The YAY 4: Drake on Cake, Phone Time, & More

Your mid-week dose of cheer and distraction.

Happy Wednesday! 

If you’re new here, every other week, I share a handful of good things, linked distractions and tiny victories making me smile. A little departure from Friday’s longer, more introspective rambles. 

Here are four things brightening my week:

1.) Phone Calls with Friends.

I have never been a phone person. Since college, it’s just been common knowledge amongst my friends and parents that I never listen to voicemails, and rarely will I pick up the phone. (This doesn’t include at work, of course.) In fact, pre-pandemic, if anyone outside of my parents actually called me rather than texted, I assumed they had REALLY big news — engagement, someone’s sick, new job, etc. (And they’d always be shocked if I answered.) 

Now, this is not necessarily a great personality trait, but hey — we all have our things, right? Fast forward to the present, and I have found myself enjoying (and even initiating!) phone calls with friends more than ever. (What can I say? I just miss people!) The Newsette recently linked to a news story about how a study found that just 10 minutes on the phone with a friend makes you 20% less lonely. That’s a sweet little stat, isn’t it? 😻 I mean, it makes sense. 

And, I now feel about Zoom how I once felt about traditional calls, so there’s that. 🤷‍♀️

2.) Drake on Cake.

This is an oldie but a goodie in the world of social media, so hopefully you’re already following Drake on Cake, but if not…. it may be my favorite thing on Instagram. OG food blogger Joy the Baker bakes cakes and decorates them with lines from rapper Drake’s songs. (Would we call Drake a rapper? Singer? Artist? I have no idea, but I do like his music.) 

Anyways, even if you don’t listen to Drake (or know who he is), the juxtaposition between the fancy frosting and hyper-detailed art direction versus the frankness of the lyrics is just too good. Joy took a bit of a hiatus from updating this account, but it’s back! 

3.) Re-Reading Old Journals.

So I was back at my parents’ house for a few days (if you read my last Friday post, then you already know that), and I spent most of my time cleaning and sorting through my old toys and belongings that my mom had held on to for me. In doing so, I found a lot of old journals tucked away in desk drawers and closets, which was ironic because I literally don’t consider myself a journaling type of person and didn’t realize I kept one for so many years…but apparently I did! Pretty sure this is just because I was obsessed with notebooks and stationary, but alas. I ended up flipping through some of them, and it was like a tsunami of nostalgia. It took me way, way back (and also reminded me that my handwriting was once a hell of a lot neater). 

If you keep a diary/journal, or used to, here's a random recommendation to go back and look at old entries (removing judgement while you’re at it, please). It was sort of comforting and cathartic all at the same time, like being reintroduced to this former version of myself (who, to be honest, isn’t all that different from the current, much older version….just maybe more confident and less obsessed with boy bands). 

…Also, is it weird I still call it my parents’ house, even though obviously it’s my dad living there alone now? ((Rhetorical question.🙈))

4.) Reading the NYT “In Her Words” Newsletter.

Okay so it may be poor form to recommend another newsletter in a newsletter (-ish) that you’re already reading (and hopefully subscribed to!) but I’m going to do it anyways. I get the Sunday New York Times delivered (because I’m *that* person) and a couple of weeks ago came across the “In Her Words” section. I don’t know if it had always been in there and I just never discovered it, or what, but I loved it instantly. The stories are about society and issues impacting women specifically (although I’d also argue that all issues are women’s issues), and are just written really well. I then realized they had an online version (duh), in the format of a weekly email. I signed up and have been really enjoying the stories they send, which arrive twice weekly, I believe. 

I know we all get a LOT of email already, but so far, this has not felt like an obnoxious addition to the pile in my inbox, and I truly enjoy and read what they share rather than just a blanket delete while unopened (like I do many emails I get these days 😬). 

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And that’s it for today! Apologies for the late send — I’m a bit discombobulated this week after my trip to Vegas.  Thank you for reading! 💫

See you Friday,

Joelle 

*Disclaimer: All links and recommendations shared here are based on personal experience and interest, and do not represent any affiliations, sponsors, or professional connections unless otherwise stated.