Hi friend, welcome back.

If you're new here — I'm May, and this is The Sprezza Diary, a bi-weekly letter about books, slow living, wine & food, and the quiet questions that come up when you're trying to figure out what comes next. Glad you're here.

Breathes in and tries to channel a random British middle aged man “It’s bloody hot out!” and like everything else in life, not having shade is political.

With the influx of newcomers to Florida in the last few years, I’ve noticed how new development has sprawled on the west coast around the Tampa Bay area. To accommodate this, local counties have allowed for new development to rise in these locations. On one hand, it makes sense to build more housing since the country as a whole has been at historic lows for housing construction. The problem, however, is that Florida is considered a business-friendly state, which signals to builders that they can fast-track construction and turn profits quickly with little regard for the environment. This is why we see these companies bulldoze every tree to make it faster to level the dirt, lay concrete roads, and build homes. Developers are allowed to cut down 50-year-old oak trees if they plant small, decorative trees later. But even with planting young trees, they grow very slowly in Florida's intense heat. It takes over a decade for a newly planted sapling to grow a canopy large enough to provide good shade. A 2015 article explains how the law allows this in Florida and shows that there are a few ways builders take advantage if a city tries to enforce them to preserve 50% of existing oak trees. For example, with “The Bert Harris Act,” the builder can claim that the city is destroying their profit margins by burdening them with the preservation of existing trees.¹ To make matters worse, after construction comes the insurance factor. Because Florida’s property insurance is highly volatile due to factors like frequent hurricanes, they heavily scrutinize roof age and wind mitigation factors. If a homeowner tries to plant a “big tree,” an insurance surveyor could flag it within a few years if the branches are close to the home structure, prompting the homeowner to cut down those shade trees to avoid increases in their insurance premiums.² So, Florida residents have two options: pay for a new overpriced shadeless build or pay a high premium for a more established home with shade. Without trying to point out the obvious, with more shade, people would be able to spend more time outside, to garden, to go on a walk, to walk the dogs, to make more meaningful connections with other human beings. There is the economic aspect also: with more shade, the AC runs less, and the power bill does not go through the roof during the summertime.

Living in a new development often means spending a lot of time indoors. Most of the time, friends plan to meet up in the evenings if they want to enjoy the outdoors. Perhaps in about a decade, when the trees have grown, everyone will be able to enjoy a shady hot girl summer outside.

Moral Disorder & Other Stories by Margaret Atwood

Earlier this year, I decided to write a small review of whatever fiction book I was reading each month to practice writing. However, I realized I don’t know how or what to write when I absolutely dislike a book. I kept thinking that maybe I wasn’t the right audience or didn’t understand the story well enough. So, I abstained from writing a review for the month of June. Instead, I went back to the classics and picked up Moral Disorder by Margaret Atwood. I’m halfway through it, and appreciating immensely. Her talent is unquestionable. She writes in such a clever way that I’m inspired to continue writing my silly little book reviews.

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

Don’t judge, but I was in the mood for some romantasy, and this one had really good reviews on Fable and Goodreads. So, I had high expectations. The story was very unique; as the title implies, it was about a kingdom that owned a massive bridge, which allowed Ithicana (the kingdom) to influence trade between other kingdoms. The storyline, scene descriptions, and supporting characters were superb. My only issue was the main character. She was a combination of badassery and foolishness. I expected her to be more assertive than what the book had to offer. So I kind of rushed through the last few chapters to get to the end.

‘Tis the season for a Lillet Spritz!³ I’ve been craving a refreshing cocktail and a quick Pinterest search landed me on this drink. Extremely easy to make. You need a bottle of Lillet Rosé, Prosecco, Club Soda, orange slices, and voilà.

With range, always —
May