the june report

things are heating up...!

Hi, my friend!

Today, it’s the JUNE report. And the last month was a fun one! Today, I’ll be sharing my REPORT for the last month. In June, I was…

• Reading three books at once

• Eating at the farmer’s market

• Potting flowers in the yard

• On the TV…Twilight marathon

• Resting from the heat

• Throwing clay at the studio

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First up: Inner Life essay!

Before diving into the full report, I want to share (in case you missed it) that I had a piece come out in Inner Life. It’s a publication full of diverse perspectives from lots of different thinkers and writers, and you’re sure to find something cool and unexpected to read while you’re there.

I wrote an essay about spending the summer with Middlemarch, and how edifying I find our reading club. When I get stuck in a big book, as many of us were weeks ago starting Eliot’s doorstopper of a novel, I lean back on some of my favorite “critics,” like Michel Foucault, and think about other literature I’ve read that has been hard to understand. If you’re interested in reading more about how I lean back on my academic training and reading foundations, give it a read!

My Summer with Middlemarch

Now onto the proper June report!

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Reading three books at once

I’m currently reading three books — and it’s been really satisfying for my brain to have different moods to go to each night.

• Middlemarch obviously, that’s my biggest commitment right now and it’s taking up the most “dedicated” reading time

• Your Brain on Art is a nonfiction study of how art impacts our thinking and growth as human beings, and I find the research super fascinating

• His Dark Vanessa is a bit a wildcard from my TBR; I got swept up in the story really quickly so it has become an easy summer read

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Eating at the market

It’s farmer’s market season! Yay! The spring season didn’t last long enough here in Utah, so we’re already in the dry heat of summer — and our own little homegrown garden is not thriving. Luckily, more experienced farmers and growers in the city know what they’re doing, so I can still get my hands on radishes, peas, strawberries, lettuce, and the hand-churned butter I’m completely in love with.

One lovely afternoon, I spent an hour shelling peas with my cat and catching up on the French Open. My mom reminded me that Wimbledon is now underway, too! I love tennis season.

I am realizing I don’t have any photos from the actual market. Probably because I usually have my hands full within 2 minutes of entering the park. I’m making a mental note to get a photo next weekend!

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Potting flowers in the yard

Despite the gnarly heat here in Utah, we’re still growing flowers (and they love the shade). My rose bushes are doing alright, too. My cats absolutely love to go play in the grass outside and lay on the patio when it gets too hot. It is unbelievably cute. One of my cats was a stray and I think it’s really sweet to watch him experience a really safe outdoor space where he can roll in the dirt and catch bugs…and then come back inside for cool air, belly rubs, and tuna in a bowl.

I downloaded an app that is basically a little Tamagotchi for adults, and it pings me to “go outside for at least five minutes” during the workday. The flowers make me happy to wander out back even when it’s creeping up to the high nineties!

(The app is called FINCH. Do you have it?! It’s so cute.)

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Why not have a Twilight marathon?

My husband and I noticed that all the Twilight movies were leaving Netflix on June 30…and so we had an impromptu movie marathon. He had not seen the movies since they came out originally — and I wish I had recorded his reaction to the plots of these films. I was laughing so hard at his shock at lines like,

“Bella, where you been Loca?!”

“That’s my monkey man…”

and the infamous “spider monkey” line. Cringe. Why do these vampires talk about monkeys so often?

Twilight has a bizarre place in my heart. I read the novels as a teenager and felt shock when they became a phenomenon. I thought they were fine—I didn’t really understand the hype. Plus, it felt really odd to feel a kind of cultural spotlight on a Mormon author who was writing these sexually charged fantasies.

Experiencing those stories as an adult, now, I have an unexpected appreciation for them. There are some parts of the stories that feel brilliantly imaginative; others that are kind of tragically depressing and deeply problematic…especially for teen readers. I didn’t expect to enjoy revisiting the films so much, but Sean made it so funny and we kept talking about how much we were liking the movies despite ourselves.

Plus, we discovered a new favorite movie snack! The Lesser Evil Himalayan Gold popcorn. Oh my god it’s good! We ate a whole bag in just the first half of the first movie. Time to stock up.

(I am linking you to one of my fave online grocers—I started shopping here during Covid to avoid that big A-website. I really love Thrive as an alternate!)

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Resting away from the heat

Nothing fries my nervous system and my energy levels like heat. So I’ve started a couple of new “cozy” games on Nintendo Switch: Outer Wilds, which is about exploring space and Spiritfarer, in which you play a spirit guide who helps people live out their final tasks and get to the Other Side.

I’m also playing Red Dead Redemption 2 and it’s a wildly open world concept of a game — I struggle to decide how to spend my time when I’m playing and it’s a funny exercise in decision making. If you’ve played it, tell me: did you play with High or Low honor? I’m playing as a high honor Arthur and every once in a while, I make a huge mistake and it makes me so mad. I love games that play with your emotions like that.

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Throwing pots in the studio

I’ve officially entered my making so many things I don’t have room for them anymore phase with pottery. It’s so fun to throw clay and play with shape and size on the wheel. But I’ve been feeling a little aimless.

I’ve been trying different glaze techniques and using tape to create clean lines with different colors. The little color squares on the cup below is by far my favorite experiment so far!

So, in an effort to start making things less random at the studio, I got myself a waterproof notebook—the paper is made from stone!—so that I can start taking more intentional notes in the studio and planning out my creations more carefully. I love the texture of stone paper and I was excited to find a pocket-sized notebook I can keep in my overalls while I’m throwing.

My mom has started coming to the studio with me and it’s so much fun to play in the clay together. She’s been practicing centering and made a really pretty set of bowls in primary colors. Last week, I tried a new shape and yesterday, glazed it orange. Let’s hope my pumpkin bowl comes out pretty!

In July, I hope to play with stamping letters into my pots, and to try throwing miniatures. I’m also going to try to learn how to attach mug handles! I never expected to love pottery this much and it has been a ride. I learn so much every time I go throw.

Left: a bubble mug I threw. Right: A tall bowl my mom threw!

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Thanks for reading!

I really love putting together these little REPORTs each month for you (and for me!) You can check out the past months here:

• The May Report

• The April Report

• The March Report

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‘til next time, happy reading!