Happy End-of-June pals!
We're officially halfway through the year now and it's already noticeable the nights are starting to draw in again if you look carefully enough. I'm two school reports away from being able to celebrate that I've finished them and I'm 3 weeks away from celebrating the end to my first (2/3rds of a) year returning to teaching!
As this fun and sociable month comes to a close here are my favourites for June.
Tree of the Month - Sweet Chestnut
In the last week or two the sweet chestnuts have pushed out their seed pods that make them look like hundreds of cheerleaders shaking their pom poms in the wind! The yellowy green whips are like the flowers of the tree that I assume somehow turn into those incredibly spiky shells later in the year? I’m no botanist I’m afraid!
Flower of the month - Petunia
I never thought I'd choose an annual bedding plant as my favourite but I'm so pleased with my front garden pots this year. They're looking so vibrant and keep blooming flower after flower. They've managed to withstand the heat they get from noon till 5pm and they've only just started really. I'm hoping I can keep them going throughout the summer.
Recipe of the month - Bibimbap
I tried making my own bibimbap the other day and while it'll never beat a Korean restaurant, I was pretty pleased with the results. There are some days where I really enjoy cooking meals that include several components that are all cooked separately and are only combined at the end. I find that sort of cooking really therapeutic like you get to focus on just one element at a time and each element has its own particular flavour and purpose for the dish.
Film of the month - Asteroid City
Last night we went to see the latest Wes Anderson film and it didn't disappoint but it didn’t wow me either. In a way, Wes Anderson has sort of become a victim of his success. He has an incredibly distinct style - if you've seen that tiktok trend that's probably already over where people Wes Andersonify their daily life, you'll know what I mean. The saturated colour, the multitude of stills and perfectly symmetrical shots, the quirky dialogue, the deadpan faces, the whimsical storylines. Trouble is, because each one has this sort of ticklist by now it sort of feels like each film is a parody of the last one. It doesn't stop me enjoying it of course, just perhaps doesn't capture me in the same way the Darjeeling Ltd or Moonrise Kingdom once did.
TV of the month - Queen Charlotte
I succumbed to the Bridgerton spin off and I'm so glad I did. This six part miniseries is a prequel to the (fictional) story of Queen Charlotte and King George. We also learn about Lady Danbury's rise to high society and we meet a young Violet Bridgerton. There's sex, glamour, romance, joy, pain, frustration, and a heck of a lot of amazing costumes and sets. I always think with shows like this it must be a costume maker's dream to work on it. If you liked Bridgerton you'll love this - Queen Charlotte is phenomenal and you can't help but root for her the entire time.
Book of the month - The Success Myth by Emma Gannon
This books has been an incredible source of affirmation and courage for me. Multi-bookselling author and creator of The Hyphen Substack, Emma Gannon explores the word success and all the ways we seem to have made success look like one thing when it most often feels like something else entirely. In the book she grapples with money, productivity, fame, tickboxes like getting married and buying a house, and arriving at some magical point in our career/journey that makes us say "this is the thing that will make me feel successful." A must read for anyone feeling a bit fed up or like they should feel much happier with what they've achieved.
Podcast of the month - Two Ps in a Podcast
Very niche content here but it's the thing that's had me laughing hysterically on my drive to work this month. Mr P and the Other Mr P are a teacher and a TA who happen to be brothers. Together they chat about primary school life and have teachers send in embarrassing stories or their teacher dilemmas for them to read out and answer. The two are hilarious and incredibly silly, but they also have such good hearts and you can tell they love this mad job despite all the issues with the profession currently. If you're a teacher, I can guarantee you'll enjoy hearing other teachers' stories about sports day slip ups or school trip mishaps! All good fun.
Album of the Month - Prioritise Pleasure by Self Esteem
Last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of seeing this incredible musician, Rebecca Taylor aka Self Esteem, performing live. She is magnetic on stage and her music, lyrically, reminds me of Joni Mitchell songs. Her songs are so specific to her and her own life experience yet they speak to something so universal in us that it can sometimes scarily feel like her words were written for you personally. It’s effing wizardry.
So that's my June I believe. What were your favourites this month? Do let me know, I love getting recommendations.
A solid round up. Great tree choice. As a teacher I too listen to the Mr and Mr P 🤩