Tools for Thriving, #2
A twice-monthly love letter to the things lighting me up.
The second installment! Tools to Thrive is free for now—a twice-monthly love letter to the things lighting me up, from books and films to art and recipes. Scroll down to enjoy, or bookmark to savor, and consider subscribing.
As always, I’m grateful to have you here. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my stories, please consider a paid subscription or giving a tip, sharing with others and re-stacking. It makes a huge difference in growing my readership! My goal is to have 500 paid subscribers in 2026. And my deepest heartfelt thanks to my paid subscribers: Carol Hadju, Walter Brealey, Sandra Osorio, Linda Mosley Castelo, Susan Scheidt. To join them, click the links below.
MUSIC: WINTER WAS WARM: Swinging & Sentimental Songs of the Season
To start things off, a shout out to my own holiday album… If you like my “writer’s voice”, I invite you to hear my actual voice. If you like the depth of emotions in my writing, you can hear/feel that emotional connection in my singing.
Here are photos of the physical album + liner notes that give the back story! I’m so proud of the music, but also of the careful curation of these rare and forgotten gems mostly from 1930s to 1950s, which capture all the moods of the season from merriment to melancholy. This is suitable for people of different faiths, as well. There are 7 tunes about Winter / 7 about Christmas. Scroll down for music video & shopping links. For a different artistic insight, follow my indie music journey here.
The cozy album highlight video is a like a musical mood board.
Album Review on The Syncopated Times by Joe Bebco (the place for hot jazz, ragtime & swing).
It’s Winter Again This music video is pure joy and features my beloved Winston.
December . A reflective song in the vein of “I’ll be home for Christmas”.
I’ll Walk Alone World War 2 ballad and montage
FILM: HAMNET
I know this film is getting a lot of buzz and likely it’s already on your radar. We saw this film it’s opening weekend and were so struck by the poignant and heart-wrenching story of Shakespeare’s family and how he processed the death of his son by immortalizing him in his tragedy, Hamlet.
Some are inclined to avoid it because it is too sad. And for those grieving, it may be too triggering. I get it. With all the overwhelming headlines, there are days when I just need a good comedy. But I would argue that this film is important at this juncture in time because it opens us up to our shared humanity; the essence of our being. Love and compassion are what is called for… now, as ever. Now more than ever.
The truth is: Our lives are temporal. We live in a society of technocrats and oligarchs and AI. We live in an age where loneliness is a greater health hazards than even smoking. We live in a divisive time of “us vs them” and othering. We may watch the news and feel disconnected from a story at the other side of the globe. We may swipe past a horrific headline. We may feel advanced and removed from other people in other eras, or other places, but their truth was and remains our truth: we are all humans; interconnected, suffering the same slings and arrows.1 Our lives are temporal. Tomorrow is not promised. This film is a reminder, an outlet, a wake-up call. What they have captured is timeless: the depth of human emotions. Yes, grief, but seen through the lens of love; in all it’s nuances. Love never dies. Love transforms us. Grief is the price of admission for having loved. Appreciate what and whom you have in your life right now. If you don’t, or you can’t, then maybe that’s your call to action, your call to courage, to start making changes.
As an artist, I think one of the basic functions of art is to show us our humanity; to give voice to emotions others can’t speak, or to give people a place where they can connect with their deep emotions. The film is based on a novel, by the same name, written by Maggie O’Farrell , who co-wrote the script with the director, Chloé Zhao. People ask if this is “a true story”. Well, yes and no. Is it historically accurate? This is not academic and I don’t think that was their aim. It’s art. Besides, all storytelling is influenced by the POV of the storyteller. The wonderful article in The Hollywood Reporter2 describes it as: “an imagined but meticulously researched retelling… ”
Here’s where the truth lies: To me, what this team has created surpasses a biographical historical drama. These characters could have been rigidly sketched, but instead their histories are mined for all the richness and complexity. This is compelling and heart-wrenching storytelling that transcends the centuries and resonates on the deepest human level. So, in that regard, it is a true story. The actors’ performances are amongst the truest I have ever seen on film. The cast is sublime from the children, to the leads, to the ensemble, to the extras. It’s extraordinary.
Afterwards, I took a deep dive “behind the scenes”. Here are a fraction of them:
CinemaBlend Interview (1 min 12)
“I wanted to live on for Hamnet” said Jacobi Jupe (cast interview 10 min 23)
Maggie O’Farrell on writing Hamnet (2 min 45)
LA Times interview with the cast (8 min. 52)
Vanity Fair “Notes on a Scene” (11 min 27)
THIS ISN’T A COMMERCIAL… IT’S ABOUT EQUITY… READ ON
FOOD FOR PALATE & THE SOUL: NATURESWEET CHERUBS Heavenly Salad Tomatoes
(NOT A PAID ENDORSEMENT)
Before I eat, I always mentally thank every hand that has touched and brought the food to my table. I think of the individuals who toiled so that I can be nourished. (If I am eating a meat based. dish, I thank the animal for it’s life.) I think of the farmers and the merchants and the chefs. I ask that they all be nourished and nurtured, as well. That is my mental prayer. On more formal occasions that prayer is spoken aloud, before we dine on a feast, or share a special meal. “Grace” coming from the latin “gratiarum actio” (meaning thanksgiving) and the Italian word: “grazie” meaning “thanks”.
We buy these NatureSweet brand of tomatoes frequently, yet I only just noticed the “Peel here to lettuce us out” tab on the label. Of course, it piqued my curiosity, so I removed the tab and discovered this shout out to a team member named Juan José Chavez. Upon scanning the QR code, I was brought to his personal bio page, highlighting his story! Indeed the certified B-Corp has entire webpage dedicated to thanking their associates’ contributions. You can even write a special “Thank you” directly to individual workers, which brought tears to my eyes. What is apparent is that the workers are treated with dignity and that their labor is valued and that the company offers them not only safe working conditions, but also opportunities for growth and education. The page states: “As a business, we grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, but our higher calling is to unleash the power of people and to help them truly shine.”
Personally, I believe that the Certified B-Corp standard is what we, as a society, should be following and promoting in all industries. At this time in world history where we are being called upon to actively participate in and re-envision and promote what type of civil society we want to live in, the B-Corps standards are an equitable model for the transformation of the global economy. “B Lab is the nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. Building on our standards and certification process, our network leads economic systems change to support our collective vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.” 3
I encourage you to make a difference by putting your economic buying power into those companies and corporations that support your values. It doesn’t have to be daunting, you can start with your next salad.
Lean more in these links.
The Social Dividend: World Farmers Organization mini documentary (6 min 56)
We Reap What We Sow company culture video (3 min 9)
As always, I’m grateful to have you here. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my stories, please consider a paid subscription or giving a tip, sharing with others and re-stacking. It makes a huge difference in growing my readership! My goal is to have 500 paid subscribers in 2026. And my deepest heartfelt thanks to my paid subscribers: Carol Hadju, Walter Brealey, Sandra Osorio, Linda Mosley Castelo, Susan Scheidt. To join them, click the links below.