The Joy - 20 August 2021

w/ Sally Douglas from the grief podcast:
'Good Mourning'

The Joy is your weekly read, a chance to meet cool people, find a reason to smile and nab a cheeky deal while you're at it - all before the day has even begun.

This week is a little sway from the usual pep; not all joy comes from overt positivity.   If you could do with some relatable grief, today we offer something a little different.

Sal is one part of the duo behind a dedicated podcast that seeks to open up discussion and help sadness feel less awkward, and with good humour.

Hey Sal! Tell us: 

What do you do - and why do you love it? ❤️

I co-host and produce Good Mourning, which is a grief-focused podcast and Instagram community. Our focus is to share candid and compassionate conversations and resources around loss. I started it with my co-host Imogen after our mums both died suddenly, and we struggled to find relatable resources that talked honestly about the complex experience that is grief.

What I love most about what we've created at Good Mourning is being able to support others in their grief journey. Our mission is to help others feel less alone and shine a light on what can still be a taboo topic.


What are you currently working on? ✍️

We have lots in the pipeline. I can't say much more at the moment, other than watch this space! We're also hosting a panel discussion about grief at next year's Vivid Sydney, with a lineup of amazing Australian change-makers joining us.

What are you watching? 📺

I'm watching This Way Up with Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan on Stan. It's a funny – and often a teeny bit heartbreaking – comedy series about mental health and sisterhood. I love anything Sharon Horgan acts in, but it's also refreshing to see a comedy that tackles mental health in a relatable way.

What are you reading? 📖

I'm reading Queen of Clubs by Tava O'Halloran and it's absolutely brilliant. It's an account of her life as an Aussie ex-pat in London and how she accidentally became a nightclub entrepreneur in East London, the humorous, dark and captivating world of clubland and her journey to sobriety.

Who is inspiring you right now? 📱

I'm enjoying Funny Business, which is a podcast for free thinkers and creators, hosted by two hilarious blokes called Lachie and Robbie. I also love @perspectivetheblog which is a collaborative platform that encourages anyone to submit a piece of creative writing.

What do you drink when you’re not drinking? 🍷

I switch between a non-alcoholic G&T, lemon and lime bitters and herbal tea.

What's your go-to snack that brings you joy? 🥨

Dark chocolate. All of it.

What is your most joyful memory? ☀️

Aside from my own wedding, it would be the wedding of two of my best mates from uni in Sri Lanka, where my husband also proposed. It was a massive, two weeks uni reunion and the most fun time with a bunch of good mates.


What has brought you joy this week?

Getting back into doing Barre classes (at home, as we are in lockdown). It feels good to move and stretch. Also, taking my dogs to the groomers and seeing them looking all spruced up afterwards always brings me joy!

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Thanks for sharing with us!

Learn more about Good Mourning at their website 

or follow on Instagram: @goodmourningpodcast

 

Cocktail of the Week 🍸

INGREDIENTS

45 ml Ovant Royal
10 ml Sugar Syrup (or 2 tsp of sugar) 
30 ml Lemon Juice
1 tsp blackberry jam
(or a handful of blackberries in a pinch)
2 - 3 medium-sized mint leaves

METHOD

Can be shaken or stirred - but better shaken. Combine all ingredients into your shaker with ice, give a hard shake and strain into a short glass topped up with ice (though, classically poured over crushed ice).

GARNISH

Garnish with a couple of mint leaves, a twist of lemon or even a scattering of blackberries and you're golden.

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Have a recipe to share? Let us know! Send a photo and we may feature it in an upcoming Joy!

 

📖 Joy Story  📖

Gay men allowed to give blood for the first time in the UK

All donors will also now be asked the same questions about their sexual behaviours regardless of their gender or sexuality. The changes are expected to come into effect in Northern Ireland in September.

 

Olympic Cameraman films cockroach instead of final moments of field hockey match

With just over 5 minutes left in the game and Argentina holding a 1-0 lead, the camera cut to the creepy crawler scuttling across a ledge at the event.