I truly have no idea where this month went. I was rushing towards deadlines for a big writing project and a big public lecture and then got it all done and then…things ground to a halt and I sort of toppled over. I guess I’ve been recharging for the past couple of weeks.

Reading: I’ve been rereading The Talented Mr. Ripley (it’s been ages since the last time) and now I want to dip into the sequels. And, a few Duchamp-related publications, see below.

Art: The major Marcel Duchamp exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art! I’ve been giving tours of this show. Off the clock, I spent an excellent afternoon at the Neue Galerie seeing a small, smart show on Egon Schiele plus many highlights from the permanent collection. A week later, the news broke that the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be absorbing the Neue Galerie in a couple of years. I have very mixed (mostly pessimistic?) feelings about this.

Video: Catching up on some Oscar-nominated movies, after the fact. Bugonia: enjoyed it more than I thought I would. One Battle After Another: enjoyed it a lot less than I thought I would. Train Dreams: cried, sighed, want to see it again sometime.

Drinks: It’s gin-and-tonic season! I was sad to finish off my last bottle of Corgi Spirits Earl Grey gin, a long-hoarded gift from friends.

(Tr)eats: Some rose-cardamom-fennel tea, supposed to alleviate heat, both physical and emotional (i.e., anger). We shall see. Omnom chocolate bars, a gift from SJ.

Beauty Products: Just a reminder that 19/99’s Precision Color Pencils are excellent, and Bolla is a perfect rose-pink shade. (Also, they do have sales from time to time.) I recently won a tote bag of treats from C.O. Bigelow (thank you!!), including some Dr. Hisous Quince Hand Lotion, which I already know and love, so that was a happy surprise.

Fragrances: I just bought a sample trio of Miskeo’s Rococo collection and I’m so glad I finally tried these. And a nice gift box from Soma Ayurveda just arrived, so I’ll be posting about a few of their scents on Instagram, etc. Otherwise, I’ve been wearing a lot of neroli-centered scents.

Garb: May’s weather has ranged from almost-freezing rain to 90-degree heat in my part of the world, so I’ve been juggling layers. Thank goodness, again, for my new denim jacket. Now that I hand-wash almost everything, rather than going to the dry-cleaner, I’m wearing my scarves even more often, and I acquired a new Anna Sui floral one for spring.

Pleasures: Seeing not one, but two memorable Broadway productions, thanks to CH (frequent winner of lottery tickets!). Going perfume-shopping (or perfume-browsing, at least) for the first time in ages. Catching up with my friend JP over dinner and cocktails. Getting some much-needed fresh air, even just in the local parks.

Up Next: Trying out search engines other than Google. (Any recommendations? I’ve just downloaded Ecosia.) Getting more talks/lectures onto my calendar. Heading up to the Met and down to the Whitney to see their current exhibitions.

What have you been up to lately?