From the Couch: 5 Things I Loved and Did in Q4 2024
Wicked (obvs), a laundry room level-up, new nonprofits to support, and more.
Hi, book friends.
This is my quarterly From the Couch post, in which I deviate slightly from my focus on books to pretend we’re hanging out on my couch, where I’d undoubtedly talk your ear off about all the random things I’ve loved and done lately. None of it’s sponsored content; it’s just the stuff I’d talk your ear off about if we got together in person.
But Deedi, I hear you saying, didn’t you just send us one of these in October? Dear reader, I did, but that one was late! Today I return this column to its rightful place in the last month of the quarter.
Before I dive in, friendly reminder that my non-book bookish gift guide exists! If you’re still shopping, don’t miss the entire section on last-minute and digital gifts.
5 Things I Loved and Did Lately
A membership to Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca, NY
Buffalo Street Books, which has operated as one of the nation’s only co-op bookstores since 2011, is transitioning to a nonprofit model to give the store a truly sustainable future. They need to raise $100,000 by the end of the year to pay off debts and finance the transition, and their primary mechanism is by offering annual memberships for a yearly donation of $100. Membership gets you 5% off purchases and the ability to vote on key store decisions and board elections (and the knowledge that you are supporting a critical third place here in Central New York!).
I’m proud to have been a share owner in the co-op, and I’m proud to be a founding member now. If membership’s not your thing, consider a donation of any amount to help! They started back in October, but as of now, they’re only about two-thirds to their goal with only two weeks to go.
A space-saving drying rack in my laundry room
In October, we finally added cabinetry and a countertop to our laundry room, which we’d been saving up to do since we moved into our house about two years ago. (It came out great and was surprisingly affordable thanks to a Labor Day sale at Home Depot!)
In order to round things out, I also got this $50 drying rack that pops out from the wall, which you can see on the left in the photo above. It’s so simple and so unobtrusive and sooooo functional. It even came with hooks to hang it on the back of a door if you want! Highly recommend. (Also, that rug is Ruggable, and I’m obsessed with it.)
Wicked
It’s likely that only a few people reading this newsletter know this about me, but I have a Bachelor of Arts in theatre (dance concentration!). Also, the dance studio I grew up in was run by a married couple who also pretty much ran the musical theatre department at the local college. So needless to say, Wicked and I go wayyyy back. I literally could not tell you when the last time I went to the movies was — possibly a Star Wars film? — but I was not gonna miss this.
My mom, my sister, and I went to see the movie on Black Friday, after our annual trip to the spa (10/10 way to spend Black Friday, btw). I am unashamed to tell you that I absolutely loved it. Was it perfect? No. Did I care? Also no! I had so much fun, Ariana Grande delighted me, Cynthia Erivo wowed me, the show’s ever-timely themes were loud and proud, and after it ended I felt like I’d been flattened. I couldn’t believe I was expected to get out of that chair and get in my car and drive home like my brain chemistry hadn’t just been irrevocably altered.
The Abortion, Every Day Newsletter
It was hours, not days, after the election when I finally bit the bullet and subscribed to Jessica Valenti’s
Substack. I hadn’t had the mental energy to think about politics much this summer — which, I know, but in my defense I did have a tiny little newborn and a fresh C-section scar — but now I regret not having signed up sooner.I’m reading her book right now, and I’m absolutely going to be recommending it to everyone, but the truth is that you also have to subscribe to this newsletter because the news really does move that fast. Valenti is relentless and eagle-eyed as she tracks every single movement, every single word game, every single TRICK, that conservatives are pulling while the media plays right into their hands. I feel 100% more informed and 1,000% more energized. Please subscribe!
Two nonprofits I’m now supporting
Recurring donations are a really powerful way you can support a cause you believe in; they not only add up over time, but also give nonprofits a more predictable stream of income that they can use to plan their operations more effectively.
Following the election, I wanted to feel like I was doing something actually helpful to stop the apocalypse. So I decided to seek out nonprofits that fight the legal battles — organizations that use the power of law to sue to STOP the administration from dismantling whatever it is they target next.
So far, I’ve set up recurring donations to two: the Center for Reproductive Rights (re: abortion) and Earth Justice (re: climate change). If you know of others, please drop them in the comments!
This week on Instagram
I reviewed Assassin’s Apprentice and Meditations for Mortals. I also shared a little weekend reading update and a carousel of book recs I made on Threads lately.
As always, thanks for sharing your corner of the internet with me! It would mean a lot if you were to take a second to like this post. I’d love to hear about something you’ve loved lately in the comments, too.
Finally, if you like this newsletter, please send a few friends my way.
Until next time!
— Deedi (she/her)
Appreciate the nonprofit recs! I would recommend Law for Black Lives and Center for Constitutional Rights as well https://ccrjustice.org/
Very exciting news about Buffalo Street Books