Your rather confused Heyday Friday newsletter
A conundrum I need your help with, a delicious vegan recipe, a delightful film recommendation and a telling reflection on old age in this week's newsletter
Hello!
Something rather odd happened with last week’s newsletter which I’d love your help in figuring out.
Since I started sending out these Heyday missives nearly five (five!) years ago (they used to arrive via Mailchimp before I switched to Substack), the open rate has happily bobbed along around the 60% mark, something for which I am eternally grateful, especially considering the general open rate for newsletters is substantially lower than that.
Last week, for the first time in all those years, the newsletter was only read by 40% of all you lovely Heydayers, and I’m wondering why.
Could it be that lots of you were/are on holiday and - quite rightly - not looking at emails, even the lovely, life-enhancing ones?
Is it that the content in it just didn’t appeal?
Or is it that you’ve disconcertingly suddenly fallen out of love with These Are The Heydays and what’s on offer here and on the HEYDAYS WEBSITE?
Clearly I’m very much hoping it’s option one of those three. But I’d love to know.
Obviously if it is, a) it might happen again this week, and b) you won’t be able to tell me because you’ll still be sunning yourself on a beach/exploring somewhere new/having a summer holiday digital detox.
But if you’re back (and I hope you had a wonderful time whatever you were doing, or not doing) and reading your emails again, or if it was the didn’t-much-like-what-was-in-it reason, please do just drop me either a reassuring ‘Like’ heart or a comment at the end. Either would go a long way to soothing my over-anxious writer’s mind.
Thank you.
Mindful of that confusing dip and the very real possibility that you are experiencing the same summer screen fatigue as I am, I’m not going to overload you with stuff to read this week, so there’s no blog. Just a lovely light helping of fun, food, and fab recommendations (not to mention a generous sprinkling alliteration).
Starting with this
FRIDAY FUNNY
which I expect will strike a cord with anyone who’s ever had teenagers living in their home.
I pretty much never eat red meat nowadays, and am cutting down on the amount of chicken I consume too, generally preferring fish or vegetarian. This delicious Mindful Chef recipe is actually vegan, simple to make and ready in just 30 minutes.
MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED PEPPERS & PARSLEY GREMOLATA
This amount will serve two people.
Preheat the oven to 220C, 200C fan, gas mark 7
Halve two red peppers lengthways and remove the seeds. Put into a lined baking tray, drizzle with a bit of oil and bake for 15 mins until soft.
Meanwhile finely slice one onion and drain and rinse 230g lentils. Heat a medium frying pan with 2tsp oil on a medium heat. Once hot add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the lentils, 200g passata, 40g sundried tomatoes chopped, 1tbsp olive tapenade, 2tbsp red pesto, and a small handful of chopped flat leaf parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 miins until thickened.
Make the gremolata by mixing together 20g ground almonds (you can do this with breadcrumbs if you want to make it nut free), a small handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, 2tsp oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Take the peppers out of the oven, spoon in the lentil mixture and top with the gremolata. Bake in the oven for a further 10-12 mins until the topping is crisp and golden.
Serve with a side salad.
WHAT’S MADE ME HAPPY THIS WEEK
Partly prompted by lovely Heydayer Karen’s comment last week, and entirely thanks to how much joy it brings me, not just this week, but throughout the year, my garden is the star of this little-helping-of-good-cheer slot. Especially looking as it did at the weekend ready to host a sunny get-together with friends and family.
THIS WEEK I’VE BEEN…..WATCHING
Mostly that’s the Olympics - which I have on every moment I’m at home (the swimming is taking place as I write this, with the result it’s taking a lot longer to compose than usual!), and which will almost certainly be the subject of next week’s blog on account of its impossibly compelling combination of drama, triumph, heartache, and heart-wrenching, heart-soaring stories. And the memories it evokes of a golden time for me and many others (you can find out what that was next week).
My lovely fella (who’s currently in Paris watching the daughter of friends taking part in the women’s 20km walk in which she won bronze earlier this morning) and I did drag ourselves away from the TV to see this delightfully entertaining film in the cinema, but which will be just of much as an enjoyable watch on the small screen when it arrives there.
When nonagenarian Thelma - played, in her first starring role, by well-known character actress, 94 year old June Squibb - is phone scammed out of $10,000, inspired by Mission Impossible she determines to take revenge and embarks on a quest to retrieve her hard-saved cash. The unlikely action heroine co-opts fellow pensioner Ben - marvellous Richard Rowntree in his last performance - and, critically, his mobility scooter, to track down the perpetrators, and a wonderfully funny chase and confrontation ensues, whilst Thelma’s increasingly alarmed family try to figure out what’s going on and track her down.
The choice of first-time writer-director Josh Margolin, who made Thelma in tribute to his own beloved grandmother, to shoot and edit the necessarily slowed down action as if it is a Tom Cruise film, adds to the comic delight. As does the surprise appearance of another long-time screen star, also relishing playing up his advanced years.
Sweet without ever tipping into sentimentality, Thelma acknowledges the limitations of old age, but pushes back at society’s inclination to infantalise and marginalise older people. It’s a film that’s as warm and funny as it is tear-jerking and heartfelt. See it if you can.
At the time of writing Thelma is on in cinemas in the UK. Look out for it on streaming services and watch the trailer HERE
I rather love these
WORDS OF WISDOM
about old age from 19th century French writer Jules Renard, which Thelma would definitely agree with
That’s it for this week, I’m back to watching the Olympics. Who knew kayaking could be so exciting.
I can’t offer you a medal if you click the ‘Like’ heart or leave a comment, but I can promise either will fill me with almost as much joy as watching all those incredible athletes.
See you next time
Always puts a smile on my face😀
Ps I’m making that yummy recipe for dinner this evening 😋