Weekend Open Thread

This is a photo from June when we took a trip to Missouri to visit my family. And as this post publishes, this is probably the scene again at this very moment. Jackson and I are en route back to Missouri to spend a long weekend with my parents. We’re scheduled to land before dinner. A few weeks ago over FaceTime, my mom said the two most magical of words in the world to Jackson and she said them together, making them even more powerful: train museum, and now, every morning when he wakes up, Jack says, “Going to see nana and papa in [however many days are left], gonna go to the TRAIN MUSEUM!” He feels the same way about trains and museums and TRAIN MUSEUMS as I do about champagne and beaches and CHAMPAGNE AT THE BEACH.

Anyway, I won’t be back to NYC until Tuesday evening, but I’ve got a few posts lined up and may have a little time while I’m away to do some work, so posting should be normal while I’m gone. But since I won’t be moderating comments as much, please play nice and all that jazz. I’m nominating, um, Captainswife to make sure everyone’s on good behavior. Are you up for the task, CW? I feel like you’re the woman for the job. If anyone gets outta line, you tell ’em what’s what.

Also! The donation drive is going through the weekend. There’s still time to donate! It doesn’t look like we’ll get close to the original goal of $5000, but hitting $2500 would still mean most, if not all, the bills would be paid for the next six months and I could breathe a sigh of relief, even if there isn’t much cushion beyond that. I’ll just have to work extra hard to increase revenue elsewhere. So, can you help get the total to $2500? Any amount helps — a one-time donation of $5 or $10, or a recurring monthly $5 donation, all add up to help make a big difference. I know that for a lot of people this site is more than just a blog — it’s a community. It’s where you come to share good news or find support when things are shitty. Many of you have met in person, you’ve formed friendships both online and off. If that describes you — if you find value in visiting this site and can spare a few bucks, please consider showing your support and investing in the future of DW. Your donation will help keep the site going.

If you like this site — if it provides entertainment for you or emotional support or a way to just kill a little time during the long hours at your office job, and if you feel inclined and are able to, please consider donating here. For the price of a pumpkin latte or a fashion magazine, you can help ensure this site continues. Here’s where your donations go and what they help cover. If you do donate, be sure to include your mailing address in your notes section if you’d like to be added to my holiday gift list. Big thank you to everyone who has donated (70+ so far, in addition to nearly 60 people who are already recurring monthly donors!). I’m really touched and honored that so many of you care enough to invest in the future of the site. I’ve also gotten some really sweet and touching emails from people who aren’t able to donate now but wanted me to know what the site means to them. That kind of morale-boosting is priceless, especially with a labor-of-love project like this, and I thank you for taking the time to reach out.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!