Relaxing, Reading, and Raya

It’s the end of June: what? I’m wrapping up my three month unpaid sabbatical/bereavement/brain fog leave. I’ve mostly been enjoying downtime with the kids who are both home for the summer, laying around, going for walks, catching up with friends, and reading.

My daughter graduated from university, marking the end of a tough program involving five years, six work co-ops, and three countries. (She got top marks in her cohort so super proud!) When she got accepted to the program and I realized I’d have to move her every four months for five years, I did not know how we would manage it (hello, single motherhood). She started during Covid and I had to carry a mini-fridge up two flights of stairs (her ancient residence had no elevator.) Thankfully, it got easier each term. By the end, she was moving herself with the help of friends. They start school as kids and end up as adults. It’s lovely to have her around for a bit before she starts work.

I attended my first World Cup game, which I enjoyed even more than I thought I would. I had no stake in either team winning so I could just enjoy the beautiful game on a beautiful afternoon. World Cup fans go hard for their teams. Their pride was contagious.

My dad had his (fingers crossed) last surgery last week and my doctor has me on a bunch of meds that will hopefully keep me out of the OR in the fall. I’m hoping this season is behind us.

I’ve been reconnecting with people I’ve not seen in a while and they all want to know if I’m dating. I guess my “hell no!” is alarming, but I’m serious. I actually wear a wedding ring when out and about. In the year of our Lord 2026, I believe that Jane Austen’s words should be altered: it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man NOT in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Maybe it’s the Yorkville of it all but grifters be grifting around these parts. The docuseries RomCon about a romance scammer involved women who live in my area. Seems that some men out there are using the dating apps to find housing or a retirement plan, so be alert, ladies. Someone woo woo told me that if you are single, you must leave empty space in your bed to energetically attract a mate. At night, I stack all my books and throw pillows on the empty side of the bed just to make sure the universe knows I’m good.

I do keep one dating app - Raya - just in case some sober, aging rocker I’ve long admired comes out of a marriage and his Malibu beach house feels too empty. I actually keep a couple of California-cool James Perse outfits at the ready just in case…

The main reason I stay on the app is to give women who want on it a referral. I have no idea how the system works but it seems that the more referrals you have, the better your chances so it’s kind of a social currency. I suspect I only got on so easily because the person who referred me was some kind of power user who jets around the world. Greater women than I are still waitlisted but maybe her magic will extend to others through me?

My days of doing nothing but reading are drawing to a close but I still have some good books to recommend.

Ann Patchett’s Whistler is a warm and happy book about biological and found family. It gave me 90s Meg Ryan movie vibes. It brings back a time when you could afford a very nice New York City apartment by working in publishing. (Can you imagine?) She’s such a beautiful writer and I loved it. It’s great for a rainy day with a cup of tea.

I read Lisa Jewell’s newest, It Could Have Been Me, which is a mystery/thriller where a terrier plays a minor role (Teddy, who turned nine this week, could never…) Jewell looks like she’s having too much fun on her book tour with some dog-centric events. The book is moody and English and is almost gothic at times. It’s weird and creepy but not too weird and creepy. It’s quite different to her last book, Don’t Let Him In, which is more of a domestic thriller. I enjoyed both. This is another rainy day, cup of tea book.

I’m half way through The Lake Club, a debut novel by Lina Patton about rich people behaving badly at, you guessed it, a country club on the lake. The plot focuses on what happens in an insular community when a hot manny (male nanny) comes to town. The author nails the clubby atmosphere and types of people and it brings back memories of my days at the Oakville Club, gossiping with the other moms around the pool. It’s a fun summer read and perfect to read by a pool, ocean, or lake.

Speaking of mannies, have you been watching Million Dollar Nannies? So trashy and highly produced and fun. Wild Cherry was also good about private school daughters and their middle aged moms. It’s thriller-ish but also quite campy. I like my summer TV viewing to be quite brainless.

What are you up to these days? Going anywhere interesting? Reading or watching anything good?

Xx