Things of Beauty #31

Connections, cat cookies, cones and stuff on our counters

I'm just wrapping up two of the most jam-packed weeks of the fall semester - with orientation for new master's students, followed by the first week of classes. What are these last days of August like for you?

My year has been split into the cadence of semesters for so long now that I will always associate August with "fall" and January with "spring" - but is it fall for everyone outside the world of education now, as well?¹

Anyway, on to this week’s list . . .

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A smattering of lovely things of late:

🍪 Only the cutest cookies ever.

🧩 Connections is another winner from New York Times Games for me. I'm as excited about the new edition each morning as I was about Wordle back when it came on the scene.

📙 I always enjoy

Liza Palmer’s Newsletter

and this month's installment, Toasters on the Counter, was no exception. While I use the actual toaster on my counter regularly, I'm now on the lookout for metaphorical toasters that could likely be stashed in a drawer or removed entirely. (Liza is also a great follow for lists of tiny beautiful things each month!)

🖋 This Ram Dass quote:

Evolution is really a series of revolutions back and forth in which there is some movement toward awareness.

For me, this brings up an image of an object rocking back and forth while slowly moving forward. Or in other words, baby steps.

🍩 Please enjoy this traffic cone dressed up like Leonardo da Vinci giving out back-to-school doughnuts. Cone-Vinci was a parting gift from one of our recent grads, and there's a long backstory that probably won't translate well—but it's this weird and wonderful energy that keeps me coming back semester after semester:

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What small moments of enjoyment have you had this week? Also, do you think those cat cookies are a blend of sugar, peanut butter, and chocolate cookie doughs? Curious minds want to know!

Be well, find tiny joy-

Mary Chris

1. Starbucks would say yes, as evidenced by the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte.