Five Things: September 14
Featuring a book, an artist, a tasty treat, my favorite part of the Minnesota State Fair, and a TV show.
Behold, the first Five Things in nearly two months! It’s likely to be a brief return, unfortunately – I’m out traveling over the next couple of weeks, and I’m also hot on the trail of a Tim Curry tribute post that I want to focus on finishing. Since it’s been a minute though, I wanted to take some time to quickly shout out some stuff I’ve enjoyed in the latter half of the summer.
Everything in Color by Stephanie Stalvey
Stephanie Stalvey is an artist I first encountered on Instagram. Her comics about growing up in a strict evangelical Christian household moved me. When I heard her first memoir had come out, I didn’t hesitate to scoop it.
This book uses stunning mixed-media illustrations to unpack the childhood programming Stephanie received about her body, the overwhelming threat of hell, and the rigid rule system she was supposed to follow. However, meeting her husband, James, and having a child enable her to cast aside her black and white view of the world and embrace a world full of color. (This is metaphorical and also literal, as Everything in Color uses black and white illustrations to depict Stephanie’s past and rich colors for events that take place after falling in love with James.)
I recommend this for everyone, but especially anyone who grew up enmeshed in the purity culture and domination that evangelical Christianity espouses. (Also consider supporting her on Patreon, where she’s posting previews of her second book.)
Little Dipper Art
On the last weekend in July, I have a tradition of going to the Loring Park Art Festival in Minneapolis with my parents and Kimberlite. We’ve picked up so many beloved household items at this fair, from flavored maple syrups to earrings to art prints.
This year, we purchased stickers, magnets, and greeting cards from Little Dipper Art, owned by Liz Derby. Liz makes minimalist art of Minnesota landmarks and nature. I love the Minneapolis Minimalism greeting card set, especially the First Ave picture that’s five white lines on a black background.
If you’re looking to spruce up your card collection, put some Minnesota art on your wall, or find a gift for a loved one, check out Little Dipper!
Pop’d hearts from HomeGrown Kitchen
Recently, Kimberlite and I traveled to Kansas City. We were staying in the Power and Light District downtown and looking for a quick breakfast we could take to-go and eat in the hotel. Enter HomeGrown Kitchen.
Our sweet tooths (er, sweet teeth?) were calling, so we were intrigued by the “pop’d hearts,” pastries that resemble the famous strudel. They come in brown sugar cinnamon and a rotating seasonal flavor; I got the standard and Kimberlite had lemon.
Brown sugar cinnamon was pretty good! The filling was a bit of a punch of cinnamon, but the pastry dough had a nice texture and yummy icing. I would love to come back another time and try a raspberry or strawberry version.
Unlimited milk at the Minnesota State Fair
I had a hard time deciding what in particular to highlight from the Minnesota State Fair. Kimberlite and I only went one day, but made the most of our time checking out the scarecrow exhibit (which incidentally allowed us to surreptitiously look at the crop art without waiting in a long line), a live piglet birth, the acrobatic Stunt Dogs, and more.
Simple as it is, I ultimately can’t stop thinking about the milk stand. I like milk anyway, but it hits differently when it’s fresh and foamy – not to mention $3 for unlimited refills is a steal. I dreamed of it in the last year before I was able to get my hands on some, and I’m going to continue dreaming of it until Labor Day 2027.
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian sitcom that aired 2004-2009. It follows the inhabitants of Dog River, a small town in the middle-of-nowhere Saskatchewan. Central to the action is the gas station Corner Gas, owned by Brent, and an attached cafe owned by Lacy. Supporting characters include Brent’s parents Oscar and Emma (my favorite characters), lovable loser Hank, genius gas station worker Wanda, and police officers Davis and Karen.
I watched the show growing up and was feeling nostalgic for it recently, so I started a rewatch. I’m happy to report it’s as funny as I remember. Please do yourself a favor and check it out; it’s streaming on Peacock. If you don’t want to start from the beginning for whatever reason, my favorite episode is episode 1.6, “World’s Biggest Thing.” Also, the Christmas episode from season 3 is a must-add to any holiday movie/TV rotation.