Reader, welcome to Afternoon Tea! As a self-confessed hopeless romantic and anglophile to the highest degree, it is one of my deepest sorrows that I am not one to regularly partake in the privilege that is afternoon tea. Although I often enjoy a cup of Earl Grey on slow afternoons, my chipped mugs and sliced bananas are poor substitutions for the Spode china and brilliantly colored petit fours that would abound in an authentic ceremony. As such, I invite you to a virtual celebration of the elegant pastime that begs us to appreciate beauty and focus on being present. Here, you will find a somewhat jumbled collection of my revelations, reflections, and that which I relish from the week. So please, brew a warm pot of tea, procure for yourself an array of scones and biscuits, and peruse with me what is lovely in life.
Thanking the Academy
What does it mean to thank the Academy? To do so is to extend a breathless word of overwhelming appreciation to a higher power, to a force second only to the Universe in terms of its ubiquitous and enigmatic presence. As such, here you will find my own earnest appeal to make my gratitude known – a profound and dreamlike thank-you to that manifestation which is omnipresent, alluring, and all-encompassing.
- Unsolicited cuddles from my cat.
- The birthday of a darling friend! Happiest of days to Miss Miranda.
- A class spent opening my eyes to the nuances of everyday life in ways I could never have predicted.
- The first in-person Chapter meeting for my sorority in months, which was too much fun.
- Joining a creative writing class and listening to the intelligent poetry of my peers.
- A dialect lesson my class was barely able to comprehend through our giggles at making such new sounds.
- Two days off of school due to a rather underwhelming “snow storm” – Reader, how I wish the cloudy cold would stay! But alas, it has already melted away.
- A successful first session as a student director!
- Chilly evenings spent watching movies and indulging in canned soups, as all snowed-in students should do.
- Ample time to relax from the first few weeks of school.
- Lots of work to be done on exciting projects for my Department!
- My supportive and wonderful parents, and my supportive and wonderful sisters.
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things…
In an unending effort to live just as my icon, Ms. Julie Andrews, below you will find my own weekly compilation of that which brings me just as much joy as “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens”.
- Reader, my mother and I wandered into the Consuela storefront in Austin recently, and we were awestruck at the gorgeous designs. How stunning is this travel bag, or this tote with the fabulous snakeskin detailing. J’adore.
- This precious swimsuit which is made of my south-of-France dreams, and the one-piece version.
- Readers who live in proximity to a P. Terry’s, you simply must go and try their Mexican Vanilla shake before it is discontinued. It is heavenly.
- Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” – of course.
- Tickets to the Women’s Theatre Festival Occupy the Stage 2022 festival, in which I will be acting in one of the plays!
- A collection perfect for Valentine’s Day. Reader, do imagine yourself on a romantic date wearing this, this, or this. What an utter dream.
- The Queen’s Accession Day message, which contained so many hidden communications I was working all morning deciphering it.
- These SHOES, dear Reader. I am convinced whoever wears these heels is the Empress of the Natural World.
Seven-Day Design
A word (or two) of wisdom to guide the upcoming week.
Immortal Echoes
- “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” – Leonard Cohen
Evanescent Intentions
- This week, I will be true.
Dearest, most wonderful Reader, how is it at just twenty years of age I have come to know life as an ever-evolving mess? Life is sloppy and uncomfortable and often very confusing. The people we were a year ago at this time are not the people we are today, and while we may mourn what was in that era we must also look with gratitude upon what has come of our growth.
Reader, I am a people-pleaser. I want always for everyone to love me and feel totally at east around me. I despise conflict and I am constantly seeking relations that mimic the safety of a family, even among those who may not necessarily feel the same way.
I know myself, Reader, and I know myself to be of strong will and mind. I am not one to follow the current just because others do so. However, if the current flows over certain rocks and logs I would perhaps not, or takes flows down paths parallel but not along my own, there is a good chance I will hop along for the ride for the sake of preserving peace.
Reader, this week I want to redefine and recenter myself in my truth. I want to own my decisions and choices, and I want to walk with care in making my own way. I want to be true to myself and firm in that.
I hope you, too, are embarking upon the unending quest that is finding the truth, and I wish you the best on your travels.
Love,
Lettie Anne