Dear Together Friends, Fans, and Family,
Fun fact about Maia: I read cookbooks at night to unwind. Both in hard copy and on my Kindle from the library. And when Samin Nosrat released her new one, I was first in line – and this article really stuck with me, particularly the segment on the rituals of her Monday night dinners. We have talked about small things, or our Minimum Daily or Weekly Requirements, around here, but this article was really about Weekly Touchstones, or events that keep us anchored throughout the week.
Samin thoughtfully describes some of the qualities of her Monday dinners (Choose One Location and Stick To It, Make it Feel Holy, and Perfect is the Enemy of Good), and I was reminded of my own Weekly Touchstone – two long swims with friends, one Thursday morning at 6 AM and one Sunday night at 7 PM.
Reflecting on Samin’s principles, I realized how much these two endurance swims are for me what her Monday dinners are for her. Following these principles is what allows me to anchor my weeks with our swims.
- Make it holy.I’m not sure if we quite do that, but we make it feel special. Last week found us in the swim locker room with me carrying two containers of lentil spinach soup, Melissa with fresh basil in her swim bag, and Mical with a watermelon leftover from her CSA. IN THE LOCKER ROOM AT 6 AM, MIND YOU. While this may not be holiness, it is putting in some extra time to nourish each other.
My swim ladies and I at an open water swim in Florida last spring. Yes, I did two miles in the OCEAN!
- Choose one location and stick to it.It is Thursdays and Sundays, and we do not deviate unless someone has a serious conflict and the group agrees to bump it to another date. Sometimes it is just two of us, and I’m not going to lie, getting up at 5 AM and driving 30 minutes north to meet my partners at the pool is not always fun, but I never ever regret it.
- Perfect is the enemy of good. The story of six pounds of pork in Samrit’s article really stuck with me. Relating it to my swims, it makes me think about how we sometimes pull off more yards, sometimes less, and sometimes spend a LOT of time chatting between sets. The point here is we are not shooting for the perfect workout; it’s the time together that matters most.
What about you? Do you have any Weekly Touchstones you build your week upon?
On top of my delight about this new cookbook, I’ve also been trying to channel anxiety and angst about the world into something for the greater good, and I recently hosted a gathering (and fundraiser for Girls on the Run DC) for mission-driven women in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. It reminded me of the power of gathering . . . a timely reminder as we come upon the season of gatherings! I tried to apply the above principles to this gathering and made it special with loads of Greek food, gallons of homemade (white) sangria, and music by the The String Queens . . . and I didn’t stress when one of our guest speakers couldn’t make it (perfect is the enemy of good). And when I looked around our gathering at the height of it (and after a little Stand Up/Sit Down because these 30 women were all former teachers), I gleaned a sense of hope that had admittedly been lower than usual lately.
My annual Sneakers & Sangria gathering each fall.
So as we speed to the end of 2025, do think about how you can keep those Weekly Touchstones front and center on your calendar, and how you can keep them uncomplicated and easy. Or hey, maybe just throw a potluck. (Thanks to former colleague Garrett for that one!)
#togetherforever #clipboardsandclogs
Maia
PS Please find a federal worker this week and contribute an act of kindness. I’m taking my cousin, who is holding down the fort at her federal agency to breakfast and bringing my swim partner, a scientist currently furloughed, some pumpkin whoopie pies for her birthday. These small acts do not help with our structural issues, but they do go a long way (I hope) in brightening and buoying people’s spirits.
PPS I was honored to deliver remarks at Teach For America’s One Day Brunch in the DC-metro area last weekend, where they relaunched their Sponsor a Teacher program. Spoiler alert: I don’t own any fancy lady, office-type shoes, so the clogs came out to play.
An honor to deliver remarks at a recent TFA DC / VA One Day Brunch – and reconnect with another vintage alum, Tai!
- Tackling a To-Do List as someone with attention issues? There will never be a one-size-fits-all solution to executive functioning challenges, but there are workarounds (gift link) that can make tackling your To-Do List less difficult. My favorite strategy is to “try to solve the problem outside your mind,” and I remember scheduling a chat with my dear friend Lindsay when I was struggling with progress on my last book. Check out some other focused work suggestions here, here, and here.
- Add some curiosity to your calendar! Our calendars are often filled with obligations, which can lead to burnout. Consider adding some time for play or curiosity (or even just people-watching or listening to a podcast) – making space for false fatigue can give you the energy to return to your work.
- I promise, I’m not ignoring you. We’re all getting inundated with messages and pings, be it email, texts, or social media, and sometimes just responding can be overwhelming. Don’t ghost, but take some time and respond when you’re able. I have taken to having a WhatsApp/text message fest each evening! ALSO, I hope you all know this, but you can delay send a text on an iPhone. This is so useful for birthday or well-wishes that you don’t want to forget.
