I am unapologetic for my love of the Muppets and Jim Henson.
I'm feeling some angst over the new ABC Muppets show, to the point of skipping it. (Yes, this was a hand-wringing decision this week.) Even though this interview says one thing, this, this, and this say something completely different.
Maddie's English teacher is excellent this year, and she is bringing home all sorts of hard and challenging thoughts she wants to talk about. If you haven't seen this already, I share on her behalf this weekend. It's a tearjerker.
Speaking of tearjerkers, so is this story. I've always thought Emmett Till's mother was simultaneously one of the bravest and saddest women to ever live.
I got all the laundry done, folded, AND put away in a timely manner this week because I was listening to the Screen Time Part 1 & Part II episodes of TED Radio Hour. Should be required listening for everyone. Amazing.
This might be the most inspiring house tour I've ever seen.
Did you catch that Happy Birthday is finally free? No more obnoxious pseudo-songs at restaurants!
Am I the only one surprised to discover that Elle King is ROB SCHNEIDER'S DAUGHTER? I don't know why this startled me so much, but it did. Aside: we know Ex's and Oh's by heart because the radio station played it at the exact same minute every day when we were driving to gymnastics this summer.
In other music news, Bridget and I were driving back to school from her orthodontist appointment this week and heard the original Rhapsody in Blue on Performance today performed by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and it was amazing. I have never heard anything but the full orchestral version for some reason and it is maybe 1000 times better when performed in its original jazz orchestra form. WOW. Totally worth listening to (I'm looking at you, Mama)
Speaking of orthodontist appointments, Bridget had a rough one this week—and is now getting used to a palate expander for the next 3-5 months. Yikes. I took this picture of her yesterday after gym because she needed to feel tough—it's been a hard week for her all around. It was inspired by Kate T. Parker's Strong Is the New Pretty project which you should definitely check out.
News I can use, and maybe you, too. The coyotes are awfully close by—last night there was one who lost its pack and was walking around our neighborhood hollering (sounded like a monkey, actually) and woke me up. I almost got out of bed to record it for the NPR Backyard Sounds submission but apparently I was only 73% awake, and didn't actually get out of bed. It was LOUD, though.
We are getting very excited!
That's a lot of links. Have a great weekend!
