Will MDMA Change Your Political Views?
I generally detest any activity that makes me feel out of control, so taking drugs (or drinking) has never held any interest for me. And I’ve mostly tuned out every time another news story comes out about micro-dosing, or using psychedelics therapeutically.
But I read a tweet a couple of weeks ago, about someone using MDMA and completely changing their political views, and I keep thinking about it. The tweet was originally an attempt to throw shade toward Libertarians, but it ended up being a fascinating thread with even more fascinating responses. Here’s the original tweet:
A Few Things
Hello, Friends! How are you? How was your week? Mine was so good! I’m still here in Palm Springs. This is the last official day of Alt Summit 2020 — though it’s pretty relaxed. A few meetups this morning, and a one-day session of the Huddle. Most people are traveling back home today so lots of goodbyes too.
It’s been an incredible week. For sure our best Alt Summit yet — even with some last-minute cancellations related to fear and caution around coronavirus. I got to interview Soledad O’Brien on Monday. And connect with Shannon Watts on Tuesday. And be surrounded by 2000 amazing women for lots of days. I’m feeling very lucky. I saved a bunch of Alt Summit peeks to my Story Highlights if you’re curious (and check out the #altsummit hashtag on Instagram too).
Yesterday, as I was sitting at a table of attendees working on some Alt Summit announcements, I heard the news about Elizabeth Warren ending her campaign. I started weeping. I knew it was coming after Super Tuesday, but I’m so, so sad. Not much else to say yet. I haven’t had time to even think about it. : (
I’ve got a long link list for you today. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share. (There’s a bit cussing in there today — reflective of my sadness and anger.)
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Did you have a good week?
I am writing this from Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris. By the time you read the post, I’ll be in the air, headed to Palm Springs for Alt Summit. I’m always so nervous before the conference — it’s that feeling when you’re throwing a party and you hope everyone is going to have a good time. But it’s a party for 2000 people that lasts for 6 days and has hundreds of speakers and classes. Hah!
On Monday for the opening keynote, I’ll be interviewing Soledad O’Brien and Danielle Bernstein (it will be separate interviews). I love interviewing people and am especially looking forward to this. But holy moly interview prep takes so much time and research. Every time I write interview questions I come away with huge respect for journalists that do this for a living.
I’m going to head out now, but before I go, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
…Living With Kids: Michelle Richardson
Michelle is a stay at home mom raising 4 teens/tweens and 2 dogs in a beautiful home in Lindon, Utah. After moving every few years while her husband was in the military, they’ve finally settled down in a neighborhood they love, within walking distance of the kids’ schools, and with only a 10-minute commute to work. Michelle has really made this new-build her own with bright wall colors, amazing light fixtures and some gorgeous wallpaper.
After having lived in so many places, Michelle has great advice about making your space personal and your own, without worrying too much about if you might have to change it down the road. And she’s also got some valuable insight into being a parent to older kids. I can’t wait for you to take a peek inside. Welcome, Michelle!
…Schrödinger’s Rapist
This essay from 2009 is the best thing I’ve read so far this year. It’s called Schrödinger’s Rapist: or a guy’s guide to approaching strange women without being maced. And I think it might be perfect.
The comments are now closed, but there are 1200+ of them, and they are (mostly) good reading as well.
The essay is about how there’s no way for women to know if a man who is approaching us is a good guy or a rapist. So we constantly have to observe and calculate levels of danger. It spells out five points that men can and should be aware of if they want to approach women. From the essay:
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? We arrived home from Switzerland on Wednesday night and I can’t wait to tell you about our trip. What a gorgeous country! (I made a Switzerland highlight on Instagram if you’re curious.)
Other things happening at our house: Olive will head back to Montpelier this weekend. I head out to Palm Springs for Alt Summit next Friday, so I’ve got some intense work ahead of me for the next couple of weeks. We have a meeting with a window specialist on Tuesday — we want to hire him to repair and repaint the windows and shutters at the St. Martin house. And the youngest three get one more week off of school — which means lots of visits to the pool and the ice skating rink.
I’ve got to get back to more Alt Summit work, but before I go, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
…Living With Kids: Theresa Pham
I am happy today to introduce you to Theresa and her family. Theresa lives outside of Houston in a beautiful home that she and her husband renovated and decorated. Her style is impeccable and you’ll love getting a look around. Theresa also talks openly about the struggles she and her husband had as they tried to build a family — from IVF treatments to lost pregnancies. Welcome, Theresa!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? What’s up with you this week? Are you doing anything fun for Valentine’s Day? We typically do a Valentine’s Day breakfast for the kids, but this year, they asked if we could do a dinner instead — because they would rather sleep in a bit. : )
Something fun at our house: We had a big feature in the regional Ouest France newspaper today! We didn’t know it was coming out today and it was a fun surprise. The kids found out about it at school from their friends, and Oscar brought the newspaper home to show us. You can read it here in French. I like that it focuses on us as a couple and that it came out on Valentine’s Day.
Another fun thing at our house: A two-week school break starts this weekend! So we are hitting the road and driving to Switzerland to find some snow and see the mountains. We’ll be visiting Zermatt and Chamonix, and we’re staying in Leysin. It won’t be a long trip — we’ll be back on Wednesday night — but we have a great schedule planned so far. Tobogganing, and a spa, and I think we’re going to take a famous train ride — the Glacier Express.
We’ve been to Switzerland in the summer before, but this will be our first winter experience. And we’re so excited! We head out first thing tomorrow, and there are piles of snow clothes around the house at the moment. Have any Switzerland tips or recommendations for us? I’d love to hear.
One more fun thing: Olive is joining us from Montpellier! Her host family has a two-week school break too. (Another time I’ll tell you how much I like the French school schedule — six weeks on, two weeks off.)
And now, let’s head to the link list. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
…Living With Kids: Robin Dowdle
[ Note from Design Mom: Our fabulous home tour editor, Josh, is on a break, but will be back soon. This lovely tour was originally posted almost four years ago in March 2016. It’s such a good one. If it’s your first time reading it, you’ll be so glad I reposted the tour. If you’re reading it for the second time, you’ll be so glad I reposted the tour. ]
When Robin bravely wrote to me and suggested a different sort of home tour, I immediately wrote back to send her a tight squeeze. I am so proud of this woman for sharing her story with us, and inviting us all into her life for the day.
This one made me cry several times, but more than that, I admire her beyond the moon. Please welcome her with your kindness, won’t you?
Hi everyone! I’m Robin. Welcome to our home.
Currently it’s just me and my husband, Mark, living in our home. I work for a large charter school network in Phoenix overseeing operations, enrollment, and reporting and compliance for the 22 schools in our network. Mark works at the Mayo Clinic as an Instrument Technician. He does all the things you don’t think about but are essential to a hospital functioning: ordering supplies, sterilizing surgical equipment, etc.
Mark is an old man living in a 30-year old’s body. On most Saturday mornings, you can find him sitting in his favorite chair, drinking his coffee and staring into space. He’s not watching TV or checking his phone; he’s just sitting and being. I, on the other hand, can’t sit still to save my life. So while he sits, I dart around attempting to cross things off my to-do list. He’s good for me; he has taught me how to enjoy life and rest. I am happiest and most at ease when I am with him.
And we should be living with our son, William Earle, who would be three months old at this point. But sadly, due to complications during his delivery (meconium aspiration) he was without oxygen for several minutes leaving him brain dead. He died peacefully in our arms at four days old. So ours is a story of when you thought you would be living with kids and suddenly you aren’t.
In the years after college, I lived in Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. And then I moved back to Phoenix. When I met and married my husband, I knew I would live in Phoenix for the rest of my life since he is a fourth generation Arizonan. And I absolutely love living in Central Phoenix so I am completely on board with this plan.
…What’s The Most Drastic Hair Change You’ve Ever Made?
I’ve had a short bleached white pixie cut for over two years now. And I’ve been thinking it’s time for a change. I’ve been thinking about a dark brown chin-length bob with loose curls and bangs (maybe like this?). I’m not sure what’s motivating my urge for a new hairstyle (maybe the move to France?), but I keep thinking about it.
Here are some of the factors I’m mulling over as I consider a hair change:
…What’s The Most Drastic Hair Change You’ve Ever Made?Read More »
Hand-Made Valentines: 8 Favorites for Kids, and 6 for Grownups
Valentine’s Day is this Friday. If you’re planning to help your kids make classmate valentines this year, it’s the perfect time to choose a favorite and gather any supplies. I’ve collected six really cute options here (five are candy free), and I’ve got four pretty options for grown ups too.
…Hand-Made Valentines: 8 Favorites for Kids, and 6 for GrownupsRead More »
A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How was your week? I ended up spending quite a bit of time managing the twitter thread I wrote. It’s an odd thing sometimes when I remember that social media is part of my job. It’s sometimes hard to differentiate when I’m on my phone/laptop for work, and when I’m on my phone/laptop for entertainment.
This weekend (and every weekend this month), I’ll be working on Alt Summit. It’s coming up fast! But hopefully I’ll get lots of hangout time with the kids too. My mom sent us a big box of Valentine’s Day candy, so I’m thinking we’ll want to have a movie party and eat through the whole box. (Though I will hog the cinnamon jelly hearts which are my favorite.)
Ready for the link list? Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:
…Living With Kids: Hannah Carpenter
[ Note from Design Mom: This tour was originally published in June of 2014, and is a reader favorite. If you get a chance you should definitely check in with Hannah Carpenter on Instagram — so fun to see how this darling family has grown! ]
When I put together a Living With Kids tour, I try to mix in at least one photo of the family – or just one small member of it who happens to be running through a gorgeous glimpse of a room! But never have I posted a home tour where every photo includes a family living in it. This week is different, then. And instead of distracting from the interiors and bright ideas, the Carpenters added something decidedly sweet to our peek. The home came alive. You’ll see. (And you’ll also probably laugh out loud when you read Hannah’s response to when her home works best!)
Welcome, Carpenter family!
… Everything Is Worth Doing Poorly
I saw a 6-tweet thread about doing a not-great job at things the other day that I keep thinking about. It was written by an attorney named Heron Greenesmith, and it kept surprising me. This is how it starts:
Your yearly reminder that most things worth doing are worth doing poorly. F**k perfection. Art? Do it poorly. School work? Do half rather than not doing it at all. Calling a friend? Text them if you’re afraid to call rather than not talking to them at all.
I read that first line: “most things worth doing are worth doing poorly” and thought I was about to read a silly or funny thread. The opposite idea is so ingrained in me — anything worth doing, is worth doing well — that at first, I literally couldn’t comprehend the author was being serious. I’m so glad I kept reading:
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? What’s been going on with you?
We had another media interview this morning — this time with the newspaper Ouest France. We were first interviewed by a journalist on Monday, and then they sent a photographer and journalist today for a follow-up interview. It’s fun to have such a warm welcome to France!
Other than that, my time is mostly taken up with Alt Summit these days. The conference is one month away, so there’s lots to do. But it’s exciting too!
I’m not sure what our weekend plans are. Maybe some shopping. Probably lots of email. How about you? Are you ready for the weekend? And ready for some links? Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share with you:
…Tall House: Fireplace Decisions
One of the renovation challenges we’re trying to figure out at the moment is how we should handle the fireplaces at the St. Martin house. There are currently two existing fireplaces with mantels — one is on the ground floor in the living room (pictured above), and one is on the second floor (in a room the previous owner used as a dining room). Neither of them are working fireplaces. Originally they worked, but there was a renovation — maybe in the 1970s? — when they became decorative only.
As we’ve pulled up flooring and explored a bit more, we’ve also found 3 other stone hearths from earlier fireplaces (one of them we actually knew about when we bought the house, the other two are newer discoveries). It makes sense. The house dates to the 1700s, and back then, essentially every room would have needed a fireplace as a heat source (or a cooking source in the case of the kitchen).
…Living With Kids: Amy Branger
I really loved getting to know Amy this week and I think you will too. She is a newly-separated Mom of an almost-grown daughter and recently moved to a stunning little apartment in Boston.
She speaks very lovingly about urban living and the advantages it has afforded her and her daughter. And she also speaks wisely about life’s transitions; a child growing up and getting ready to leave the home, a marriage ending and recreating a new life. You’ll really be glad you spent some time with her. Welcome, Amy!
…Every Word for Women Eventually Becomes a Pejorative Term
Lots of days I go about my activities without screaming about the patriarchy, but today is not one of those days. Today I’m thinking about how words that are used to refer to women, eventually (and inevitably?) become insults.
For example, did you know Gossip started out as a very positive term?
…Every Word for Women Eventually Becomes a Pejorative TermRead More »
A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How was your week? It was a good one at our house. Mostly regular, but one unusual thing was that on Tuesday morning, a local news team filmed us at the market, and then interviewed us in our home about why we love Normandy, and why we chose to move here from the Bay Area. It was a lot of fun!
We haven’t fully put together this house — because we don’t expect to live here too long and are putting our house energy into the remodel — but I did try to spiff up our rental for the interview. Hah! We haven’t seen the footage, but if we get a link, I’ll be sure to share it.
And now it’s the weekend! No big plans, but hopefully lots of email. : ) Let’s get to the link list. Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
…Living With Kids: Catherine Leavitt
Catherine has been such a joy to get to know and to work with as we’ve pulled this home tour together. She’s lived the kind of exciting life I’m always a bit envious of — she spent her 20s working in the fashion industry in Manhattan, her 30s starting her small family in Brooklyn, and now lives in the suburbs of Atlanta as her family grows and her life takes a new path. When you see her chic and pulled together home, it won’t surprise you at all to learn that she’s now working as a home stager and designer. You’re really going to love taking a look around. Welcome, Catherine!
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