It's Tuesday: Who's Grateful for Stuffing?
Issue #72
Editor’s Note: Yes, it’s still me and yes this newsletter will continue to deliver every week and include some bonus editions every now and then. However, I’ve now switched platforms from Revue to Substack.
Why? Well, with everything going on over at Twitter, it seemed like a safer option. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have to start over if everything shut down. Who wants to lose their archives?
Feel free to dig around. Long time readers will discover that everything from my old Wordpress Blog “From the Foredeck of the Titanic” is also here.
Please enjoy!
Let’s Start: Can you be a grateful cynic?
And just like that, we enter Thanksgiving week and the fast approaching end of the year.
How's the year going for you? If you work in the world of consumer magazine media, my guess is that it wasn't that easy. You probably thought that your experiences during the pandemic and in 2021 would mean this year was easier, yes? Well, even if it wasn't, let's step back for a minute, take a deep breath and think about things to be grateful for.
A grand old timer once told me that “Attitude is gratitude.” Cynical and sarcastic Joe wants to say, "Uh huh, yeah, thanks for that." But you know what? That old timer was spot on.
For that reason, let's declare that the glass is half full. A refill of another one of your favorite drinks is on the way. You'll find the paper somewhere. Your subscribers will reward you for your efforts. Your e-commerce platform will perform flawlessly. Listeners will flock to your new podcast. Your newsstand sales will...ummm. OK. Let's drop that last one.
So think about it for a minute. What are you thankful for this year? I'll share with you five things I'm pretty grateful for.
1___Reading to soothe the mind
Here's two books I think you'll enjoy. No, they're not high literature. They won't require deep thoughts and you won't feel smarter when you finish them. But you will have a lot of fun:
Wayward, by Chuck Wendig. An incredible follow-up to Wendig’s prescient 2019 apocalyptic pandemic story, “Wanderers”. Did you ever wonder what happened to the survivors in Station 11 or The Stand? Wendig answers that question in “Wayward” and we get to peer into the lives of Benjy, Marcy and Shana as they try to build a new society in Ouray, Colorado.
I have to admit that I’ve been reluctant to read this, but that's because the week I finished reading Wanderers, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared.
The Investigator, by John Sandford. Letty Davenport was first introduced to the long lived “Prey” series in 2003 as a young girl. Ultimately she is adopted into the Davenport family and was a supporting character in both the Prey and spin-off Virgil Flowers series. From the beginning, Sandford fans have been clamoring for Letty to grow up and get her own series and the author finally answered the call with this first of a new series. Is it a great read? It's a good, breezy and fun read. In these times, I heartily endorse that kind of book.
2___Music to enlighten your ears
The Roadside EP, by Billy Idol: Honestly, I think the last time I even thought about Billy Idol was when I wondered what the heck he was doing in some random Adam Sandler movie that popped up in my feed.
But a few months ago I caught the last few bars of the single "Bitter Taste" on the radio. After some light Googling and figuring out what the song was, I've had it on nonstop replay ever since. Both the tune and the lyrics have moved something inside of me.
I guarantee, it will stick with you too. I suggest downloading the entire EP. The rest of the songs are worthy of your playlists.
3___TV to help you smile
The Outlaws, Season 1 & 2, Amazon Prime. Six disparate characters are assigned to do community service work in Bristol, England as punishment for some off-the-wall misdemeanors. Not surprisingly, they all come together and all sorts of hijinks ensue. While some of the plotting is a bit hokey, the show holds up because you find yourself really caring about the characters.
Fans of PBS’ Poldark will have to squint to recognize Eleanor Tomlinson as social media star Lady Gabby. Let's call this further evidence that she is a gifted actress. Let's also give a call out to Clare Perkins as community activist Myrna.
4___Food: The best Thanksgiving stuffing recipe
We have family members who threaten not to attend Thanksgiving dinner if this stuffing is not on the menu. We like them, a lot, so we always make it.
Ingredients:
4 C. Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 C. Fresh mushrooms
2 Large Onions chopped
1 Celery Bunch, Finely Chopped, 5 Stalks
4-5 Loafs Bread: Variety Styles, French, Sourdough, 9 Grain, and Cornbread: Open up bread in bags at let go stale for 1-2 days.
¼ t. Salt
¼ t. paprika
2 t. dry parsley
1 T ground sage (optional)
1 ¼ C. Broth
4 Eggs
Slice the bread and melt 2 C. butter. Brush bread slices and toast in the oven. Once golden brown, cut slices in cubes and set aside.
Sauté remaining 2 C Butter with mushrooms, onions, garlic, celery and seasoning. Sauté until they begin to brown and soften.
Combine bread with mushroom mix, add stock and mix well. Add in eggs and mix by hand (The mixing by hand is surprisingly fun!).
Put stuffing in large casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Doesn't that sound amazing? Don't you wish you were eating that right now? How could you possibly want anything else for your Thanksgiving dinner?
5___Something for your sanity: Service
Critics of our society say we don’t participate enough. Where are the volunteers? We all have our noses too deep in our phones, our tablets, our social sites.
I don’t entirely agree with this assessment. But I will admit that I think we aren't asking enough of ourselves or our public or civic cultures.
If it weren’t for my family, I would not have made it through the crazy whirlwind of the pandemic, the political nonsense season that never ends, the endless upheavals in my chosen profession. It's my family that has kept me grounded and moving forward, reminding me of what I am working for.
But there is one other thing that has made a big difference in my life. It has made sure that I remained socialized and outside the bubble of work zooms, databases, websites, social media. For me that was volunteering at Orphans of the Storm animal shelter where for a few hours each week I get to work as a dog walker, playgroup runner and volunteer at off-site events. The work is rewarding because I get to see the changes and improvements in the lives of the animals that find their way to the shelter. It is doubly rewarding because the professional staff and the volunteers are good people who try (and succeed) in doing something that is right and good and can help heal this world.
If you are finding this world a difficult space, a world that does not feel like home, I hope that you think about spending some time as a volunteer. It may help.
Your moment of Magazine gratitude
That’s all there is this week. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you did, please give it a boost by clicking “Like” and then subscribe. You’ll get a brand new release in your email in-box every Tuesday. Sometimes I even have some “bonus” content for you.
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If you’ve got a question or comment, please drop me a line. You can always reach me at joe.berger@newsstandpros.com.
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It’s only two more days until Thanksgiving and four more weeks to Christmas. I hope you have an easy rest of the week and that this holiday season is a good one for you and your loved ones.
See you all next week.