Good morning. Summer's coming to a close soon. Regardless of how you feel about the passage, you're still, to some extent, in control of how you spend the time.
Out of seasonYou are going to encounter people this weekend who will tell you that there's one week left of summer. You don't have to believe them. You don't have to be one of them. You can join me and the other equinoctials (do you think this term could catch on?) who live by the almanac. We're not going gentle into our woolly cardigans until Sept. 22, the actual first day of fall. We're savoring every last tomato, still sentimental about late sunsets, weirdly fond of that residual itch in a fading mosquito bite. Every time summer turns to fall, I do this. I try to articulate to anyone who will indulge me why one time of year is better than another, to make a case for why light and warm is superior to dark and cold. It's a losing game: I'm burning whatever daylight is left arguing for why the earth should revolve differently, powerless against nature. I feel like Werner Herzog in "Burden of Dreams," railing at the jungle: "Even the stars up here in the sky look like a mess. There is no harmony in the universe." There is no harmony in the universe, so we try to create some with the calendar. Labor Day arrives and we shift gears, shift wardrobes and menus and mind-sets. Maybe our gaits get faster. Summer self is self-indulgent; fall self is all determination. Summer self puts things off and fall self gets things done. There's a harmony and a rhythm to our seasonal incarnations that keeps things interesting, divides existence intomovements: adagio, andante, allegro. "Transitions are hard," a colleague said to me today. She was joking around, being melodramatic about how she'd just arrived at the office and needed a minute to collect herself before a meeting began. But the transition from summer to fall, as anyone who's ever tried to get a child ready for the first day of school can tell you, can be a particularly challenging one. And it doesn't necessarily get better when you're decades removed from going to school yourself. Summer's all potential, all expectation. The end of summer is, inevitably, some of that potential unrealized, some of those expectations unmet. A little mourning might be appropriate. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Whether you believe that summer's finito in a week or that we've still got time, there's this weekend to exploit. This weekend, late August, 2024, wherever you find yourself, however you find yourself. Will you be stocking up on school supplies? Dropping someone off at college? Will you spend the weekend hunting down the perfect peach? Maybe you're working, or worrying, or lying in a hammock watching the clouds. What do you want to do? How do you want things to go? This weekend, like every weekend, you've got choices. For more
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🎸 Short 'n' Sweet (Out now): Sabrina Carpenter became pretty famous this year. Her song "Espresso" was near ubiquitous, so much so that it started a conspiracy theory about why Spotify seemed to be recommending it to everyone, no matter their taste. Carpenter also supported Taylor Swift on tour, and social media buzzed about her relationship with the "Saltburn" star Barry Keoghan. Given her sudden ubiquity, it might be surprising learn that this is Carpenter's sixth album. Her star has been a slow burner. She was, as Shaad D'Souza wrote in The Times, formerly a member of "pop's middle class": internet favorites whose celebrity outmatched their commercial success. This album — and her tour, which begins next month — will likely solidify her pop ascendancy.
Sweet Corn PuddingIt's been an excellent corn season here in the Northeast, with the ears in green-husked profusion at farmers' markets everywhere. I like to spend the first few weeks of corn season devouring them simply, just boiled, buttered and salted. But a month in, it's time to branch out and add juicy kernels to salads, sautés, sheet-pan meals and even dessert. Eric Kim's sweet corn pudding is a mild, creamy custard based on majarete, a popular treat in parts of Latin America. It's made by simmering corn cobs in milk, then using the infused liquid as the base of a cornstarch-thickened pudding scented with vanilla. As an added bonus, the cook gets to nibble on the milk-poached corn on the cob, a delicious byproduct that gives you something to snack on while waiting for the custard to chill.
The Hunt: A retired schoolteacher sought a new start in Southern California with less than $800,000. Which home did she choose? Play our game. What you get for $3 million: A 1911 Arts and Crafts estate in Portland, Ore.; a four-bed, four-bath in Charlotte, N.C.; or an 1870 brick townhouse in Boston.
Relationships: The breakup of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck shows the risks of rekindling a romance. Here are four questions to ask before reuniting with an ex. Calm spaces: Airlines and hotels are working to ease the challenges of neurodivergent travelers. Letter of Recommendation: "I kept failing to learn French. This is what finally worked." Mental health: Matthew Perry's death has shone a harsh light on the use of ketamine to treat depression. Dreaded drops: Do you really need dilation at every eye exam? Here's what the evidence suggests.
Good drugstore beauty productsWirecutter's beauty editors have kissed a lot of frogs: sticky lip glosses, chalky foundations, noxious shampoos … the list goes on. They've also learned that hidden among the thousands of beauty items crowding drugstore shelves are some stellar standouts, like cheap-but-effective skin care, great hair tools and makeup dupes for much pricier brands. They've compiled the best finds in this guide to the best drugstore beauty products. A good drugstore product is not only inexpensive and readily available, but it's also one you find yourself buying again and again. — Hannah Morrill
Little League World Series: Four teams of kids are competing for youth sports glory this weekend in Williamsport, Pa., and the rest of us get to enjoy some nostalgic fun. This is for anyone who took part in Little League, or cheered for a sibling in left field, or rode their bike down to the park to hang out and eat junk food while a game played out nearby. Taoyuan City, Taiwan, plays Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in the international final today at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. The U.S. final — Boerne, Texas, vs. Lake Mary, Fla. — follows at 3:30 p.m. The winners play in the championship tomorrow. All games on ABC
Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were potable and tabletop. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com.
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2024/08/24
The Morning: Savoring the end of summer
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