What's Something New You've Learned Recently?
I was 43 years old when I learned that there is a market for breastmilk JEWELRY. As someone who prides themselves on my knowledge of all products geared towards moms, this discovery really stopped me in my tracks. I wrote about breastmilk necklaces (and other ridiculous/enraging/depressing gifts) marketed to moms yesterday mostly because once I learned about breastmilk necklaces, I couldn’t stop thinking about them.
Another new (and equally as random) thing I learned recently is how to apply undereye concealer with a brush.
I wear makeup once a week tops, and my regime consists of blush, curled and mascara-ed eyelashes, eyebrow mascara, and undereye concealer because I have the type of dark circles I used to hope were romantic in the vein of Victorian heroines but are actually just mundane signifiers of my eternal state of pallidness.
ANYWAY, I’ve long considered my tap tap tap application of undereye concealer to be, like, fine (certainly better than SMEARING it!) But as I’ve aged, the whole crease factor has really become an issue. Upon seeing my sister apply her concealer with a brush like this, I was blown away and had to try it. Undereye concealer wearing friends - the brush is a GAMECHANGER. So much less creasing, so much less pilling, so superior to the ring finger approach.
I started attending an Episcopal church. I have no religious background and no conversion story, just curiosity and a need to be among people who make caring for other people and each other the core of their lives and community. I learn new things each time I go. Religion being an empty cup, a container for medicine or poison, whatever people put in it. The joy of my naturally churchy singing voice fitting in just fine. 2000 years of western history being as close as a service bulletin. An LGBTQ-inclusive church space feeling holy. Rum cake during Coffee & Conversation being rreeaallyy boozy. Stuff like that.
My parents died years and year ago. I have such nostalgic happy memories of Christmas: Christmas morning, my dad would put on the radio station that played nonstop Christmas music all day (skewed old, no pop music!), he’d put on his Santa hat and lovingly hand out gifts. I only this week FINALLY finally realized (long after my own children have grown and I did my own family Christmas, too) that while my memories of Christmas center my dad, my mom did EVERYTHING to set up that day. She decorated the tree, the house. She made a billion Christmas cookies. She made the Christmas meal (and of course planned and shopped for it). It’s so weird, even now, how invisible women’s labor is! And my mom, unlike me, did it all without complaining, ever, lol. I so wish she were here so I could thank her for everything she did, she was amazing.