LS Picks
Edition 3: June 2023
Note
We made it! I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering dedication and remarkable contributions to our third LS Picks newsletter. Your creative ideas have truly elevated the quality of our publication, making it an outstanding resource.
As we approach the summer season, I want to emphasize the importance of taking time for ourselves, to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate. Our commitment to our work is commendable, but it's equally crucial to prioritize our well-being. The summer presents a wonderful opportunity to unwind, spend quality time with loved ones, and engage in activities that bring us joy.
Whether you plan to embark on exciting adventures, immerse yourself in a captivating book, explore the great outdoors, or simply savor moments of tranquility, I encourage each one of you to embrace the spirit of summer and relish in the pleasures it offers. This time away from work will undoubtedly invigorate your mind, foster your creativity, and ultimately enhance your overall performance when we reconvene.
I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to our colleagues who will be holding down the Hockaday fort during the summer months. Your dedication and support are truly commendable, allowing others to take a well-deserved break.
Remember, a healthy work-life balance is crucial for our long-term success and well-being. Let us make the most of this summer, cherishing the moments of relaxation and indulgence, so that we may return with renewed energy, fresh perspectives, and a continued passion for the important work we do.
Warmly,
Allison
Pick
Hams Orchard
Whether you’re looking for fresh peaches, delicious peach ice cream, or just a fun day out at the farmers market, Hams Orchard is the perfect place to go!
Peach season is the best time to visit and their farmers market is also open during this time, so you can get your hands on some fresh fruits and vegetables.
Located at 11939 County Road 309 in Terrell, Texas 75161, this little fun adventure is close enough to make it a day trip!
The hours for the patch to pick berries and peaches are 9AM- 4PM.
Buckets are $4 to purchase, and then berries are $5 a pound!
They also have a special on Half Bushel boxes of Flavor Rich peaches $30 in the store.
Echo Springs
Farm is open seven days a Week till end of July
7AM - 4PM
You Pick Blueberries: $2.95 Lb
Echo Springs is located at 7235 Farm to Market 607 N, Murchison, TX 75778
Dallas Farmers Market- The Shed
The Shed at the Dallas Farmers Market is an open air pavilion where you can shop from vendors that grow, raise, make and produce your food. You will find mix of farmers with seasonal produce, ranchers with naturally raised meats, cheese, eggs, and honey, and food artisans that make breads, canned and regional/international foods. The Shed also has arts and crafts vendors throughout the year.
The Shed Hours & Market Days:
Saturdays – 9AM TO 5PM
Sundays – 10AM TO 5PM
The Dallas Farmers Market and The Shed can be found at 920 S. Harwood Dallas, TX 7520.
Learn
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Toastmasters
Dallas Makerspace
Read
Lessons in Chemistry
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.
Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.
The Other Eden
In 1792, formerly enslaved Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife, Patience, discover an island where they can make a life together. Over a century later, the Honeys’ descendants and a diverse group of neighbors are desperately poor, isolated, and often hungry, but nevertheless protected from the hostility awaiting them on the mainland.
During the tumultuous summer of 1912, Matthew Diamond, a retired, idealistic but prejudiced schoolteacher-turned-missionary, disrupts the community’s fragile balance through his efforts to educate its children. His presence attracts the attention of authorities on the mainland who, under the influence of the eugenics-thinking popular among progressives of the day, decide to forcibly evacuate the island, institutionalize its residents, and develop the island as a vacation destination. Beginning with a hurricane flood reminiscent of the story of Noah’s Ark, the novel ends with yet another Ark.
In prose of breathtaking beauty and power, Paul Harding brings to life an unforgettable cast of characters: Iris and Violet McDermott, sisters raising three orphaned Penobscot children; Theophilus and Candace Larks and their brood of vagabond children; the prophetic Zachary Hand to God Proverbs, a Civil War veteran who lives in a hollow tree; and more. A spellbinding story of resistance and survival, This Other Eden is an enduring testament to the struggle to preserve human dignity in the face of intolerance and injustice.
Maame
When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it's not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards—of putting her heart on the line.
Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George's Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.
Silver Alert
Aging Herb’s charmed life with his dear wife, Susan, in their Key West house is coming undone. Susan now needs constant care, and Herb is in denial about his own ailing health. The one bright spot is the arrival of an endlessly optimistic manicurist calling herself Renee. She sings to Susan during manicures, gets her to paint, and brings her a sense of contentment.
But then Herb and Susan’s adult children arrive to stage an intervention on their stubborn, independent father, and as a consequence, Renee’s gig with Susan—and her grand plans for her own life—start to unravel as well. So much had seemed as if it could change for Renee, who is not the happy, uncomplicated young girl she pretends to be. She is actually named Dee Dee, and she’s fleeing a dark past.
And Herb can’t just let go of all that he has ever had. So, he suggests one last joy ride in his Porsche. And the two take off north out of Key West, soon setting off a Silver Alert. As the unlikely friendship between Herb and Dee Dee deepens, we see how as one life is closing down, another opens up.
In this buoyant novel, the masterful Smith What do we deserve? And how do we make it our own? Sometimes, you just have to seize the wheel.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise
One slip on the rug. That’s all it took for Louise Wilt’s daughter to demand that Louise have a full-time nanny living with her. Never mind that she can still walk fine, finish her daily crossword puzzle, and pour the two fingers of vodka she drinks every afternoon. Bottom line -- Louise wants a caretaker even less than Tanner wants to be one.
The two start off their living arrangement happily ignoring each other until Tanner starts to notice things—weird things. Like, why does Louise keep her garden shed locked up tighter than a prison? And why is the local news fixated on the suspect of one of the biggest jewelry heists in American history who looks eerily like Louise? And why does Louise suddenly appear in her room, with a packed bag at 1 a.m. insisting that they leave town immediately?
Thus begins the story of a not-to-be-underestimated elderly woman and an aimless young woman who—if they can outrun the mistakes of their past—might just have the greatest adventure of their lives.
Only Love Can Hurt Like This
On the other side of the world, Anders lost his wife four years ago and is still struggling to move on.
Wren hopes that spending the summer with her dad and step-family on their farm in Indiana will help her to heal. There, amid the cornfields and fireflies, she and Anders cross paths and their worlds are turned upside-down again.
But Wren doesn't know that Anders is harboring a secret, and if he acts on any feelings he has for Wren it will have serious fall-out for everyone. Walking away would hurt Wren more than she can imagine. But, knowing the truth, how can she possibly stay?
Help Me Remember
My past. My memories. My future.
The only certainty I have from the last three years is that my older brother is dead, and I am the only eyewitness.
In order to protect the case, the lawyers demand that no one give me any information about my life . . . I must remember on my own. My only help comes from my brother’s best friend and world-renowned investigative reporter, Spencer Cross.
He has no idea how many nights I’ve spent dreaming of his name—and his body—next to mine.
Now we’re a team and our goal is to recover my memories and retrace my past. But each day we spend together, he’s looking at me as more than his friend’s little sister and I find it harder to want my old life back. Instead I’m wishing for a new one–with him. His kiss feels like home. His arms make me feel safe, and I never want this to end.
As my memories return, forcing me to face my future, everything falls apart... especially when I find an engagement ring hidden in my apartment. I have no idea who gave it to me, or what it means about my past.
I may have asked Spencer to help me remember, but now I wish I could forget.
Fio
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times
Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles--the earned wisdom that helps her continue to "become." She details her most valuable practices, like "starting kind," "going high," and assembling a "kitchen table" of trusted friends and mentors. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.
Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time. We’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we’re deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and “life hacks” to optimize our days. But such techniques often end up making things worse. The sense of anxious hurry grows more intense, and still the most meaningful parts of life seem to lie just beyond the horizon. Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks.
Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management. Rejecting the futile modern fixation on “getting everything done,” Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing how many of the unhelpful ways we’ve come to think about time aren’t inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we’ve made as individuals and as a society—and that we could do things differently.
The Accommodation
The powerful, long-repressed classic of Dallas history that examines the violent and suppressed history of race and racism in the city. Written by longtime Dallas political journalist Jim Schutze, formerly of the Dallas Times Herald and Dallas Observer, and currently columnist at D Magazine, The Accommodation follows the story of Dallas from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement, and the city’s desegregation efforts in the 1950s and ‘60s.
Known for being an uninhibited and honest account of the city’s institutional and structural racism, Schutze’s book argues that Dallas’ desegregation period came at a great cost to Black leaders in the city. Now, after decades out of print and hand-circulated underground, Schutze’s book serves as a reminder of what an American city will do to protect the white status quo.
Outlive: The Science of Art and Longevity
For all its successes, mainstream medicine has failed to make much progress against the diseases of aging that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. Too often, it intervenes with treatments too late to help, prolonging lifespan at the expense of healthspan, or quality of life. Dr. Attia believes we must replace this outdated framework with a personalized, proactive strategy for longevity, one where we take action now, rather than waiting.
This is not “biohacking,” it’s science: a well-founded strategic and tactical approach to extending lifespan while also improving our physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Dr. Attia’s aim is less to tell you what to do and more to help you learn how to think about long-term health, in order to create the best plan for you as an individual. In Outlive , readers will discover:
• Why the cholesterol test at your annual physical doesn’t tell you enough about your actual risk of dying from a heart attack.
• That you may already suffer from an extremely common yet underdiagnosed liver condition that could be a precursor to the chronic diseases of aging.
• Why exercise is the most potent pro-longevity “drug”—and how to begin training for the “Centenarian Decathlon.”
• Why you should forget about diets, and focus instead on nutritional biochemistry, using technology and data to personalize your eating pattern.
• Why striving for physical health and longevity, but ignoring emotional health, could be the ultimate curse of all.
Aging and longevity are far more malleable than we think; our fate is not set in stone. With the right roadmap, you can plot a different path for your life, one that lets you outlive your genes to make each decade better than the one before.
Madame Restell
Unfortunately for Madame Restell, her rise to the top of her field coincided with “the greatest scam you’ve never heard about”: the campaign to curtail women’s power by restricting their access to healthcare. For centuries, midwives and female practitioners, like Restell, had tended to public healthcare needs of both men and women. But after the birth of the medical clinic, newly-minted male MDs were eager to edge out their feminine competition—by forcing women back into the home and turning medicine into a standardized, male-only practice. At the same time, a group of powerful, secular men—threatened by women’s burgeoning independence in other fields—persuaded the Christian leadership to declare abortion a sin, rewriting the meaning of “Christian morality” to protect their own interests. By unraveling the misogynistic and misleading lies that put women’s health in jeopardy, Wright simultaneously restores Restell to her rightful place in history and obliterates the faulty, fractured reasoning underlying the very foundation of what has since been dubbed the “pro-life” movement.
Thought-provoking, character-driven, boldly written, and feminist as hell, Madame Restell is required reading for anyone and everyone who believes that when it comes to women’s rights, women’s bodies, and women’s history, women should have the last word.
Spare
For Harry, this is that story at last.
Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.
At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.
Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .
For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
Watch
The Diplomat- Netflix
Queen Charlotte- Netflix
The Night Agent- Netflix
Succession- HBO
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel- Amazon Prime Video
Schmigadoon!- Apple
Indiana Jones- Dial of Destiney- In Theaters June 30
Somebody I Used To Know- Amazon Prime Video
Cook
Costco's Acai Bowls
The Costco Acai bowl comes complete with separate acai bowls and a toppings packet, so you can easily customize your bowl (or not). You can use the toppings and add fresh fruit. Or Just use the toppings or you can ditch their toppings and add all your own.
Other ideas:
- Fresh Bananas
- Fresh Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, etc)
- Granola
- Sliced Almonds
- Chocolate Chips
- Diced Protein Bars
- Peanut Butter
- Nutella
Pinch of Yum
She's the voice, author, and creator behind Pinch of Yum. What started as a casual hobby over 10 years ago in 2010 while she was working as a fourth grade teacher has now grown into a full-blown business that reaches millions of people with fun recipes each month, with content that has been featured on The Kitchn, CNN, Refinery29, Brit + Co, POPSUGAR, Huffington Post, The Everymom, PureWow, and more.
Check out her website here.
Ambitious Kitchen
Are you looking for a blog that only shares healthy recipes to keep you fit? If yes, this most followed food blog is a great treat for you.
Apart from cooking related content, Monique also shares:
- fitness inspiration
- travel adventures
- products she mostly uses and so on
So if you’re a health conscious person who’s searching for a best food blog to follow, this blog is for you.
Check out her website here.
Recipe Girl
Lori Lange is the person behind Recipe Girl which has over 3000 recipes that include all types of recipes from breakfast to lunch to yummy dinner.
Lori Lange has been running the blog since 2006 and sharing a ton of yummy and tasty recipes since then. The blog has been featured on top sites like old Medal Flour, McCormick, Pepperidge Farm, Kraft, Sam’s Club etc.
Check out her blog here.
Add a Pinch
Add A Punch is one of the most popular blogs which is run by a foodie and cook herself Robyn Stone. Here you will find a ton of useful classic Southern recipes to fit a modern lifestyle along with content related to travel and life.
You’ll find a ton of food recipes on this blog including;
- Dessert recipes
- Slow cooker recipes
- Veg recipes
- Non veg recipes
- Summer recipes and so on
Apart from all kinds of food recipes, you can also find a ton of useful information related to life and travel to lead a better life.
Check out her blog here.
Green Kitchen Stories
David Frenkiel is the Swede behind food blog Green Kitchen Stories, which he launched with his Danish wife Luise Vindahl in 2009. Back then, she was a health-conscious meat eater, he a carb-loving vegetarian. When they moved in together in Stockholm, she agreed to go veggie while he resolved to cut down on the pasta and pizza. The blog documents their adventures around a healthy vegetarian diet.
Look into the Green Kitchen which signifies David and Luise's efforts to come up with healthy vegetarian recipes using whole food and organic products. They want our recipes to be as simple and pure as possible.
Check out their blog here.
Listen
We Can Do hard Things
I’m Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed – the book that was released at the very start of the pandemic and became a lifeline for millions. I watched in awe from my home while this simple phrase from Untamed – WE CAN DO HARD THINGS – the mantra that saved my life twenty years ago, became a worldwide rally cry.
Because we experienced the hardship of the pandemic collectively, many of us finally acknowledged what was true before COVID and will be true after: That life is freaking HARD. We are all doing hard things every single day – things like loving and losing caring for children and parents; forging and ending friendships; battling addiction, illness, and loneliness; struggling in our jobs, our marriages, and our divorces; setting boundaries; and fighting for equality, purpose, freedom, joy, and peace.
On We Can Do Hard Things, my wife Abby Wambach, my sister Amanda Doyle, and I will do the only thing we’ve found that has ever made life easier: We will drop the fake and talk honestly about the hard. Each week we will bring our hard to you and we will ask you to bring your hard to us and we will do what we were all meant to do down here: Help each other carry the hard so we can all live a little bit lighter and braver, more free and less alone.
I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Drifting Off with Joe Pera
Inspiration From the Couch
Smartless
Literally!
Disney Peaceful Piano- Spotify
Damien Escobar- Apple Music
Daniel D. Demola- Apple Music
Karim Kamar- Apple Music
Kassa Overall- Apple Music
Tiny Desk Concerts - NPR
Consider
Rocky Ridge Safari
Consider a short drive to East Texas. Come and see Wildlife & Safari Park. It is a short 15 minute drive south of Canton, Texas.
Journey into our 200 acre animal oasis to experience up-close and intimate encounters with over 25 species through the diverse terrain of Rocky Ridge.
Hours:
Sunday 11AM-4PM
Monday-Saturday 10AM-4PM
Child ... FREE
(2 years & younger)
Child ... $14.95
(3-12 years old)
Adult ... $18.95
(13-64 years old)
Senior ... $16.95
(65 years & older)
Punch Drunk Chef
They rotate the menu weekly to stay on point with their objective of keeping meal prep fun, fresh, and always breaking the stereotype that healthy has to be boring. There are also bulk options as well if creating your own grab and go meals is preferred. The menu is always changing, growing, and expanding, and your feedback is crucial to that! So never hesitate to let them know what you think!
Meals are about $11 per meal. Meals can either picked up on Sunday or Monday or delivered on Monday.
Bolder Adventure Park
Hours and prices vary.