The Girl's Guide
Issue 105: On the Home Front (feat. Mary Frances Myler)
Welcome back to The Girl’s Guide — I hope you had a spectacular Leap Day! If you missed the most recent issue, find it here.
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We Love You, Nana
In February, we lost Nick’s maternal grandmother Brenda Scears, a.k.a Nana. We are devastated that she is gone too soon but take comfort in the fact that she loved Jesus with her whole heart. She and Nick had a truly special grandmother-grandson relationship, and I have been lucky to be welcomed into the family. And Margot couldn’t have asked for a better Grand-Nana.
Here is an excerpt from Brenda’s obituary written by Nick’s mom Kelly: “Brenda was known for her crazy antics and her ability to make everyone laugh as she recounted her various pratfalls. She also gave good advice, making her a wise counsel to her friends and family. She was truly a caretaker which was made clear not only by her daily acts of kindness to those around her, but also in her service to her community.”
I’ll always remember how Nana could make friends with anyone, anywhere — even the Aldi checkout line. She also quickly became beloved by my side of the family even though she only visited North Carolina twice. We could all learn a thing or two from Nana.
In honor of Nana, please send in your favorite memories with or advice from your grandparents for the Reader’s Corner section. You don’t have to write a full-on essay — a few sentences is great. You can send me your submission by replying to this email. And check out my 2022 newsletter featuring advice from readers’ grandmothers.
Interview with Mary Frances Myler
Today’s interview is
— if you like my Substack, then you should definitely check out her Substack The Home Front. Connect with Mary Frances on Twitter and Instagram.What does your life look like right now?
I moved to DC in September, and I’ve spent the past few months embracing life in a new city with a new job. As I’m starting to put down new roots here, I’m trying to find a balance between work, social time, and time to rest and recharge. On the average day, that looks like reading in the morning, writing during the day, and spending my evenings either chatting with a friend, hitting a workout class, or cooking with my boyfriend. We dated long-distance for almost a year, so I’m super happy to be living in the same city!
What do you love about your neighborhood?
I live in the Cathedral Heights neighborhood with a friend from college, and I absolutely love the area. The neighborhood is a little off the beaten path, and our apartment looks out over a little nature preserve, so it feels like a little woodland retreat. I also love having the National Cathedral only a few blocks away.
What's your advice to a young woman who wants to make the most out of her college years?
You’re an adult — act like it. It sounds harsh, but I think there’s a temptation to treat college (or your 20s in general) like extended adolescence when it’s meant to be an important time of growth and development.
I don’t know anyone who regrets building good work habits, finding good friends, taking on responsibilities, and learning how to prioritize the things that matter. It can sound harsh, but the habits you form in college will carry over into post-grad life, and you owe it to yourself to build a good foundation now instead of waiting for life to hopefully sort itself out after graduation.
What's your favorite memory or lesson from your grandparents?
My last name doesn’t show it, but my family has Polish ancestry, and my maternal grandpa and paternal grandma both grew up speaking Polish. We’ve kept a lot of traditions alive in our family, especially for the holidays, and we always listen to Polish koledy (carols) at Christmas. When we have the whole family together, my brother will play koledy on the piano, and my grandparents will sing the Polish lyrics they learned as children. I love that they’ve kept those family traditions alive for us, and I’m excited to someday pass them on to my own family.
What's an interest or hobby you have that surprises people?
Most people don’t know that I love sailing! Growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan, my dad took us out in a little Sunfish sailboat all the time in the summers, and then I raced competitively throughout high school. It was my dream sport. I’d spend about eight hours on the water each week after school for practice, and then our regattas would last all day. I don’t get to sail as much anymore, but it’s still my favorite way to spend a windy afternoon in the summer.
Got Merch?
The Girl’s Guide now has MERCH thanks to my collab with 917 Strategies, the conservative PR firm recently founded by Sarah Selip. Sarah has an entire merch shop you’ll want to check out, and I’m very excited for our "Girl’s Girl ≠ Feminist” collection available now. It’s a cheeky way to acknowledge that just because you don’t feel like you can get behind modern feminism, that doesn’t mean you love or support your fellow women any less.
Use promo code GIRLSGUIDE15 to get 15% off your mug, tote bag, or sticker — or anything else in the store! Code is valid through March 8, 2024.
The Haps
The Gilmore Girls Memoir We Didn’t Know We Needed
I feel like Hollywood is flooded with memoirs from stars who barely have a career long enough to pull three anecdotes from. That’s not the case with Kelly Bishop, who is known for her role as Emily Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. Bishop’s memoir will be released this fall. She’ll share memories from her storied career on Broadway, in film, and of course, in television. Did you know she has a Tony? Learn more details here.
Cherry Blossoms Are Coming!
Sure, living and working in DC is a grind, but it *almost* becomes worth it when you see those gorgeous cherry blossoms blooming around the Tidal Basin. Peak bloom is expected early this year because of warm winter temperatures. Find out the exact prediction dates and more by clicking here.
Here are more links to what I’m reading and writing lately:
How To Style Your Bed In 6 Simple Steps: My latest for Evie Magazine — you can do better than a bed-in-a-bag.
EXCLUSIVE: From The White House To The Bachelor, Season 28 Alum Marlena Haddad Tells All: I interviewed Marlena (who’s no stranger to DC) about her journey to The Bachelor.
7 Items I Wish I Put On My Registry When I Got Married: Friend of the ‘stack Kayla Panchak makes her debut in Evie Magazine!
Popping the Pill: Patricia Patnode writes about why Plan B is not just a contraceptive Tic Tac in The American Mind.
I Used To Be An Influencer—Here’s Why I Stopped: Alina Clough writes about how tempting it is to monetize yourself in the digital age.
Bulletin Board
Join author Carrie Sheffield for the launch of her book, Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness, on Tuesday, March 12.
Love reading your Girl’s Guide Dearest Evie! Knowing these Beloved Ladies in our family, I’m certain how very proud your Mother, Sister, Grandmothers, Great-Grandmothers, Aunts, and Cousins are of our Evie!