You'll Outlast the Storm

Weekend Reads v. 13 June 2026

Please enjoy this photo I snapped before the wind started flipping the outdoor dining tables at a restaurant down below.

This week. Ugh, this week! It was tough. I’ll be dealing with the nonsense and chaos of this week for quite a while to come. Ever have a week like this?

My was week littered with literal and figurative storms. The physical storms were those fierce, terrifying storms that routinely show up on the scorching hot days of summer with plans to ruin your outdoor activities and ground airplanes for hours on end. Maybe because of this week’s heat and thunderstorms, people seemed to be on edge, generally grumpy, and over indulging in bad behavior. It felt as though I’d endure a forecast of emotional storms during the day and be met by meteorological storms each night. Sheesh. Thank you for showing up to deliver us from the week, Saturday!

Thursday’s thunderstorm marked the worst weather of the week. I stood on a balcony and watched the dark storm come straight for me. I didn’t go inside when the winds picked up, throwing outdoor furniture around and flinging umbrellas out of people’s grip. I stayed for the rain – big, hard drops that pelted my face. The storm didn’t have the strength to stay around, but I did.

And you do, too.

We can also find ways to endure those figurative storms.

A few people I thought were in my corner acted in hurtful ways this week, showering me with a constant stream of figurative storms. One person was angry and frustrated at their situation, and as a result they cast a storm at anyone and everyone in their orbit. While I understand the why, I am still disappointed to have been on the receiving end of their microburst. And don’t even get me started on the false forecasts I endured this week from people I thought I could trust.

The literal storm may have been more powerful, but it was graciously short compared to those figurative storms. They seemed to drag on, but I did notice a way to diminish them.

I followed along as a few Europeans shared their experience road tripping through “real” America this week, having the time of their lives. Maybe you also saw their social media posts? Their commentary wasn’t performative and it wasn’t preachy. It was how people experienced the world once upon a time before the smug people at public radio told us to hate ourselves. With each post, I was reminded of the goodness and humanity that endures in the face of people’s chosen gloominess. It was easy to snap out of myself and move past my hurt feelings when I watched people awe over the beauty of a Louisiana sunset or the magic that is free chips and salsa with unlimited refills.

And I’ll admit it is very likely that I was also on edge this week. This month brings with it a tinge of sadness for me. My grandmother’s birthday was smack dab in the middle of June, and I miss her greatly each time I receive the reminder email from some platform called birthday alarm that I apparently subscribed to decades ago. But I don’t delete this notification because it’s right that I miss her. I worry the day I stop missing her is the day I start forgetting her.

I’m choosing to bounce back from this week’s storms with Crowded House playing in the background and taking time to finish a pretty amazing sewing project. Thank goodness next week’s forecast calls for cooler days, less drama in the skies, and time off with my dear niece and nephew.

This corner of Substack might not serve up hyper-focused and slickly branded content the way other corners of the platform do, but I hope you feel encouraged while you’re here. If you’re enduring storms in this season of your life, remind yourself that they will pass and you will endure. The forecast will get brighter. Until then, we’ll seek cover and ride it out together.

---

With housing prices climbing out of reach, some people are turning to pre-fab capsules.

More proof that Paul Newman was the coolest.

That’s it. I’m making it a priority to laugh more:

“Research confirms it: the average 4-year-old laughs as many as 300 times a day, while the average 40-year-old may only laugh a paltry 15 times per day.

In fact, according to Stanford professors Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, who analyzed Gallup survey data from 1.4 million people across 166 countries, laughter drops sharply at age 23, around the time most people enter the workforce.

They call this phenomenon ‘the humor cliff’ and note that the frequency of laughter begins to rise again in our 70s, when many people retire from work…

It’s easy to discount laughter and fun as childish time-wasters. As Harvard psychology professor Natalie Dattilo puts it, ‘As adults…the idea that we would have fun, play, and make time for those things is often seen as a reward or something you have to earn or something you do when the work is done. But the work is never done.’” (Source)

Stunning hats from Cuyana for summer. The story behind these handwoven hats is really nice, too.

How are we feeling about the new Little House on the Prairie series coming to Netflix?

Today is Knit in Public Day If you are a knitter and in search of good yarn and patterns, you might like Quince & Co.

I had no idea how many people outsource jobs related to their homes and families.

This book is singing my song, “Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while AI threatens the jobs once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive.”

I know, this Venty travel fan seems so luxe, but it has been a game changer. I’ve traveled with it (loved it!!), and I tote it around my house when I’m working on various projects. I noticed a colleague has one in his office, so I’m tempted to start carrying it around even more places. If the large size seems too extra, they offer smaller versions as well.

A love letter to Art Deco. I’m swooning over the aerial shot of the booth and dining table and remembering Art Deco has given us some really lovely furniture.

Don’t brush your hair if you want to be trendy this summer.

lol. How Soccer works.

This illustrated guide to the chili peppers of the world is beautiful. See also the artist’s guide to hot sauce

I don’t know why, but I’m always fascinated to learn what happened to people after the fall of the Roman Empire. This study uncovers DNA clues about the Early Medieval people who inhabited Western Europe, and it’s no surprise it appears our guesses about them have been wrong all along.

A defense for awkwardness. “But, if we let them, those messy moments can become the making of us. Awkward encounters unmask us, revealing our pretensions, limitations, and affectations.”

I booked tickets to go to Iceland with two friends later this year, and I am so looking forward to visiting this perfumery. I had no idea one of my favorite bands was behind it!

Went down a random rabbit hole and discovered there are over a trillion ways to tie your shoelaces. So don’t care about what someone else does and just do it your way.

Here’s to enjoying a lazy afternoon in the shade – or sun! – this weekend.

This post contains a few Amazon Affiliate links, so you know what that means!