Happy Friday, friends. I have not felt inspired to write a standalone Consumed in a minute because my mind has been consumed by the amount of work on my plate! I hope this Friday Five brings you laughter, comfort, and a little relief. We could all use it.
Song: I recently watched “Despicable Me” after years of fawning over the minions from a distance. Those yellow blobs are everywhere — whoever is leading their merchandising strategy has not slept in years. The film was extremely cute (no surprise!), but what a delight it was to learn that Pharrell composed the entire soundtrack.
If you’re on TikTok, you’ve probably heard “Just a Cloud Away” from the second film and probably didn’t even know it was from the Despicable Me universe. Both soundtracks are full of gems! This song sounds like late-2000s N.E.R.D. (“Seeing Sounds” for the stans) without any of the raunchiness. It’s sunshine on your skin in musical form. Listening to it on repeat and imagining a world where Pharrell produces Kidz Bop from here on out.
Poem: Rounding out Poetry Month with Raymond Carver’s dazzling “Rain.” New York has been brutally grey this past month and I found a great deal of relief reading this, sharing that same urge to lie in bed all day long. Maybe you’ll stay under the covers a little extra on your next rainy day, you deserve it.
Food Tips: The responses to this request for salad dressing have upped my salad game already. I’m adding maple syrup and fruit jams to my dressing now, and more miso.
Work of Art: Have you ever wondered how saxophones are made? Me neither. The brilliant people behind Sesame Street made this incredible segment which takes you BTS (Behind the Sax) with perfectly timed improvised jazz playing. It’s educational content that will make you lol.
Joyful Internet Content:
Searchingly — hyacinths,
Roya