Welcome! I’m so glad you’ve found your way here. You Get-sy is a new project I started this fall to share the things I like — a way to connect good people to good people and share the love. Because this project is new and very much a work in progress, it is so helpful if you subscribe (thanks to you early subscribers!), and please feel free to leave a comment letting me know what you liked, what you’d love more of, or just a bit about yourself.
This missive is finding your inbox later than usual. Between the holidays and wrapping up teaching before winter break, it has been a busy couple of weeks! Thanks for being here in spite of the random timing of posts!
Some of you might be wondering… how did the name You Get-sy come to be? I think it is time to explain… A couple of years ago, before my daughter was born, my husband and I apparently had enough time on our hands to regularly read the New Yorker, and one week we came across this amusing article about what different people call their leftover dinner nights at home. We always called it (the somewhat boring and unoriginal) “leftovers,” but this piece was quickly devoured and torn out of the magazine so we could put it on our fridge. When brainstorming a name for this newsletter, we turned to the piece and “you getsy” popped out. “You Get-sy with Betsy” was born. Might it change at some point? It’s possible. Am I leaning into it for now? Yes!
[You Get-sy] Rec 1
The Night Before
In a busy start to winter and the holiday season, our family calendar has become filled with birthday celebrations, get togethers, festive activities, and trying to take advantage of all the fun events Missoula has to offer at this time of year. Last weekend a friend sent a last minute text asking if I wanted to join her and her family to see our local contemporary-modern dance company’s holiday show, The Night Before, directed by Joy French. My quick reply was “OH HELL YES!”
Bare Bait Dance is a nonprofit that owns and operates the Westside Theater and is committed “to nurturing the development, education, and presentation of the performing arts in Western Montana, particularly celebrating dance and all movement arts.” I highlighted local Missoula publication The Pulp in a recent You Get-sy, and they wrote a fantastic piece detailing this show.
As a kid, I lived across the street from our (very small) town’s performing arts center. My parents would give me five dollars, and I would walk over each and every day that a performance was happening, regardless of whether I had already seen the production 5 times. The Night Before is a show I’d love to catch again and again — it has me feeling like Childhood Betsy in all the best ways. I have not been able to stop raving about this delightful show to everyone I see. From wrapped gifts perched atop dancers heads to viscerally feeling the snow pouring out of dancers jackets and snow pants and the perfectly curated musical pieces, this show was truly a balm for the soul on a cold winter night. Limited tickets are still available for shows through this weekend, but you better act quickly before it wraps up for the season (and please take me with you!).
**If you don’t live Missoula-adjacent, find your local dance company and check out their offerings!
[You Get-sy] Rec 2
Dram Shop Wine Subscription
For about a year now I’ve been getting personalized wine picks from my dear friend, Elizabeth, who is the most knowledgeable about all things wine (especially natural wines) and has a knack for the perfect pairing. Every month I head to the Dram and pick up six curated bottles she’s selected for me along with notes on what to eat with that bottle and who to enjoy it with — sometimes it is my book club, Elizabeth herself, or every so often the advice is not to share at all! This Secret Wine Club is now not-so-secret because you, too, can sign up to get a curated wine package straight from Elizabeth every month. Head here for more information and details on the wine club, and let your tastebuds enjoy the ride. This would make a great gift this holiday season— the gift that truly keeps on giving!
[You Get-sy] Rec 3
Seeing the new Beyoncé movie with friends
Have I mentioned that it has been a busy holiday season!? It just keeps ramping up! Weeks ago a friend reached out via group text to coordinate a ladies evening to meet up and see the new Beyoncé movie, RENAISSANCE. It was a fun night filled with delicious wine (see above), more laughter than I’ve experienced in quite a while, and Beyoncé is nothing short of incredible. Admittedly I left the show early because the 3 hour run time was just too late for me on a school night, but I cannot wait to catch the other half asap! 10/10 would recommend getting together with friends for this experience.
Until next time, thanks for reading! xo