Has there ever been such a grim title? Sorry, it’s the Pollyanna in me. I started writing Things That Are Making Me Happy posts seven months ago, when Melbourne went into its first lockdown. There was a brief gap between lockdowns one and two, but not enough for anything to feel ‘normal’. For me, that’s changed in the last two weeks and being able to see family and friends, and enjoy some dinners out, has been marvelous.
So, before I immerse myself in Melbourne’s ‘new normal’, I thought I’d remind myself of the highlights of ‘happy’. Here’s a quick summary of the best stuff –
Reading:
- Phosphorescence by Julia Baird
- Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
- Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth
- Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
- this feature article about friendship by Trent Dalton
Watching:
- Normal People
- Love Life
- The Duchess
- My Brilliant Friend S2
- After Life S2
- Dan (and Bretty), who showed up every day
Listening:
Food & drink:
- Home delivered cannoli
- Atlas Masterclass
- The Cocktail Porter
- Lune delivered (delivery has ended, so back to queuing for my croissants).
- Nutella self-saucing pudding
- One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber
The little things:
- my walks along the Yarra have sustained me
- waking my teenage son up each morning (his request – laziness? Wanting someone else to take responsibility? Who knows… it took me right back to seeing him in his cot each morning)
- listening to my daughter’s trombone lessons
- my first swim after months of no chlorine
- logging a shelf cloud on Cloudspotter
Events
- the sinkhole
- Yarra Valley Writers Festival
- MIFF online
Online Discoveries
- Olive and Mabel
- new jigsaw designers
- Sutton soap and other COVID merch
