An Austrian Impressionist, how we end US poverty, and a great toothbrush

The Week That Was

Oct 06, 2024

‘The Week That Was’ is a free weekly newsletter that includes a selection of things on my mind (books, art, culture, slow life(style), global affairs, learnings, travel, etc.) as well as articles and podcasts I enjoyed during the week, an album of the week, and other recommendations. If you enjoy these topics, consider becoming a paid subscriber. For $5 a month, you can access the rest of the We, Renaissance Women content, including my monthly book round-up, travel guides, life(style) essays and interviews, and the country bulletin series.

1. October Plans in Chicago

A delicious Peruvian meal at Kayao and some much-needed new make-up bits.

October has always been one of my favourite months, both because it is my birthday month and because I thoroughly enjoy the transition into autumnal activities and routines. The past couple of weekends have already hinted at a slower pace filled with home-cooked hearty meals, evenings at home, and plans to take advantage of Chicago’s colder-weather activities.

At the beginning of each month, I like to make a little plan for the activities, social events, restaurants, day trips, etc., that I want to do this month. It helps to keep my ever-expanding list manageable and allows me to sidestep thoughts of not doing enough. Here are some of the things on the agenda this month.

Chicago Restaurants

This weekend, we went with some friends to Kayao, a new Peruvian restaurant in Chicago, and it was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend for a date night or a fancier meal. Our friends also were gushing about Maxwell’s Trading, so I have made a reservation there for later in the month. Offering a fusion of Indian and Mexican cuisines (my favourites), Mirra is high on my list to try, as are Fat Peach Bakery’s small-batch, handmade pastries.

Chicago Activities

This month, Chicago Fair Trade is holding a couple of clothing swaps, which I will attend and assist with (they have asked me to help style—exciting!). They have a big fall clothing swap next weekend (11th-13th) and then one at the Chicago Cultural Center (under the Tiffany dome!) on October 24th. Find out more here.

I plan on making the most of this year’s Open House Chicago (Oct 19-20th), when you can tour architecturally, historically, and culturally significant sites throughout Chicago. Many of the sites are not normally open to the public!

October also sees the Chicago Film Festival returning, and tickets are on sale now! The hard part is narrowing your viewings down to a manageable schedule. And the commencement of this Joffrey Ballet’s season. I will absolutely be going to see Atonement this month.

Birthday Plans

I’m still figuring out all the details for my birthday plans, but I do know that my Mum is going to come and visit for the weekend, and I will absolutely be taking advantage of the day off I get from work. Plus, my boyfriend and I have booked a glamping nature weekend at one of the Getaway cabins.

Now you see why October is my favourite month!

2. A Fun French Film: Sibyl

It sounds cliche, but I love a French film. Even the ones that are not that great are still fun to watch, and Sibyl definitely falls into that category.

The film tells the story of Sibyl, a psychotherapist who is craving to get back into writing a novel and ends up breaking the profession’s code of ethics by using one of her patient’s stories to get her creative juices flowing. Sibyl herself is dealing with a complicated personal life and alcohol issues while her patient-muse is involved in a messy affair with an actor with whom she is starring in a film that the wife is directing.

It’s pretty silly, but I enjoyed it as an evening watch. It’s chic and sexy (obviously), and if I’m going to watch something light, it is going to be a dramatic French film with too many emotions and great clothes.

3. Within Our Means Newsletter

The Within Our Means Newsletter is a new biweekly newsletter from VOX written by Abdallah Fayyad that “interrogates how poverty manifests in the United States — how it shapes people’s lives, neighborhoods, and even politics — and searches for viable solutions.”

The first issue examines why so many Americans continue to live in poverty and what needs to be done to end it. Poverty can be eradicated in the United States; we just have to decide that we are committed to ending it.

“Now there is nothing new about poverty,” Martin Luther King, Jr. said nearly 60 years ago. “What is new at this point though, is that we now have the resources, we now have the skills, we now have the techniques to get rid of poverty. And the question is whether our nation has the will.”

I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing where this newsletter goes and what solutions it explores for eradicating poverty. (I work in this field and know that we have the solutions, just not always the will.)

If you are interested in this topic, here are a couple of book recommendations:

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott
Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation by John Freeman

4. A Delightful Toothbrush

Introducing possibly the most delightful toothbrush* you have ever seen or used. Does it seem a bit silly to be so invested in the aesthetics of a toothbrush? Well, yes, but we do have to use it twice a day, and if there is anything I care about the aesthetics of, it is things I am amusing multiple times a day.

Mine arrived this week and I am quite taken with it. The “winter fern” colour is lovely (and fits the colours of our bathroom), but the slim, streamlined body is *chef’s kiss*. It is so light, making it nice to use and look at. It comes with a handy little magnetic mirror/wall mount and an optional (extra) UV travel case to keep it clean. You only need to charge it ONCE A MONTH, and the heads are replaceable with recyclable heads.

I did not know I could be so infatuated with a toothbrush, but the world is continuously surprising.

*(A reminder that - apart from books - there are no affiliate links here!)

5. The Artist: Norbertine Bresslern-Roth

All prints by Norbertine Bresslern-Roth, sourced via Daily Art Magazine

These stunning prints are by the Austrian Impressionist Norbertine Bresslern-Roth. Her talent was fostered from a young age by her elementary school teacher. Then, in 1911, she began her professional career at a time when women were still banned from Austria’s art schools.

A long-time lover of nature, animals, from the domestic to the savage, were her primary subjects, often depicted in motion. She longed for humans to coexist harmoniously with both nature and animals. Over the years, she became touted as among the most important animal painters of the 20th century.

Norbertine Bresslern-Roth, *The Lion*, 1928, private collection. The Annex Galleries.

While she worked in various mediums, her specialty was linoleum cuts (linocuts). From Daily Art Magazine, “To make a linocut, an artist carves a relief image into a piece of linoleum, then prints the reversed image onto paper or fabric. This technique, based on woodcutting, benefits from the more malleable nature of linoleum.”

H. Lipsky, Bresslern-Roth working, GrazMuseum.

6. Questions to Ask Yourself to Help Discover Your Passions and Values

Paella and beautiful coasters are also increasingly on my mind.

Last time, I shared some questions to ask yourself for a more intentional autumn. This week, we are keeping the autumn reflections going with some more prompts for your journaling or self-reflection exercises. These are some questions I like to use when I am thinking about my passions and values and how my current day-to-day life aligns with them.

What activities make me lose track of time because I’m so immersed in them?
When was the last time I felt excited about learning something new? What was it?
When do I feel most alive and energized? What am I doing in those moments?
What are my non-negotiables in relationships, work, and personal commitments?
How do I want to be remembered?
What small changes could I make to ensure I live more authentically according to my values and passions?
What do I need to let go of to create space for what I truly care about?
What fears or doubts are holding me back from pursuing my passions fully?
When do I feel out of alignment?
If I could design my ideal life around my passions and values, what would that look like?
How can I use my passions and values to contribute to my community?