Follow The Light
As our days slowly get shorter and colder, many of us experience autumn as our last chance to bask outside in the warm sun. In the midwest we indulge in hay rides and corn mazes, cider mills and pumpkin patches- creating memories in whatever warmth the days have to offer. We keep laughing. We keep smiling. We keep turning toward the light. This week, be sure to turn toward the light- both outside and inside yourself.
Saving Daylight
Cramping My Style by Jenny Booth Potter
I’m not sure where I learned this, but I thought daylight saving time was created to help with farming conditions. I was told that because farmers needed more daylight during the harvest, we set our clocks accordingly, and then changed them for the winter months when there was less to do in the field.
Turns out, it’s not true. Roughly speaking, much of the world began to adopt daylight saving time due to the rationing of electricity during World War 1 + 2. That’s right. War and patriotism are the reasons why twice a year, we all experience a collective sense of jetlag for several days.
But fear not! Marco Rubio is on the case pushing the Sunshine Protection Act through Congress because moving the clocks is “dumb" and "stupid”. While feeling the impact of changing clocks is hard, I need a better reason to adjust time than Rubio thinks its stupid.
So should we “protect sunshine”? Well, there are scientists and meterologists who are fine with a permanent change; they just believe it shouldn't be to daylight saving time, but to standard time. (See, these are the details you miss when your whole argument boils down to dumb and stupid!) DST means that our mornings would be exceptionally dark and our evenings brighter. But do we really want kids standing at bus stops in the morning while it’s still pitch black? What will it do to the mental health of millions who won't see the sunrise until nearly 9am in some parts of the country? How do we rise and shine in the dark for a good portion of the year?
Even some historians agree that we should consider standard time, not daylight saving time. They note that we tried switching to daylight saving time, and it didnt go well. American's realized just how dark it was in the mornings, were concerned about traffic accidents involving children on their way to school, and support for permanent daylight saving time fell by almost half. And that's when we went back to changing our clocks. So, maybe we shouldn't do that again.
Call me controversial, but I’m going to argue for standard time. In fact, I'd rather keep changing the clocks if it will make things even a little safer for our kids walking to school and the mental health of us all. The fact either choice leaves me and Rubio divided across the issue has only a little bit to do with my position (wink).
Pregnant Pause
by Stephanie McBee
Even when cloudy skies cast the world in darkness and the pouring rain seems like it will never cease, remember the sun still shines brightly on the other side. The warmth of its rays is waiting, and will break through to welcome you back into the light.
Day Shift
The Flo(w) by Brooke Campbell
I was looking for something light to watch on Netflix. I’m enthralled by the new Dahmer series, but that wouldn't really fall into the "light" category now would it? So maybe we can talk about that one later!
This time I chose to watch Day Shift. In the film, starring Jamie Foxx, his character is living a double life as a vampire hunter, which seemed to be an appropriate pick for this time of year.
It's been a while since we've seen Jamie in a straight comedy. Although Day Shift manages to squeeze three genres into one in this comedy-action-horror film. Whatever the genre happens to be, what I appreciate is a tasty broad-shoulder gent who is an action hero and still funny- win-win.
Meagan Good plays his ex-wife. She becomes his ex after he constantly lies to cover up his hunting job. It's a shame Jamie never told the truth. Men don't give us enough credit. Maybe Meagan would have happily filled his thermos with vegetable soup, coupled it with a turkey sandwich, and kissed him at the door, sending him off to murder the undead and keep the city safe.
Snoop is a fellow vampire hunter. Real-life Snoop is so damn cool, so it's no surprise that his character has the same drip, as the youth say (although I'm pretty sure I didn't use it correctly lol). So you won't even care that he has a Dolemite-ish thing going on in his fight scenes. He was a delightful addition, in a way that only Snoop could.
Dave Franko was adorable as usual and played a nerdy, office jockey to perfection. He and Jamie made a humorous “oddcouple” pair.
The fight scenes are serving up “Train to Busan” with soul and the movie includes all the yummy vampire tropes: garlic, sunlight - all the fun stuff. Overlayed with lots of laughs, it becomes a fight to save his family. So minus all the r-rated vampire killing, it really is a family film at heart (lol). If you're looking for something Halloween adjacent and fun to watch, it's worth a click.
Catch The Light
She's Gotta Have It by Austin Channing Brown
I may have a slight obsession with home decor and interior design. I'm a big fan of HGTV, and I'm constantly rearranging the rooms, the furniture, the decor in my home. One of my favorite decor purchases is this mirror from Justina Blakeney's Jungalow.
It both catches the light and reflects it. The tear drop shape adds instant drama to a room. Mine is in my library, and let me tell you against teal walls, it shines! But I imagine it would brighten any space- even if your walls aren't bright blue.
Dole Whip Wannabe
Cravings by Jenny Booth Potter
A few years ago, I took my kids to Disneyworld. While my foodie list wasnt long, there was one thing that I knew I had to order: a dole whip. Dole whip is their super secret soft serve, or rather was their super secret soft serve. During the pandemic the powers that be decided to give away the recipe for free! So now we can all indulge!
