I have the same questions on GBBO! I realize I’m quite late to this… sometimes emails, even those I want to read, can feel overwhelming. But I’m here… still thinking about Oma, my grandma. I just made muffins for my family for breakfast (I can’t eat them anymore, which is a whole other story), but cooking and holidays are when I think of her most. So always. But muffins, blueberry muffins in particular, she completely ruined for me. If it’s not homemade, warm and fresh out of the oven, they aren’t blueberry muffins worth my time. And I’m okay with that.
My uncle died a few months ago, following health complications resulting from COVID. He was never married and didn't have any kids. My sisters and I were essentially his kids. He was the kind of uncle who taught me how to spell "encyclopedia" when I was 5, and when I thought I was SO smart, challenged me to spell "dictionary." We used to play trivia question games to earn trips to the nearby convenience store for treats. And the teasing and tall tales! I can't count how many times he "read in the paper" that summer break was cancelled/we had to go to school on Saturdays/school uniforms were being instated. My heart cannot quite grasp a world without him in it.
Thank you for this reflection on those who have left us but continue to shape us as we go. And also for joining your voice to Rachel's to give us this gift to encourage us in these times. Oh, and I love GBBO too - Lizzie is my favorite! :-)
I’m reading this in my note room on the beautiful island of Kauai, so the Polynesian Pono and culture of the land and ancestors is timely for me. As a fellow introvert, I’m sure you’d understand the beauty of my being here, on vacation, alone. People think it such an oddity to be taking a vacation all by myself. But it’s wonderful! You went to Tahiti alone, though you had assignments and met other people with whom you spent a lot of time getting to know. I just nod and say “Aloha!”
GBBO is my favorite. I’m with Sarah Bessey in having a personal policy against any kind of television that is scary or stressful. GBBO is fun, light, and for whatever reason, completely devoid of stress, even when I see cakes fall over and people have a disastrous day. I think Giuseppe is my favorite and I imagine he may win. Except that they all have terrible days sometimes and his might be coming. I forget the name of the woman from Liverpool, but her accent gets me every time. I wonder if it’s the American equivalent to a Deep South accent.
Anyway, thank you as always for your words. I’ve missed them lately. I imagine today is sorrow and joy all mixed together. Isn’t that the way most things are? But today especially, my heart and prayers are with you, Rachel’s family and everyone connected to this beautiful project that you so thoughtfully worked to center Rachel in. I can’t wait to get home to my copy and read it. That is if I don’t just breakdown and get the audio book and listen on my flight home next week.
There's so much in this Notes I relate to. I live in Hawai'i, and Pono is the same. It's in the state motto, which translates to "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness, " Pono. There's so much in that word.
My favorite conflicted priest is, of course, the hot one in Fleabag season 2. So good.
I wish I grew up with All Saints and All Souls Days, too. Fellow Southern Baptist here. I'm remembering my mom who died 6 years ago of breast cancer after fighting it for 10 years. She rarely complained and only succumbed after outliving all medical treatment options. I just had my second child and have missed her so much again, wishing she was here to give me her wisdom and hugs.
Dearest Jeff, I so enjoyed your All Saints Day newsletter which I have just read on All Souls Day: my darling old sister Mônica is very much in my thoughts today. She was a passionate human being with a tremendous zest for life! I will be giving a presentation at work - Columbia University Medical Center NYC on Nov 5th on what would have been Mônica´s 60th birthday. She never made it as she died at 38 years old of age. She was a great lawyer and such a great supporter of my microbiology career - I can still picture her face in the audience when I defended my Master degree in Sao Paulo! Anyway, I will be dedicating my talk this Friday to Mônica. Last but not least, Rachel´s book was delivered this morning to my door - God bless you Jeff for finishing her book for us. God bless and keep you. Marilena :)) btw, I loved Harvey!
Jeff, thanks for the pono and the Mare of Easttown recommendation. You may not be into horror stories, but I highly recommend Midnight Mass on Netflix as it has a depth of discussion about faith and humanity that was surprising and the story is amazing.
I always enjoy your newsletter so much. The trike is amazing! And I'm very much looking forward to Wholehearted Faith. I've been enjoying GBBO too. FYI, Freya has a (strong!) Yorkshire accent.
grateful to hear your thoughts as always, Jeff. Reading through the beginnings of Wholehearted Faith softened my own heart, holding space for the grief of lives lost too soon. I'm looking forward to reading this so much.
I am remembering today my dearest Popo, my maternal grandmother, who was my primary caregiver while my parents worked tirelessly in our small family business. I am the privileged recipient of her fierce love as she favoured the youngest in the family...something I took for granted when she was alive, but miss dearly now that she is gone. She lived a life of hardship and suffering until she was able to retired comfortably in Canada with our family...and I reaped the fruit of enjoying that beautiful season of her life.
I’m thinking of my father-in-law who died over a year ago during the early days of the pandemic. As his “go-to” person, our relationship was sometimes complicated, but grounded in love and care. Many lessons learned and many more to come! I’m especially remembering Manuel Emil Hernandez-an original and much missed man.
Today, like every day, I remember my husband Lee who died on Thanksgiving Day 2020 of a rare brain tumor. We went to high school and college together, and were married 43 years. There are no words to sum up the impact of such a relationship, but I owe him so much and miss him wholeheartedly, even as I sort through the remnants of all those years together. I know that now he knows fully and is fully known, both to God and to himself, and knows and loves me and our family even better now than ever on this side of the divide, but I sure miss discussing life with him, the big things and also the little things (like when I can't find something around the house and I'm pretty sure he knows where it is! :^) And he loved GBBO as much as I did, and he would've loved Mare of Easttown, too! What great complicated characters!
I love your emails. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and musings. I'm thinking of my mom. She died on Christmas day over 10 years ago. I miss her wonderful cooking/baking, general craftiness, and steady love.
I'm thinking of my friend, Chris, the most unlikely person for me to have developed a loving and caring relationship. He was hysterical, smart, kind, and often snarky. And he was a victim of AIDS in the day when there were signs posted on hospital room doors reminding visitors of the dangers of exposure to this disease. I loved him and know he loved me. I don't know what happens to people when they die, but I trust it's a place of love and peace and that he continues to feel blessed.
Jeff, I enjoy your “Notes” so very much. Thank you for writing. And, I do love Harley! How fun it must have been to ride around that island. My heart aches for you and Sarah, and all who were so close to dear Rachel. I’d just finished Inspired with the Women’s Bible Study I lead when Rachel died. I wept! And, too, feel such a loss. I have two copies of her/your book on the way and am part of the FB group - so looking forward to that! Sarah’s words in her Field Notes today were so beautiful. May there be blessings, somehow, for all of you/us through our memories of the amazing Rachel.
Jeff! I am very glad to read your reflections once more. I am going to keep reflecting on the Tahitian understanding of time. It makes sense. I am appreciative for how you tie many themes together, all with your genuine and thoughtful voice. I hope whenever I write that I would do something similar. Sending you well wishes for when Wholehearted Faith comes out tomorrow. Thank you for sharing, as always.
My auntie Evelyn died in a house fire 20 years ago today. Though I’ve lost both my parents and two brothers since then, my aunt’s death was the first really personal death for me: she was the laughter of my childhood, mother of my best friend.
Also, I loved Mare, her urgency, her flaws. And Jean Smart was fabulous as her mother.
I’m looking forward to savoring Wholehearted Faith. Thank you for being part of this gift.
I have the same questions on GBBO! I realize I’m quite late to this… sometimes emails, even those I want to read, can feel overwhelming. But I’m here… still thinking about Oma, my grandma. I just made muffins for my family for breakfast (I can’t eat them anymore, which is a whole other story), but cooking and holidays are when I think of her most. So always. But muffins, blueberry muffins in particular, she completely ruined for me. If it’s not homemade, warm and fresh out of the oven, they aren’t blueberry muffins worth my time. And I’m okay with that.
My uncle died a few months ago, following health complications resulting from COVID. He was never married and didn't have any kids. My sisters and I were essentially his kids. He was the kind of uncle who taught me how to spell "encyclopedia" when I was 5, and when I thought I was SO smart, challenged me to spell "dictionary." We used to play trivia question games to earn trips to the nearby convenience store for treats. And the teasing and tall tales! I can't count how many times he "read in the paper" that summer break was cancelled/we had to go to school on Saturdays/school uniforms were being instated. My heart cannot quite grasp a world without him in it.
Thank you for this reflection on those who have left us but continue to shape us as we go. And also for joining your voice to Rachel's to give us this gift to encourage us in these times. Oh, and I love GBBO too - Lizzie is my favorite! :-)
I’m reading this in my note room on the beautiful island of Kauai, so the Polynesian Pono and culture of the land and ancestors is timely for me. As a fellow introvert, I’m sure you’d understand the beauty of my being here, on vacation, alone. People think it such an oddity to be taking a vacation all by myself. But it’s wonderful! You went to Tahiti alone, though you had assignments and met other people with whom you spent a lot of time getting to know. I just nod and say “Aloha!”
GBBO is my favorite. I’m with Sarah Bessey in having a personal policy against any kind of television that is scary or stressful. GBBO is fun, light, and for whatever reason, completely devoid of stress, even when I see cakes fall over and people have a disastrous day. I think Giuseppe is my favorite and I imagine he may win. Except that they all have terrible days sometimes and his might be coming. I forget the name of the woman from Liverpool, but her accent gets me every time. I wonder if it’s the American equivalent to a Deep South accent.
Anyway, thank you as always for your words. I’ve missed them lately. I imagine today is sorrow and joy all mixed together. Isn’t that the way most things are? But today especially, my heart and prayers are with you, Rachel’s family and everyone connected to this beautiful project that you so thoughtfully worked to center Rachel in. I can’t wait to get home to my copy and read it. That is if I don’t just breakdown and get the audio book and listen on my flight home next week.
There's so much in this Notes I relate to. I live in Hawai'i, and Pono is the same. It's in the state motto, which translates to "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness, " Pono. There's so much in that word.
My favorite conflicted priest is, of course, the hot one in Fleabag season 2. So good.
I wish I grew up with All Saints and All Souls Days, too. Fellow Southern Baptist here. I'm remembering my mom who died 6 years ago of breast cancer after fighting it for 10 years. She rarely complained and only succumbed after outliving all medical treatment options. I just had my second child and have missed her so much again, wishing she was here to give me her wisdom and hugs.
Dearest Jeff, I so enjoyed your All Saints Day newsletter which I have just read on All Souls Day: my darling old sister Mônica is very much in my thoughts today. She was a passionate human being with a tremendous zest for life! I will be giving a presentation at work - Columbia University Medical Center NYC on Nov 5th on what would have been Mônica´s 60th birthday. She never made it as she died at 38 years old of age. She was a great lawyer and such a great supporter of my microbiology career - I can still picture her face in the audience when I defended my Master degree in Sao Paulo! Anyway, I will be dedicating my talk this Friday to Mônica. Last but not least, Rachel´s book was delivered this morning to my door - God bless you Jeff for finishing her book for us. God bless and keep you. Marilena :)) btw, I loved Harvey!
Jeff, thanks for the pono and the Mare of Easttown recommendation. You may not be into horror stories, but I highly recommend Midnight Mass on Netflix as it has a depth of discussion about faith and humanity that was surprising and the story is amazing.
I always enjoy your newsletter so much. The trike is amazing! And I'm very much looking forward to Wholehearted Faith. I've been enjoying GBBO too. FYI, Freya has a (strong!) Yorkshire accent.
grateful to hear your thoughts as always, Jeff. Reading through the beginnings of Wholehearted Faith softened my own heart, holding space for the grief of lives lost too soon. I'm looking forward to reading this so much.
I am remembering today my dearest Popo, my maternal grandmother, who was my primary caregiver while my parents worked tirelessly in our small family business. I am the privileged recipient of her fierce love as she favoured the youngest in the family...something I took for granted when she was alive, but miss dearly now that she is gone. She lived a life of hardship and suffering until she was able to retired comfortably in Canada with our family...and I reaped the fruit of enjoying that beautiful season of her life.
Thank you for inviting me to remember her today.
I’m thinking of my father-in-law who died over a year ago during the early days of the pandemic. As his “go-to” person, our relationship was sometimes complicated, but grounded in love and care. Many lessons learned and many more to come! I’m especially remembering Manuel Emil Hernandez-an original and much missed man.
Today, like every day, I remember my husband Lee who died on Thanksgiving Day 2020 of a rare brain tumor. We went to high school and college together, and were married 43 years. There are no words to sum up the impact of such a relationship, but I owe him so much and miss him wholeheartedly, even as I sort through the remnants of all those years together. I know that now he knows fully and is fully known, both to God and to himself, and knows and loves me and our family even better now than ever on this side of the divide, but I sure miss discussing life with him, the big things and also the little things (like when I can't find something around the house and I'm pretty sure he knows where it is! :^) And he loved GBBO as much as I did, and he would've loved Mare of Easttown, too! What great complicated characters!
I love your emails. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and musings. I'm thinking of my mom. She died on Christmas day over 10 years ago. I miss her wonderful cooking/baking, general craftiness, and steady love.
I'm thinking of my friend, Chris, the most unlikely person for me to have developed a loving and caring relationship. He was hysterical, smart, kind, and often snarky. And he was a victim of AIDS in the day when there were signs posted on hospital room doors reminding visitors of the dangers of exposure to this disease. I loved him and know he loved me. I don't know what happens to people when they die, but I trust it's a place of love and peace and that he continues to feel blessed.
Jeff, I enjoy your “Notes” so very much. Thank you for writing. And, I do love Harley! How fun it must have been to ride around that island. My heart aches for you and Sarah, and all who were so close to dear Rachel. I’d just finished Inspired with the Women’s Bible Study I lead when Rachel died. I wept! And, too, feel such a loss. I have two copies of her/your book on the way and am part of the FB group - so looking forward to that! Sarah’s words in her Field Notes today were so beautiful. May there be blessings, somehow, for all of you/us through our memories of the amazing Rachel.
Jeff! I am very glad to read your reflections once more. I am going to keep reflecting on the Tahitian understanding of time. It makes sense. I am appreciative for how you tie many themes together, all with your genuine and thoughtful voice. I hope whenever I write that I would do something similar. Sending you well wishes for when Wholehearted Faith comes out tomorrow. Thank you for sharing, as always.
My auntie Evelyn died in a house fire 20 years ago today. Though I’ve lost both my parents and two brothers since then, my aunt’s death was the first really personal death for me: she was the laughter of my childhood, mother of my best friend.
Also, I loved Mare, her urgency, her flaws. And Jean Smart was fabulous as her mother.
I’m looking forward to savoring Wholehearted Faith. Thank you for being part of this gift.