Week 49

 

Are you tired of these photos from the bluff? Tough. When Joel and I shared things we've been thankful for this year, the bluff was pretty close to the top. This year especially, it's been there to give me perspective in all the ways I've needed. It's helped me appreciate all the seasons - the growth and the death and renewal of things, the change of the sun's path, the muddy paths that become dusty and then muddy again. It has given me a way to view depth and shadow and my ability to be above it all. It's a place where I can watch Luna bound around unleashed, a place I return to each day alone. I hope you have a place like this. If you don't, I urge you to find one near your home (or wherever you're spending most of your time these days). 

This was a tough week, but there was sweetness inside. I've been thinking a lot about the solace of solitude, and my mind often goes to my first apartment where I lived alone for several years. A friend who was part of that era of my life texted me out of the blue, not long after I had been thinking of that, and of her, and we shared how things have been been hard this week. We also got to see friends we haven't seen for months and talk to them from their porch. And I picked up sandwiches from a place we'd never eaten before. And I'm spending a lot of time with the poetry of David Whyte and Mary Oliver who remind me of different ways of looking at the world.

But still, it was a tough week. How was Week 49 for you? I hope 50 offers some joy for us all.

Reading

I finally finished The Mysteries of Pittsburg by Michael Chabon and floundered a bit when trying to think of what I was in the mood for next. I have tended to avoid reading essays about the pandemic as long as we're still in it, but I'll be darned if Zadie Smith's Intimations: Six Essays isn't exactly what I want to read right now. She is one of my favorites, and I love her reflections on this time we're in.

Watching

Comfort watches this week: The Great British Bake-Off and Meet Me in St. Louis. Also, Citizen Kane, in preparation to watch Netflix's new series, Mank -- also worth watching in general after the president and election we've just had.

Making

I made a felt leaf garland because why not? I used this blog post as inspiration. I'll take a picture of the finished project, if I remember. 

Recipes

The best thing I can share with you is my insistence that you make Samin Nosrat's buttermilk marinated chicken before the year is through...or at least soon. Tender, succulent, perfect in every way. 

Listening

We got our Spotify round-up of all the stuff we listened to this year, and listened to the most, and when all was said and done, Joel and I listened to a lot of Steely Dan, Paul Simon and Sting. I am not sure how I feel about this.

Anyway...

Take care of yourselves, readers. Get good rest, and take in more fresh air than you think you need. The Christmas spirit can only get us so far.