Let It Be Sunday, 390!

Hello Joynation, 

A friend recently clued me in to the Health app and now—surprise—I’m obsessed with tracking my steps. Last month, I told you about curbing my addiction to social media and I’ve essentially traded in one timeline for another. But, hey, at least this one’s healthier? However, like any other fixation, I have to reign it in a bit. I was recently standing with someone having a conversation when I thought to myself, “This could be a walk.” I’m a monster. 

Anyway, I feel like I’m the last person on the planet to discover this marvel. But if you want to know how to track your steps on your phone, send me a DM and I’ll gladly welcome you into the 21st century.

Below are some other groundbreaking discoveries from my month and happy stepping!

Xo,

Toby

• No matter how many times I make my Grandmom’s recipes, they never turn out as good as the dishes she used to make.There’s just something magical about a grandmother’s cooking. So I loved K’eguro Macharia’s guest post on cooking with rural grandmothers. (The Real Sarah Miller)

• Here’s the most perfect article I’ve read in a long while: “The Terrifying Car Crash That Inspired a Masterpiece.” (New Yorker)

• Have you listened to the new Bjork album? Have you read this conversation between Bjork and Ocean Vuong? Have you ever wanted to cry while reading an interview? (AnOther)

• Necessary viewing: artists share their powerful designs in solidarity with women in Iran. (Dezeen)

• Sam Anderson’s profile of Sharon Olds is…poetry. (New York Times)

• “Taste buds have muscle memory too — the sensation of the sweet and tangy pureed peach danced on my tongue, a delayed reunion of deliciousness.” Alice Wong on life with a feeding tube. (Eater)

• Joy’s recipe for Homemade Hamburger Helper could easily be added to my list of successful family dinners. In fact, it almost reached Chicken Salad levels of euphoria among the kids. (Joy the Baker)

• There’s a wealth of lol’s streaming right now. From new seasons of Abbot Elementary and Derry Girls to the Hacks-esque show, Reboot, it’s hard to choose how I’ll get my kicks each night. What are you watching? (Hulu + Netflix)

• I was sitting in a Nashville doctor’s waiting room when the news of Loretta Lynn’s death broke, causing a group of strangers to give a collective groan. Hanif Abdurraqib’s tribute to her mighty life will move you. (New York Times)

• This long read on growing a personal library is swimming with ideas. I’m especially intrigued by the thought of collecting books that speak to each other. (Psyche)

• It’d be a dream come true to visit Croatia with Abby. What a killer post. (Cup of Jo)

• Amen to this hot take on the total lack of aimless slacker heroes in pop culture. Where are all the losers? (Dirt)

• So I was tooling around YouTube, looking for soap carving tutorials to help my kid earn his Cub Scout whittling badge, when I was sucked into the world of soap sculpting ASMR. As one does. (YouTube)

• Have you read any of Colleen Hoover’s mega bestsellers? Her back story is amazing. Which one should I start with as a Hoover newbie? (New York Times)

• Among the few things I miss about living in LA—the sushi, mainly—is our old congregation and the coolest rabbi I’ve ever known. So, in lieu of a podcast rec this month, I’m suggesting Sharon Brous’s sermon on banned books. (Ikar)

• And, finally, oops. I’m 100% guilty of doing this. (Instagram)