendations. I am currently reading A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford. It’s an old one I know but I am really enjoying it. We live on five acres and always have some kind of wildlife experience. The latest this weekend was having a Vulture with a broken wing hanging around the property. We called the rescue people and they came and got it. They had to catch it, which was exciting. We just never know. Prayers for the hard time right now and thanks for the people who can give the care that is needed.