Summer’s Unofficial Start
When I picture the passage of time, I think of a calendar — specifically, a full-year calendar printed on one page, like the kind a bank or restaurant might give out as a freebie. which is emblazoned with its logo.
The year is laid out as a grid: three rows, four consecutive months. I picture each row going through the seasons: the top row starts out mostly cold and dreary with January, but by the end of the row, in April, it’s light and bright and almost to the second row. Realization is where things unfold. . May to August is the crux of the year, when daylight is at its maximum, when things feel a little looser and more feasible. The middle row, for summer supporters, is really the only row worth penetrating.
However you picture the time, you probably have a different feeling about this weekend, Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. Disbelief seems to be the dominant response this year: how can it be summer again, where has the time gone? “Time is a flat circle, a record spinning, forever and ever returning to its beginning,” wrote my colleague Sam Sefton. Cooking Newsletter yesterday, and he is fine. We’re still figuring out the tricks of time stretching over the past few years, how it’s grown and shrunk, sped up and slowed down and had a little time to reflect.
Ready or not, it’s summer again. The calendar dictates it—even if the weather or your wardrobe or your kids or your garden isn’t ready. Memorial Day weekend forces a mental shift. Beaches open, mattresses are sold, you can smell someone grilling. (Maybe it’s you..) The middle row is in full swing.
If this all feels too sudden and you’re struggling to get a grip, may I suggest you plan. Summer movie schedule? I’m patiently awaiting Nicole Holofsner’s latest, “You Hurt My Feelings,” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies, which opens this weekend. Other highlights: John Slattery directs Jon Hamm and Tina Fey in “Maggie Moore(s),” opening June 16. There is an illusion! The documentary is coming to Netflix on July 5. “Indiana Jones” on June 30, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” on July 21.
We’ve also got a bunch of picks for your beach- or park- or couch-reading pleasure: try one thrillinga Romanticmaybe one Audio book? The two audiobooks on our list that are about birds sound enchanting and season-appropriate.
And of course, there’s always the unofficial (or maybe it’s official?) fruit of summer, the strawberry, which has three stars. Recipes by Melissa Clark.each of which seems ready to join. Jerel Guy’s Strawberry Spoon Cake In my personal pantheon of the world’s best desserts.
for more
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From 2019, 100 years of Memorial Day coverage In The Times
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If you find yourself in traffic this weekend, here’s a game. Calm your nerves. (Rear seat drivers only.)
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Or, listen to the story of my poem that comforts me in difficult times. It’s on New York Times Audio, a new iOS app available to Times News subscribers. Download here.
Week in Culture
Culture Calendar
📚 “Murder Genealogy: Four Generations, Three Families, One Fateful Night” (Tuesday): I can’t wait to dive into Lisa Belkin’s true crime story that charts the history of three men involved in a 1960 murder. I Review it In The Times, Robert Colker called it “a dark but poignant, poignant study of fate, chance and the wildly meaningful intersections of divergent lives”. Doesn’t that sound appealing?
🎶 Cowboy Junkies, “Such a Great Beauty” (Friday): Canadian alt-country band Cowboy Junkies have a new album coming out. If you, like me, can still sing every word to every song on the group’s 1988 album “The Trinity Session,” you’ll be happy to know that Margo Timmons’ voice is as sultry and enchanting as ever.
Classic deviled eggs
It’s Memorial Day weekend, the official start of cookout and picnic season. That means there’s a good chance you’re considering preparing some eggs for nibbling while the grill heats up. You can’t go wrong This classic recipeWith a hot sauce filled with egg yolk, mayonnaise and mustard. You can boil and peel the eggs a day in advance, and even mix the filling. But don’t spoon it into the whites until as close to serving time as possible. And be sure to make extra: you never know how long it might take to catch those coals.
of real estate
What you get for $2.7 million: Carpenter Gothic Showplace in Shelter Island Heights, New York; an 1890 house in Key West, Fla.; or a Mid-century modern home in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Hunting: She wanted a house in the Hamptons for $4 million. Which one did he choose? Play our game.
Lighting for Summer Nights: Makes outdoor lighting. All the more magical.
Solo Bachelor: Some brides are ditching the party favors. Traveling alone.
Digital spring cleaning: Try them out. Tips for healthy engagement on social media.
Put it together: Make comfort food Eliminate the to-do list..
Happiness around the world: What are The happiest countries are doing it right.?
Advice from a wire cutter
Make your vacuum last
If your long weekend plans include cleaning your house for summer guests, give your vacuum some TLC to make it more efficient. Dirty trash, smelly filters, and hair tangles reduce suction and can lead to premature battery and motor death. Simple, routine maintenanceJust like cleaning the filter and untangling the brush roll, will keep your vacuum running for years and save money over time. – Sabine Heinlein
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Tampa Bay Rays, MLB: Enjoy some baseball with your Sunday morning coffee. The Rays have the best record in the majors this season, and that’s no surprise — by some measures, they have the top offense. And Best opening pitching, Anno Sarris notes in Athletic.. The Dodgers, who lead their division, are thriving thanks to an All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts who was asked to play shortstop because of injuries to the team and It turned out very well. Streaming at 11:30pm Eastern tomorrow, Peacock.