Note: this was originally sent out on 31 March 2024, but then gremlins got into my newsletter machine and I had to restore everything from an earlier backup. I've now recreated this newsletter as a post on the site, but if you are a subscriber and noticed any discrepancy, that's
Every year, I promise myself that I'll defeat February, and, every year, February ends up at least mildly defeating me. I felt particularly overtaxed this past month— although largely for good reason, because I added to my regular load of job, parenting, and part-time school the process of buying a
Traditionally, late January and February are gloomy times. The flush of the new year has faded and winter starts wearing on the soul around then. I took myself off for a quick trip to New York to go to the opera, which was lovely, but too quick. So I'm just
Usually, I send a list of things from the month just passed; but in this liminal time when one year blends into the next, I felt compelled to incorporate a bit longer range of retrospection than usual, and maybe a little more looking ahead. This past year was one of
I did virtually nothing throughout November (other than regular work and home responsibilities) but read, watch movies, walk long distances, go to yoga and write. It was lovely. I'm ready for a calm winter season. Here is a list of nice and quiet things I did, made and absorbed over
Every October, I take a trip north to the land of the House on the Rock. I have done this for several years now and I have written often about that weird and wonderful place. I suppose it's not for everyone, but I get a lot out of the experience
I am an autumn person, but I'm an autumn person who is also a summer person. I love, love, love summer, and I'm not generally fond of change. So when summer starts to fade, I start to mourn. For a bit. Then I remember I love autumn and make the
Over this past month, I read both of Mason Currey's collections of artists' daily routines and rituals (Daily Rituals: How Artists Work and Daily Rituals: Women at Work). The older I get, and the more I aim for simplicity and space to think, the more I am drawn to routines.
Hey, it's the last day of July, my birthday month. I turned forty-two years of age last week. It's pretty cool so far. I'll keep you posted about how it goes. Here's a list of things I did, read, and made over the past month. 1. I posted two collections
Last month I sat down to put together a list of things for May and I discovered that my newsletter had inexplicably broken. I did many things to try to fix it and yet I only managed to melt everything down to a digital lump. Of course my backups failed.
