Regolith.

*image via.

A week ago, I turned onto Bradley Boulevard, and something about the lay of the winter twilight on my windshield and the spare stick figure trees on my left reminded me of Painesville, Ohio, and my grandparents’ squat home there. I thought then of my tall, blithe Finnish grandfather, and I reflexively instructed Siri: “Play ‘I’m in the mood for love.'”

My grandfather’s last name was Nurmi (my maiden name, too) and he used to sing that song:

“I’m in the mood for love // whenever you’re ‘Nurmi,'” replacing Julie London’s breathy “near me” with our surname.

My father considered the transposition corny, especially when my grandfather performed it at my cousin’s wedding, yet it has been a hardwearing tentpole of my grandfather’s legacy: one of a handful of anecdotes that continues to circulate on a yearly basis, in the way of all grandparent lore, offered up almost at random, to lukewarm reception, just because it needs to be shared.

But a narrow detail can exemplify a spirit almost better than a thousand-word history. In this case, my grandfather’s version of the song vibrates with personality as though a 2×2″ slide projected on a classroom wall, in 2000 lumens of color.

As I drove down Bradley, I thought how it reflected his chipper buoyancy in a life of hard work. The Finnish sisu, but with a jaunty flare. I, living a blessed life of comparative ease, could benefit from better channeling his outlook. Desiderata.

A few days later, Mr. Magpie put on a playlist that included, against all odds, the same song.

I was struck by the repetition: my grandfather, here, and again.

I don’t know what these visitations mean, but they point me, and clearly, toward my roots. And I have needed that grounding. I have been too in my head, or too much of this world, and I was chastised to remember the generations that came before me, the ones who planted trees under whose shade I now sit.

What I mean to say is —

Tell the story, and again. Sing the song, even when your children roll their eyes. Write about the deceased. Commit the finest-tipped details about your grandparents to paper.

Because one day, these particles of personality will either be blown away and forgotten, dust in the wind,

or regolith,

fine and rare and luminous.

Post-Scripts.

+Another way of saying: “I choose to find echoes where I could see randomness. I want to draw the lines that make this life make sense, to chart the belt between the component stars of Orion. At the end of the day, I’d rather wander starstruck, identifying asterisms, than feel my way blindly through a shapeless and inconsonant dark.”

+Memories of my maternal grandfather, for good measure.

+It is good to remember the deceased.

Shopping Break.

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+URGENT: the world’s greatest inexpensive sheets are on sale for 25% off at the moment. SUCH a bargain. We have multiple sets we use in our primary bedroom! They’re amazing.

+Kule launched a fab sale today! The first stop must always be their iconic modern long tee — I own four of these in different colors, and some are as inexpensive as $36 right now! They are SO fun and well-made. Run TTS, slightly boxy/loose fit. I also love this half-zip sweater, this pink and white striped tee (so cute with white jeans, but also kind of dig worn as a set, with these shorts, and some trendy sandals), this tote, this terry cloth sweatshirt ($60!), and for your mini: this tiny cherry tee.

+Prada vibes for $17. I own this in the blue! Oversized and packs flat. Good for throwing into a suitcase if beach bound!

+I already own several pairs of kick flares (ahem, these Gaps are still my most-worn), but I keep hearing rave reviews about VB’s Carson jeans…do I need to try them as well?! Come in lots of cute washes…

+Speaking of VB, my denim blazer I wore all fall has been further reduced to under $200. I had a few Magpies write to me asking for sizing details — runs TTS, and I don’t think the shoulders look as dramatic in IRL. I took an 00 but it’s snug — I probably should have taken an 0 if I want to layer over anything with any amount of bulk. You can see me in it here!

+I’ve been on a t-shirt buying bender so far this year, but in the winter, what else do you have to switch up? I’ve got lots of sweaters to layer! Anyhow, my favorite higher end white tee is the Leset Margo, but now I’m contemplating this $10 style, which looks fairly similar (maybe a bit more cropped).

+My friend Lauren was wearing this $30 sweatshirt and looked SO cute in it. She ordered two sizes up for an oversized/boxy fit. Ordered immediately.

+I’ve been looking for a great everyday concealer that is less expensive than Cle de Peau and a little lighter-weight than Kevyn Aucoin (but I do LOVE both of those products), and I’ve been hearing all of the sudden a lot of murmurs about the one from the brand Make. Has anyone tried? Intrigued.

+Minnow’s new collection is so tempting for my upcoming trip! I’m loving this for me…and also love this striped set for mini and these striped trunks for micro.

+Chic “dad” sandal.

+Fun, flashy sandals. It’s a lot of logo, but you could pair these with jeans and a tee or a simple white dress and feel completely on-trend in the easiest way.

+Another “fancy” sweatpant that’s been getting some buzz. I ordered the ones from Vuori and The Great but if neither pass muster, I’ll move onto these! (Any other recs, I’m all ears!)