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Currently #17

ByNicole Gaffney Published:

Currently is a monthly post to check in and chat about all the things I’m into right now. 

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Oh hayyyy spring! 🙋🏻‍♀️ Is that you I see peeking around the corner?

Maybe it's the unseasonably warm winter or the glow on my skin from spending the last week in sunny Florida, but spring feels closer than usual right now.

We went to the Florida keys last weekend with dozens of our best friends to celebrate the marriage of two of our favorite people. What a very special thing it is to go on a tropical vacation with so many folks you know and love! I feel so grateful for the experience and especially for the friends I got to share it with. When will we ever get to do that again? Probably never. Unless I win the lottery, because I've always said that the first thing I'd do with the money is book an epic trip with all of my friends and family. 

In last month's currently post I opened up about my depression. Many of you reached out and I want to say thank you, but also let you know that I'm okay. I didn't talk about it because I was looking for attention or help or advice or solutions, but because writing about it openly and publicly is a big part of me growing and healing. Putting it here on my blog for anyone to read was gut-wrenchingly vulnerable, and thanks to Brene Brown, I'm attempting to be more vulnerable as a way to move past some of the lingering hurdles in my life. 

Honestly, my stomach churned with embarrassment and shame while writing the post, publishing the post, and every time someone commented on it or sent me a message about it. Brene calls this a vulnerability hangover - that awful feeling when you know that other people now know about this awful thing you'd really rather them not ever know at all. But as the month progressed, those feelings faded and now I'm on the other side, no longer feeling like I'm hiding something from the world. Shedding the need for perfectionism and caring what other people think of me has been a huge challenge in my adult life, and so putting things like this out there is a huge step in shedding those deceptively damaging behavior patterns. 

I fully recognize that this is a food blog and you're not here to read about my psychological self-diagnosis, but my Currently posts have always been intended to give insight into the things I care about other than recipes. And I care deeply about personal growth, mental health and how increasingly prevalent it is in our society. If my words, insights or experiences can help even just one other person feel better about themselves or to shift their perspective on life... well that's all I need to know that it was worth it. 

I hope it's warming up wherever you are in the world and that the slightly longer days are giving you a much needed pep in your step. 

Here's what I have for ya this month:

Currently Buzzing About...

Currently Listening To...

In lieu of a playlist this month, I'm listing some of the best podcasts I've listened to recently, because I listen to a lot:

Currently Watching...

  • After the first episode of what I *thought* was a comedy starring two of my favorites, Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph, I almost died of boredom - not laughter. But I gave it a few more tries, and I'm so glad I did. It's slow, but it's great: Forever. (Amazon Prime)
  • If you haven't put two and two together yet, I love stand-up comedy. Both Jim Norton and Nikki Glazer killed it in their sets with jokes that were smart, incredibly raunchy and really, really, really funny: The Degenerates - Season 2. (Netflix)

Currently Cooking...

  • I'm posting this here just to let you know that I made it and it was really, truly, absolutely terrible: Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk Is Probably the Best Chicken Recipe of All Time. (The Kitchn)
  • A very delicious soup, especially when topped with more crispy chick peas: Hammy Chick Pea Soup. (Bon Appetit)
  • It's March and you know what that means - St. Paddy's Day! Join me in indulging in Sheet Pan Irish Nachos (DROOL), Irish Potato Candies (which are not actually Irish or potatoes) and my favorite lass Kate's Irish Beef Stew. Serve it with some Irish Cheddar + Stout Biscuits and you win St. Patrick's Day! (ColeyCooks)
  • Lard bread? Personally, I'm here for it: God Save Lard Bread. (Taste)
  • Ya'll know by now I have a thing for breakfast goods made with oat flour: Easy Gluten Free Oat Waffles (Cookie and Kate)

Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet. - Bob Dylan

We're all in this together, aren't we? Happy Leap Day! Enjoy this extra 24 hours in the year.

<3 Coley

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5 Comments

  2. Nicole I get you!! My heart goes out to you. I have a wonderful son who was always perfect in every way, unlike his older brother who put me through much grief growing up. (All is fine now). My perfect son, when in his 20's, one day, explained his depression and I was floored. How could I have not known and I felt like I failed him. He is totally open now with the family and he knows his 'triggers". You are beautiful, wonderful & a great talent and I am always and will be always singing your praises.

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for your Note, Nancy! I also grew up with some challenging sibling dynamics and always felt (self-inflicted) pressure to be good and okay. I'm learning that a lot of my behavior is codependent and was developed as a defense mechanism. It feels very freeing to be able to see it in this light, to understand my triggers and develop a tool kit. Exercise is a big part of that! Hope to see you back at barre soon. <3 🙂

      Reply