7 Summer Quick Takes

I'm linking up with my Cathsorority sister Carolyn at Svellerella for quick takes this week. Carolyn is a fun writer and amazing artist. Definitely check out her great photography tips! 

1. I wrote a guest post for The Mirror Magazine about being a modern woman working in the museum world and how "leaning in" is different there.
   
2. Speaking of women in museum careers, I've been spoiled with three summer interns in my department. I swear we don't have a particular persona in mind, but so far all of our interns have been blond and/or gluten intolerant and/or named Laura.
   
3. It's NFP awareness week, but I've been keeping my distance from it. Not overthinking NFP is key for maintaining my sanity. I will say that this older article making the rounds is one of the best takedowns of pharisaic NFP "friendly fire" I've ever seen. If you're a Catholic concerned that other devout Catholics are "abusing NFP" and aren't having as many kids as they "should," you better check your spiritual priorities and your understanding of Church teaching. (Steps down from soapbox.)
   
4. Anyway, I've been trying to read for fun more, and in the past month I successfully got through several novels on the subway. If you are an Austenite, I highly recommend Val McDermind's new modern adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel, Northanger Abbey. For years I've though that Catherine Morland's socially disastrous obsession with gothic novels was basically a satire of Twilight, and finally an author has made that connection too. A close retelling that respects and quotes its source material, McDermid's Northanger effectively translates the importance of reputation in Austen's era to the constant surveillance of social media today.
   
5. Good things about the New York Public Library: you can order any book from any branch, and they let you renew books more than just twice! Bad thing: If you ask the staff for help locating your latest hold, they might heckle you for checking out a fitness book subtitled "Lift Like A Man, Look Like A Goddess."
   
6. Our latest Netflix binge show is Battlestar Galactica. I know, we're like a decade late to this sci-fi party. We have yet to become the binge watchers in that Portlandia skit, but we're definitely hooked. I love all the strong female characters and how religious culture figures so strongly in political tensions.
   
7. Unlike last summer, when we were still buying furniture and figuring out how to live in the same space, we've actually made it to fun outdoor activities! The shady hiking trails a mile away have gotten several visits, as have three free outdoor concerts. In NYC you could probably eat dinner out of a picnic basket at some free show practically every night of the week if you wanted. It's nice to realize that I don't have to do everything, just a few things. The Southern Baron likes to apply the philosophy of one of his college professors: "What's the best beer in Ireland? The one in my hand."

What's the best waterfall in the northeast? The one in front of me.