How is your summer going so far? Right now Anton’s traveling with his dad, and I miss him so much! It’s a hard part of being divorced, but I am trying to work on it like a muscle and lean into other things. So! This past weekend, Toby, Freddie and I drove upstate to visit friends. When Freddie came to pick us up, he made us laugh with this sign.

Here’s the view from their front porch! So cool to have a pool in the front yard.

Our friend Jimmy made linguine with clam sauce (NYTimes gift link) for dinner — “But I used fresh shucked clams, not canned,” he told me, “They have a better taste and feel.” — along with Alison Roman’s spicy breadcrumbs, or “savory sprinkles” as his kids called them. Soooo good and lemony.

Afterward, we played Ono 99 (a very fun, rousing game that’s easy to learn) and I loved these expressions when these two realized they were going to lose.

Remember Sharon?

We also went to a nearby cheese shop with the funniest little signs. This one made me laugh: “Excellent gouda of unknown providence and undetermined age. Bought from our Belgian cheese guy, who provided no supporting documentation and is not answering his emails. Probably Dutch, maybe Belgian.”

Finally, my wonderful friend just got surgery and asked for quick funny podcasts while recovering. I remembered this old round-up — what would you add to the list?

Hope your summer is going well, although of course it doesn’t have to be! As Zora Neale Hurston wrote, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” What have you been up to? Here for it all, and sending love, as always. xoxo

P.S. A few more pick-me-ups:
* fun break-up advice from Gemma
* delicious boxed brownies and cool $40 sandals you can hike in
* asking long-time friends to hang out (made me laugh)
* sneaking potato chips into recipes and meeting the neighbors
* the difference between hotels and Airbnbs, hahaha