Five Pick-Me-Ups

I’ve become a big fan of the casual skort! Old navy has some great ones that are easy to mix and match.

I so enjoy photos of Georgie. Adorable!

I love vanity plates, I made a photo book of the best ones I have gotten a picture of.

A friend snapped a photo of a vanity plate belonging to one of the participants in her course for lawyers in criminal law. Our study group from law school were in absolute awe, and are still discussing it months later. Is it a weird sense of humour, a marketing strategy, or both? The plate – “NT GLTY”, of course.

My friend loves vanity plates and changes his out often. Once he changed the plate on his wife’s car without telling her. Ashley drove all over town without realizing her minivan said NICE ASH

Just finishing one of those “why can’t I stop crying?” days where everything feels dark and bleak and hopeless. Then I came on here and started reading post after post of glimmers. The Cup of Jo algorithm wrapped me in the warm blanket I needed. Love you Jo and this happy corner if the internet you and your team have created.

back in the day, without the benefit of a front-facing camera and no limits on photos, i had to figure out how to smile in a flattering way in pictures. at some point i thought i looked sleepy in most photos, because i have naturally heavy eyelids. so I decided to ~~really~~ open my eyes in pictures. so most of junior and senior year of high school looks a little frenzied

Comfort views on YouTube: videos of Girl with the Dogs pet grooming (those howling huskies!) and Randy Rainbow, a national treasure!

I love clever vanity plates! Saw a good one “L8T AGN” on a tiny car parked erratically at the mall. I got such a mental picture of the driver as a flustered middle-aged lady careening around town. Saw a luscious Lambo with a “D LUVA” plate – not sure if that was to be a little bit Italian or the driver really loves the D (if you know what I mean).

Also here to comment on the potatoes. Having made Spanish tortilla with both sliced potatoes and a potato chip “hack” there’s a stark difference. I think you need the starch of the sliced potatoes mixed with the egg (plus a whole mess of manchego cheese) to give it a properly decadent consistency. The potato chips make it too dry IMO. A lesson in here somewhere about how low and slow is always worth it or something? That being said, my glimmer is also food related – I dropped off a bunch of baby toys for a friend who just had TWINS and she surprised me with pasta salad to say thanks. How sweet is that- that as a new mom SHE’s the one being generous with me! I was so touched. Here’s to more gifts of food and more pasta salad in our lives in general.

Pernille – show on netflix – so so gooood!! Based in Norway. Love it :-)

Having just spent the summer in Spain I too am intrigued by the recipe for tortilla you shared with potato chips. A full verdict before I too try it out would be much appreciated Joanna.

I’m a day or 2 late but I’ve so enjoyed the vanity plate sightings that I thought I’d add my favorite. It was a commercial van for a nearby art store and the plate was VANGO. Made me smile. My glimmers lately are my 22yo son with ADHD, dyslexia and dysgraphia just headed back to college for his senior year of mechanical engineering. School is so hard for him but apparently I have some hard-working determined kids. My twins are seniors in high school and despite ADHD and other learning disabilities, twin boy got an ACT score of 33 and twin girl got an ACT score of 34. Twin son didn’t believe that was his score. He thought ACT made a mistake. After years of worry, trying to get them diagnoses, studying for tests with them, and working on homework with them, I could not be more proud.

The vanity plates…a few months ago my daughters (8 and 9) were stalling before bed and grabbed my phone to check vanity plate availability. We have 3 pet rats and they settled on RATQUEEN. I was like guys, I can’t roll up to work with a license plate that says RATQUEEN. But if you’re in Illinois and you want it, it’s available.

I’m a teacher in special education and we had back to school night today. Getting to see my new and old kids and hug them, and see their parents, made me so happy. Specifically, one of my students with profound autism wasn’t at school with his dad because it’s so much work for his dad to bring him out in the community. I saw his dad, and asked how my student was doing. His dad doesn’t speak English and got his phone out and I thought we were done talking, BUT- he had FaceTimed his wife, who put their son on the video call! I was SO happy to see him, and said his name- and my students face absolutely LIT UP when he recognized me! His smile was huge. He is only 6, and I didn’t know if he would remember me throughout the summer. It touched my heart and will carry me through the tough job of special education this year!

My glimmer these past two weeks is sewing! I just recently checked out some great sewing books from our library and now my 7 year old’s Barbie is the proud owner of two new dresses (I am not ashamed to admit that I think I’m more excited than my daughter). Even saying that I’m sewing doll clothes out loud sounds so very miniscule and unimportant when I look at it against everything that is going on in the world but, BUT…something in my brain snaps back into place when I get to sew and it makes me realize that if that one little thing helps me be a better parent, or spouse, or co-worker, then maybe it’s not so (figuratively) small after all.

The vanity license plate prompt rivals the best books you’ve read recently. This comment section is amazing. I will add two that I’ve seen on the internet: 4FRODO WOOHOO

My uncle had this vanity plate made for my 4’11” aunt’s new car: 02B5FT

We recently became foster parents, and while it is hard, my heart is full of glimmers: our evening walks, his smile and happy stimming. Our days are full of small, beautiful moments. A light that I’m holding onto when our world feels so dark.

My favorite vanity plate I ever saw was EW DAVID (on the 101 in L.A.). For a brief moment, I thought, What if it’s Dan Levy? even though I know he would never. But what if?!

Sorry it’s not a glimmer but my emotional temperature is not great. Anyway else going through a horrible separation, questioning everything and thinking they’re messing everything up? Also telling my daughter this weekend and that’s going to be pretty awful.

Feeling chaotic with my daughter having a rough start to middle school, a stretch of 9-5 back to back work meetings, and perimenopausal hormones spiking as I started a very heavy period. My glimmer in all this is I opened up on the phone the other night to my boyfriend and said I felt messy and sad and needy for him, which is hard for me to admit as a ‘have-it-all-together-people-pleaser’ single mom (working on those things). He moved around his schedule to come over the next night with dinner, did some random things for me around the house, then held me and listened to me for a few hours. He told me he really liked seeing the messy side of me, and encouraged me to be that way as much as I felt the need. I am learning to SPEAK UP and it WORKED! Maybe more than a glimmer?

My glimmer everyday I open this page: all of you. Thank you xo

Love this mindful exercise of counting glimmers. Here are mine this week, so far. -Made it to the end of a tough workout routine, yeeesss! – Enjoying the beautiful bouquet from a flower farm where you choose, clip and pay per cutting. (Added bonus of lingering for ages amongst bees, butterflies and rows of blooms). – A beautifully fried egg waiting for me, surprise breakfast.

After 30 Rock, maybe Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt? Especially Titus. I had to turn on the captions to ensure I was getting all his biting quips – so clever! I live outside DC and it’s hard now. The National Guard presence is so alarming (and NOT NEEDED!) and it’s hurting local businesses which is the last thing this area needs – even less cash flowing around. And a friend had to pay $300 for her infant’s covid vax, since the lastest insurance policies are waivering on its necessity. So yes, all the glimmers because seriously wtf.

My glimmer was a long game, but it finally hit: My house is on a corner lot with a sidewalk. There has never been a curb-cut with accessibility ramp, so anybody on wheels (like 3-wheeled scooters) would have to go into the street in front of the house and hug the curb, against the traffic flow, to get past the corner and then cross the street. I live on a busy street in the middle of my town, so it was dangerous. I submitted a work request to the city manager last March, and a city crew showed up last week—in August–and fixed it! So now there’s an accessibility ramp at the corner (including the little metal grid with the bumps) for all to use and be safe crossing the street. This if the first time I’ve said anything about it, but it made me happy to see something done that will benefit lots of other people for a long time, and it only took me 5 minutes to make the request. This is a pretty dang good glimmer.

My glimmers lately have been the moments where my kids’ humour really shines through and they make hilarious quips that are straight-up funny, not just funny for a kid. I’ve also enjoyed some new versatile clothes (mostly athleisure but I didn’t have a lot of stuff to wear on my days off that didn’t make me feel blah). There was a local controversy in my city when a man got a vanity plate of his last name “Grabher” and there were complaints about it endorsing sexual assault.

Ted Lasso and Gilmore Girls. Just realized they’re about fathers/sons and mothers/daughters, respectively. :)

“What’s a drive-in?” SO good! I’m due for a re-watch

My 22 year-old (who was kicked out of one college and really struggling to care about getting a degree) 1) finished a summer internship where he discovered it was possible to work a full time job AND enjoy the people he worked with AND learn something practical AND have pride in work and contributing to a team; and 2) started his last year of college today with both a major and a plan to finish. Yeah for 22 year-old men finding their way to adulthood!

Salt and vinegar chips — FOR DINNER? I’m in. What time should I be at your house? I’ll bring dessert. 🧁

My two-year-old son is obsessed with garbage trucks. He loves the show Trash Truck on Netflix. He lives for Monday mornings when we go outside and wave to the garbage truck as it works our street. My husband came home with a toy garbage truck yesterday that makes all the sounds and came with little trash cans and dumpsters. I think he just made my son’s life.

My glimmer is exploring all kinds of music. Although I love lots of different kinds, my go-to for most of my life has been classical. So I’m out of it! I decided to start listening more regularly to other kinds of music by listening to whole albums, not just songs. I’m working my way backwards through Rolling Stone’s list of top 500 albums, and all of Taylor Swift’s non-country albums. It’s so fun! (Though I still listen to classical all day at work, I’m not sure my blood would flow through my veins if I didn’t hear that music, haha).

My mom drives a Prius with a vanity plate that says “SIPSGAS”. She gets lots of looks! :)

My glimmer is that my toddler is absolutely loving his new daycare. Having a blast and in the photos they send me, he’s busy, social, and active. My other glimmer is that I learned my swoon-worthy, Mr. Cute Dr. is a dad of maltipoos. Like could he BE any more dreamy.

I’m struggling with this one. As the previous commenters shouted out, this feels like it’s toeing the line of violating the client’s right to confidentiality. And I’m sure that the way that he expressed gratitude for the accident was more nuanced, but driving ‘intoxicated and got into a car crash which paralyzed his partner’ seems like a wild thing to be grateful for.

My comfort TV watch is always the Great British Bake Off. Our cat is receiving palliative steroid care for a not-very-treatable-in-cats cancer, and I just had to take him to the vet yesterday for peeing outside the litter box. I am worried about diabetes because of the steroids but, thankfully, it was just another UTI. We inherited him a couple of years ago, and he has cost us sooooooooooo much in vet bills, but he is such a sweet, beautiful boy, and I am feeling very cheated by this freaking cancer. So, yeah, a UTI was my glimmer!!

That Spanish tortilla looks awesome but now I have to make it with my favorite Kettle chips – jalapeno! Droool. Comfort show is Schitts Creek. Also Derry Girls

The days are turning crisper and the light is more autumnal in this corner of Scotland. My heart is exhaling at the prospect. In terms of TV shows: Pernille is excellent (Netflix) and just the right mix of bittersweet and funny to get us through this summer.

Temperature is very hot and cold: I’m in the middle of my third round of hormone stimulation, at age 41, hoping to get enough follicles/embryos for genetic testing, after 3 miscarriages in the past year (I’m in Germany where genetic testing is not the standard; the miscarriages were from untested embryos). Oscillating between hope and hopelessness, trying to keep my spirits up and utter exhaustion (hormonal rollercoaster, the logistics while working full time, financing of the whole thing). I have a follicle extraction this Friday!

Grateful for the accident that paralyzed his partner? Hmmm…..

My glimmer: my almost-two-year-old daughter loves to be close but has never been overly cuddly. Recently, when I’m looking at something else or working on my laptop, she’ll quietly say ‘hug’, as she climbs over anything to get in my lap and wrap her arms around my neck. We’ll stay like that while her little head rests on my shoulder and my heart nearly explodes. I never move first. The hug is over when she moves.

My license plate is “YATZEEE” and I love how many people smile or give me a thumbs up on the highway. Occasionally, people pretend to throw dice, which is always SO cute!

My recent comfort watch was Parks and Rec, but I’m coming to the end and need to find a new one. One glimmer in the past week is that I took the advice of many comments on the non-alcoholic drinks post and got some to try – Phony Negronis, Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic Water, and Ghia spritzs. I’ve been drinking them in the early evening from a fun pink coupe glass. Also, I’ve been connecting and re-connecting with families in the school district I work in whose children need special ed services. A huge glimmer is making those connections and seeing that parents feel supported and that we truly get their kids.

I started learning jiu-jitsu in January at 49 years old. I was paired up with a woman in class last night who my coach told me would be a pretty even match up for me and I submitted her with an arm bar! I am so proud of myself.

This existential dread is heavy. I copied the manicure from Promising Young Woman on my fingers and toes for a pick me up. Fleabag is my comfort show. Maybe I need an emotional support guinea pig?

Two vanity tags have tickled me recently. One read SCUZE M3. The other read ADROIT and had a license plate surround advertising a magician’s club. My current comfort show is The Great Pottery Throw Down.

Shout out to myself: I got a vanity plate this spring after finishing Season 3 of White Lotus. It says PIPERNO, and it makes strangers laugh! It is my everyday glimmer.

Love a Tuesday pick-me-up, and it’s nice to read glimmers! My glimmers: 1. seeing so many people from all walks of life show up last weekend to support Palestine in Manhattan last weekend. 2. also last weekend – I moved into a lovely apartment in a fun neighborhood. In 38 years have never felt more at home.

I order Georgie to stop growing up immediately! She is getting so big – ahhh! 😩

Oh I do love a good number plate. A few gems from recent trips: Jessinator, Byte Size (on a teensy car), Simul8n, iscoop, seesea and frogdog. They always make me smile.

This is so lovely, and also feels like maybe a borderline confidentiality violation. Maybe something to be mindful of? <3

Glimmers: I got a worrisome mole checked out yesterday and it’s not *that* kind of worrisome (phew!); the weather suddenly turned cool and autumnal and I feel like I’ve come back to life (socks! jeans! hooray!); after a tough week at summer camp last week, my daughter’s feeling much better this week; peaches are in season here and they are delicious; I checked the payment schedule for after-school care today and I’d been overestimating the cost by about $100/month (yay!). The Thursday Murder Club movie is coming in just over a week. I finally found my favourite tea for sale again after months of looking. Little things, but nice things. As for vanity plates, there is a Very Old Man in my neighbourhood who wears garish silk shirts and drives a bright yellow mustang convertible. Licence plate: HOT DOG.

Jenna Maroney face season 1 (all the way back in 2006) is Kristi Noem today.

Vanity plate/30 Rock mashup: “She called my vanity plate inscrutable! ICU81MI! Hilarious!” Anyone??

Love the painted finger nails. What a cutie. Most mornings start with iced coffee, a fruit bowl and this YT channel. I’ve been a follower since she was a young bride. Relaxing, informative and just a lovely, smart cookie. https://www.youtube.com/@gardenanswer

My heart is breaking this week. I have an adult child who decided to go back to school to permit a career pivot. Graduating with an excellent academic record but only months later after Trump and DOGE there are no jobs in her chosen field. After 9 months of looking for work all savings are gone, and the bread and butter job also impacted by Trump and DOGE has cut back on the work it can offer. We have helped as much as we are able financially and now can only offer a roof and a bed. Our offer has been accepted . She is losing the life she worked so hard to create-her home, her friends and her hope for the future. We will love her extra hard and try to hang on to the belief that this to shall pass. BUT and it is a big but we will never forgive Obama and Pelosi, Harris and Biden for the deceit that has cost us all democracy! And we will never forgive the Republican’s for turning America into a shithole country!

My favorite vanity plate I saw was “OUI-NER.” I love when folks get around the people at the DMV who have to make sure they keep it PG and are just trying their best. XD

My glimmer…my 4.5 year old has been asking to take a nap with me whenever I lay down in the afternoon. He hasn’t napped in like 6 months but sometimes he falls asleep with me and when I wake up I just stare at his chubby little face and cheeks. Reminds me of him sleeping with me as a baby.

My glimmer today is that the season is noticeably changing. It’s still warm here, (will be 90’s this week) and yet the heat is less intense. The nights are cooler; the breeze is soft and from the north. I can feel autumn on the horizon, like the early light before dawn and it feels like such a blessing that I’m almost weepy over it. And: I just took a little break walking in the parking lot at work and there’s an old Toyota Tacoma that has this on the tailgate: TOTOYOYOTATA. Not a vanity plate, but it makes me giggle and try to say it out loud every time I see it. And finally, my comfort show is Escape to the Country. I can (and have) watched episodes 5 times. My poor hubs is resigned to sitting next to me as I settle in for a round of ‘which house do I like best’.

My eight-year-old son gets very attached to stuffed animals. Yesterday, he left his current favorite at the hair salon where he had his hair cut. Of course, we didn’t realize this until bedtime last night and it sparked a frantic search through our apartment and our car. I told him we’d call the salon today once it opened. We ended up driving back over to the salon today instead of calling and it was there! The joy that spread over his entire body as he snuggled the stuffie to his chest warmed my heart like nothing else.

Last week I saw a woman driving a car with vanity plates that said HOT MESS and I was tempted to follow her and ask if we could be friends.

I just made that potato chip Spanish tortilla last night because of the comment that Olive made! It was good, but I think I needed to cook it for less time because I was expecting the chips to be crispier?

“Goodbye forever, you factory-reject dildos” is what I will now think to myself every time a guy says something rude or catcalls or whatever-else-they-do

My emotional temperature is low, so low. I have been describing this spring/summer as the season of “death by a thousand cuts”. My daughter, mother of two under three, separating right before her third anniversary. Getting passed over for a promotion at work because “I’m too good at my job.” A leaky water tank that needed to be replaced. Waiting for my Dad to get a specialist appointment to diagnose his “plumbing problems” (his words, not mine). And finally, euthanising our beloved dog, at five years of age, after a devastating cancer diagnosis. When I remember, I am using my gratitude journal to focus on the good in each day. I know this season will pass.

Someone in my neighborhood has a plate that reads MS POOP. With the space. I love imagining if that was a choice…or if someone lost a bet… what?!

On emotional temperatures, I run to relieve stress and pay myself $1 for every mile I run, then buy myself treats as I earn them (or sometimes before I earn them, as with a dress I got on Poshmark that is sitting unopened on a high shelf in my closet until I get through 30 more miles). I am pretty stressed lately, and as I was taking an angsty bath a couple of nights ago an my husband walked in and said, “This is not a crisis! And you can just stop running and wear the dress.” I burst out laughing – it was like he’d started quoting Taylor Swift lyrics. If I want I can stop running and wear the dress.

I watched 3 episodes of Girls 5eva this evening, so silly and funny but also somehow makes me emotional about middle-aged women chasing their dreams! Other comfort watches are Schitts Creek, Parks & Rec or my fave comfort movie – First Wives Club

I don’t remember any vanity plates, but seeing them is fun. I got a clean bill of health from my dentist, and his adorable labradoodle was in the office today.

My glimmer: It’s 6:13 p.m. and I have yet to start dinner. My neighbor just texted me, “I know you like Armenian food and I got you a take-out meal from my church bazaar; can I drop it off now?” Yes, please!!!