Hello to my new subscribers, and welcome! You can get the backstory on this newsletter in this post, have your burning questions answered here, or share this with a friend via the button below. Thank you!
This time of year sees the return of quiet work days at home, industrious weekends full of trips to the donation drop-off center and posts in my local Buy-Nothing group, an abundance of new schedules and routines, and a kind of settling in that wants to happen in late August but never actually happens until mid-September.
Oh, and the light. Spectacular late-summer light.
a smattering of things I’ve been using, loving, reading, listening to, or thinking about
I’ve been making raspberry oatmeal muffins quite a bit, alternating between this recipe and this one (swapping blueberries for raspberries), with some modifications of my own (also: Meagan and I talked a lot about midlife recipe tinkering in this episode of Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits!)
How many times can I declare that I ‘listen very rarely to true crime podcasts’ and then promptly recommend a good one before I need to update my story? A friend recently recommended Bear Brook and I was riveted
You’re either a person who skips starry-eyed through Trader Joe’s in mid-September, or one who rolls their eyes at those who do. I have been both those people in my life, but have squarely embraced TJ’s fall the last several years with no regrets. Three perennial faves: Maple & Sea Salt Kettle Corn, Harvest Blend Herbal Tea, and Pepita Salsa. Also love: Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese and - new this year! - this tiny glass jarred Fall Scented Candle Trio.
Speaking of autumnal touches, I bought this wreath from Etsy in 2021 and every single year I struggle with where to hang it. It’s a bit too delicate for our front door, and too asymmetrical to prop up on a shelf or mantel. At last: looks sweet on my office door!
a few items of note pertaining to my hometown - tell me what’s happening in yours in the comments!
I’ve heard about this book - and the community whose story it tells - but never seen a copy. Now it’s back in print! (Santa Barbara Independent)
These trees are truly spectacular when they’re in bloom: September Tree of the Month: African Tulip Tree (EdHat)
My alma mater (and my kids’ school) turns 150 this year, making it one of the oldest high schools in California (Noozhawk)
The Fall 2025 cover of Santa Barbara Magazine is so striking
I’ve eaten at Gracie twice since it opened and the food is excellent!
That’s it for now! -S
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.