Have a Loving (Long) Weekend.

I would add Torn Curtain to the list of under -appreciated movies. It’s a 1966 Alfred Hitchcock film starring Julie Andrews and Paul Newman (I really don’t have to say anything more, do I?!). It’s long been considered Hitchcock’s worst “flop,” but it’s one of my favorite movies of all time. The plot keeps moving, the espionage and danger are intriguing, and the score is out of this world. 10/10!!!

On listening to podcasts: I highly recommend listening to podcasts at a slower speed when trying to fall asleep (or after waking at 3am). If you choose one that is quiet, only mildly interesting and then listen at 0.75x it is really relaxing. Set your sleep timer to turn off after 15, 30 or 45 minutes and you’re set. If you’re lucky, you’ll miss most of it but that’s the point. One that works for me is the Amateur Traveler podcast. The host’s voice is monotone–perfect!

Does anyone else find you have to scroll the Link Lists in a very particular way to be able to get the links to be clickable?

oh also, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – love this movie!

Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Read the book and totally ‘got’ it, then, surprise, the movie comes out with of all people: Cate Blanchett! And she was amazing in it. I really relate to the character and the story line though, so much so I might be biased but I think this is a brilliant book/movie. To have captured the mechanics of ‘crazy’ in a smart, talented woman that even her husband, who should know better, writes off – it’s just the kind of ineffable tweak that keeps women from progressing because no one can see past the ‘crazy’. A brilliant illustration of this and message to all about how to handle it.

Paul Rudd forever and ever ❤️🍕

To my fellow broken-hearted, here is a gift article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/realestate/starting-at-harvard-and-falling-for-your-first-tree.html?unlocked_article_code=1.LVA.iRn1.oF53Jzl0D1Mv&smid=url-share this part made me weep, I love it so much: “Perhaps the reading that lies closest to the heart of the seminar is Carson McCullers’s ‘A Tree, a Rock, a Cloud,’ a short story first published in 1942. In it, a young paperboy enters a cafe to buy a coffee. A man in the corner, hunched over a beer mug, calls out to him. ‘I love you,’he says to the young man, and then proceeds to describe how his heart opened to such spontaneity, and the origin of his what he calls his ‘science’ of love. Years earlier, his wife had left him for another man, and he recounts a yearsl ong struggle that followed, until a revelation — a letting go — brought peace. To make another person the object of the first steps on your life’s journey in loving, as he had with his wife, the man had come to believe, is too fast too soon. ‘Son, do you know how love should be begun?’ he asks, then leans in to whisper the secret: ‘A tree. A rock. A cloud.’ ‘I can love anything,’ he tells the boy. ‘No longer do I have to think about it even. I see a street full of people and a beautiful light comes in me. I watch a bird in the sky. Or I meet a traveler on the road. Everything, Son. And anybody. All stranger and all loved! Do you realize what a science like mine can mean?'”

An underappreciated film, and one I always recommend to everyone, is Captain Fantastic starring Viggo Mortensen. It explores the idea of raising your children with the purest, most anti-establishment ethos, free of all the influences of capitalism. It addresses the consequences of choosing not to conform, good and bad, and it also looks at grief and family relationships. It is a thought-provoking, gripping film and should not have gone under the radar like it did.

On underappreciated films – Stranger Than Fiction. Will Ferrell (in a different type of role than many of his other films), Maggie Gyllenhall, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah, and Dustin Hoffman. Little did he know…

Sharing this poem I came across. How I Met Your Mother by George Bilgere I saw her at a party, walked up and said, I wonder if you would mind getting married, buying a house, enduring the agony of childbirth a couple of times, watching a lot of Netflix together, dining out (I’m thinking, specifically, of the osso buco at Rugerri’s), getting a dog, negotiating mortgages, and finally sitting by me in those last days, arranging the funeral, tidying up, then starting your strange new life, the one without me. Is that too much to ask? And she sipped her mojito and said, what are we waiting for?

I’m so heartbroken for Ilia 😭😭 but similar thing happened to Nathan, I know ilia will come back better & stronger!

Lovely links as usual, I look forward to the weekend email every week. But the niche gift link doesn’t seem to work for me, not sure if I’m the only one?

I didnt know about the TLC being spelled in the hotline for maternal health. Touching! I remember calling that number almost daily when I had my 4th baby. It shocked me bc it i had not been bad with the others, but I had a very quick vaginal surprise breech birth and as grateful as I was that and the breech baby was able to be delivered naturally i found myself googling and very worried overWhat could have gone wrong. I would silently cry when the sun would set. Nights would feel so alone and long. My daughter had a tongue ties with feeding was very stressful to nurse. I was triple feeding which was pumping and bottle feeding and nursing and was every bit as hectic as it sounds. It’s no wonder that I felt so sad. I would call that number if I would try to go for a walk. I would just call that number and the moms that would pick up were supportive and would listen and make me feel less alone, and it was free. And that was really special and valued to me. Im tearing up writing about this because I forgot about me calling them. I would just tell them I feel.so.sad and they made me feel normal. I wish I could thAnk them and give my postpartum self a big hug. Oof.

Is your friend Erika nursing // in new mom days? I craved and ate SO many slices of baguette with giant slabs of butter (so much) while in the deep throes of nursing!! it just tasted so good. Loved her list!

https://scientificallysweet.com/one-ingredient-chocolate-mousse/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAP8wfVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAae97DySFugP89ZZiV5c7R4yxbawBUyC8ND3Tkg3oVts6YowDkTWjC_NWLnhIg_aem_Uom5_KWpbG80Q_7paRilAQ ONE ingredient chocolate mousse is my love letter Off to the cabin for a weekend of smooching.

Calendar Girls is one of my absolute favorite movies of all time. It’s a subtle character film. It got ok reviews, whatever. But the celebration of women in their prime never gets old.

Thrilled to be here

Well said, Gisela!

Regarding “an unencumbered butter to bread ratio,” one should see teeth marks through the butter after each bite. It’s a universal truth.

I am thinking of all of us feeling meh this Valentine. I met someone two months ago , though he was just overly shy and introverted, tried everything to make him notice me , left with a broken heart and so many unanswered questions. I bet he has no clue I’m feeling this bad. I’ll spend the day with my dog and probably bake something. There will be some tears . Hugs to all of you feeling sad

Movie that should be on the list—Magic Mike XXL. A sweet movie about dudes being bros and making a variety of fantasies come true for a subset of women. Do you like being serenaded? They got you. Do you like men wearing hammer pants and dancing to boy bands from the early 2000s? They got you. Do you want someone to just want to put a smile on your face by being silly?? THEY GOT YOU. Do you want to by lying on a massage table while someone takes a running start to jump over the table??? They didnt forget about you either. When so many movies focus on how women are male fantasies, this one focuses on (a limited assortment) of men being female fantasies. It’s good natured and they like women and they just want to dance in ways that display who they are. Top comfort movie.

I don’t know about movies, but one of the most under appreciated tv shows is Justified. It’s one of the few shows where I actually liked the women characters. They were written strong and not the stereotypical nag, like I dunno, Ozark. It was also my intro to Walter Goggins, who was so good in it. And Timothy Olyphant is super easy on the eyes.

We get hardly any holidays off and I swear our board forgets that life is supposed to be fun. Grateful for a job, but come on… let’s all remember it’s a joy to be human.

Hey Joanna, happy weekend! Just FYI, there are a ton of ads showing up on the post today that were pretty distracting. On this post, there were three ads embedded in the text body of the post, a banner along the bottom (which could be x-ed out, but then reappeared), and a video add in the bottom right corner (which appeared, disappeared, then reappeared 3-4 times). This is not at all a criticism of you having ads—I fully support how COJ works so hard to bring us all the posts and staff we love—but wanted to share that this seemed quite out of the ordinary!

Jo, in searching rms it reminded me of mascara from Nordstrom you recommended around Christmas. Do you remember what it was perhaps? Also: I take care of moms post partum and that number is gold. Thank you!

The RMS mention made me so nostalgic for circa 2015-16 when we were all obsessed with the Living Luminizer thanks to Caroline and Gemma. I totally wore it for years.

The “niche list” was fun but I could only read a few as a non-paid subscriber:-(

YES to chocolate budino! I make Nigella Lawson’s recipe and it’s one of the best things I ever put in my mouth. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Not me reading this link list while wearing the Madewell sweater you included! Can confirm, it’s a cutie.

First, I have a gigantic, um, *appreciation* for Ilia Malinin’s and his LEGS. They are gorgeous. I hope he always keeps his fantastic humble nature, but I know that’s unlikely – he’s going to be showered with adoration, and at such an impressionable age. Oh well – here’s hoping he makes it through, soul intact! Meanwhile, I will enjoy following his work. In a combo of “couple arguing about AI” and “under-appreciated movies” category, I just re-watched Ex Machina last night…and…yeah. Let’s just say, I’ve taken up prayer.

Solidarity with all the other readers who don’t have Monday off and will have to stare longingly as their spouses and friends and acquaintances all have fun, and we’re stuck at work.