Stille Nacht

DEADLINE EXTENDED!!!

Join Pat's Twitch channel tomorrow (December 18, 2019) starting at 12 PM CST for the FOURTEEN HOUR live-stream after-party event where donations will continue to be accepted until Midnight PST.  Read more about the mayhem here, and I hope to see you all there!

*** 

I've had many silent nights to ponder the state of the world lately, and feel that we need to be lending a helping hand to one another more now than we've been willing to acknowledge in recent years.  Five years in, I've taken a few moments each Winter to hype Pat Rothfuss' Worldbuilders charity, and this year is no different.  We're currently barreling down the tracks to the final day of this fundraiser on behalf of Heifer International, and even though (in the past) the charity has almost always been extended, I would not take my chances waiting for that announcement.  If you would like the opportunity to win prizes in the lottery, or bid on something you fancy in one of the auctions, or help a team meet their stretch goals, now is the time to get your donations in.  "But, isn't this the season of giving - why are we talking about all the things we could be getting??" You may be asking ... Yes!  This is the season of giving, but Geekerati, geek-centric, and geek-adjacent companies from around the world have come together and donated tangible items in the form of books, games, experiences (think, Caribbean cruises / writing mentorships), art, apparel, accessories, trinkets and keepsakes, and one very special book that keeps being donated back to the charity, not because we're all cynical and believe people won't help other folks from the goodness of their hearts, but to make it more fun.  Why aren't we trying to make more things in life fun, is the more appropriate question, I think.  If you'd like to join in, every $10 gets you one entry into the lottery, and a warm and fuzzy feeling to carry with you throughout the new year!

If you're curious about my previous posts on the topic, you can read them here, here, here, here, and here.  And as always, if you're strapped for cash or too young to participate, please do not underestimate the value of spreading the word, your voice can make a strong impact, so don't be afraid to make some noise!  Also, this charity is open to folks worldwide, so if you're worried that donations made from outside of the country won't go through, they will, and you are eligible to win prizes as well.

Wherever you are, take care of each other out there!

xoxo

I See Your True Colors

Fall / Winter 2019 - 2020

"As a form of cultural expression, fashion always reflects the deepest concerns of society.  But unlike literature, music or art, fashion communicates indirectly -- employing a language and a logic of its own.  Fashion's power, to capture the present and even to predict the future, is only revealed with the passage of time."

-Lourdes M. Font, Ph.D.

Here's Lookin' at You, Kid

If you see a spider on Halloween night, it means that the spirit of a dead loved one is watching over you.

-Medieval Superstition

Fathoms

Earlier in the year, this piece was published on J.G. Lewis' website: Mythos and Marginalia during his Where We Are project. Fall has always been a time of renewal for me, so it feels fitting to share it once more.  Enjoy!

Photograph Courtesy of J.G. Lewis

A fresh, new year is finally upon us!  I know a lot of us have spent the dwindling days of the previous year ruminating on our lives and loves, and for some, even love-lives; we take stock of where we are, and look ahead with hopeful eyes—Hopeful that this year will be better than the last, hopeful that we've learned the lessons we were supposed to learn, and hopeful that we'll be strong enough to face whatever comes.  It's a time for intentions, and a time to let our day-dreaming hearts run wild across three hundred sixty-five empty spaces longing for the color of life to be splashed across them.  But more than organizing the year ahead, and making resolutions we'll break by mid-January, it's the perfect time to recognize that where we are at any given moment, isn't actually a place that we are forced to stay.

The truth about nature is that it's much more fluid than we're often conditioned to believe, and as disconnected as we may think we've become, we can't ever truly be apart from it, therefore our lives, our understanding, how we relate to ourselves and one another, and all things human are also a lot less rigid than we have convinced ourselves that it all is.  And so it is, we're never absolutely stuck anywhere.  I don't mean physically ... Of course, there can be circumstances in the material world beyond our control that limit the action some people would prefer to take, and it reeks of ableism to pretend otherwise.  No, I'm talking stuck in one attitude, stuck in one's thoughts, stuck in unhealthy relationships, stuck at a soul-crushing job, stuck with a cramped perspective, that kind of stuck, the one that doesn't always necessarily depend on a person's geography.  A lot of these things can feel pretty permanent at one time or another, and frankly, we're met with enough well-intended adages, and mixed messages that make it seem that way, but it doesn't have to be so.  And just like in nature, a little nudge can improve your immediate circumstances significantly.  Rainstorms are natural, but you don't have to stand in them getting drenched when there's a massive tree to duck under, or a welcoming cave ready to shelter you.  Those options are both "natural" as well, but it takes a little bit of work (albeit, minimal effort) to connect the dots, consider the benefits, and act on it.  There is nothing enlightened about sitting around waiting for divine intervention to fix things that we are more than capable of handling on our own, yet we let ourselves get so insecure about the decisions we make, we allow ourselves to lose touch with our true essence, and can easily find ourselves trudging along in these unfulfilling, shallow existences so completely preoccupied with the wrong things that we're oftentimes clueless as to how we even got here in the first place.  What's especially sad is that, even though it's conceivably wholly temporary, this lack of depth pervades every aspect of our lives.

Matt Kahn tells us, “Despite how open, peaceful, and loving you attempt to be, people can only meet you, as deeply as they've met themselves.”  That's how folks are meeting you, that's how you're meeting them, and it's how all of us are showing up and greeting the world.  It's all a choice, however, we can decide at any moment if we're splashing around in the paddling pool, to take a lesson, get stronger, and move to the deep end.  Perhaps you slide in as effortlessly glamorous as Esther Williams, but if you don't, there's no shame in needing a life vest, water wings, goggles, or a nose plug, and it's not important if you arrive flailing, and sputtering, the point is that you're willing to do the work.  You may, indeed, lose touch with those who prefer stomping aimlessly through mud puddles, but you'll find yourself swimming toward the person you're meant to be, engulfed in purpose, and creating ripples that affect everyone around you.

Cottage Conservatory

Black Eyed Angels - Delphinium

When I first started gardening on my own as an adult (especially with heirloom varieties) I was interested in seed saving, but kept coming up low on info, and images to walk me through the process for some of my favorite plants.  I mean, I know it's all pretty straight forward; wait for the petals to fall off, pods of some sort to form, and eventually dry out, but I wanted to know what I should be looking for, and when to clip & collect seed pods - whether to wait for them to open on their own, or catch them right before.  So.  Necessity being the mother of invention, I patiently observed what was happening in my garden, and found a method for a couple of my early bloomers that has been successful thus far.

We Want You! We Want You!

We want you as a new recruit!

Deadline for application: July 25, 2019

Well, not "me" we ... I don't actually have anything to do with it, except for spreading the word, really.  Anway, that writer guy, Pat Rothfuss, is looking for a business manager to handle daily minutiae so he can get back to focusing on the things he does best, like ... creative minutiae.  So hop over here, and read the job listing, and if you happen to be an expert at a little bit of everything, you should totally apply by sending your cover letter and resume to jobs(@)patrothfuss.com!  I know a couple of people already who could fill the bill, but it should be noted this is NOT a remote position, applicants need to be in the greater Stevens Point, Wisconsin area, or willing to relocate (I hear it's quite a lovely place).

This is such a great opportunity for the Jack/Jill of all trades, or anyone looking for a fresh start in a new career, or even just a change of scenery.  They are asking for serious candidates only, so if you're in a place where you're half-jokingly just throwing resumes at walls to see what sticks, sit this one out, but if you're really ready for something new, go get 'em, Tiger.

Good luck!

If You Like Piña Coladas

In my neck of the woods, there has been a steady Summer rain falling for the entirety of this balmy National Piña Colada Day, and I can't help but think, somewhere, Rupert Holmes is very pleased.  With that, I give you my personal piña colada smoothie recipe —

Here's what you need:

4 Cups frozen pineapple chunks

3-6 bananas chunked & frozen

1 Cup full-fat canned coconut milk

1 Cup filtered water

1/4 Cup pure, organic maple syrup

1/2 lime juiced

1" knob grated ginger root

1Tablespoon unsweetened organic shredded coconut

Here's what you do:
In a 72 oz sturdy blender place pineapple chunks around the bottom, and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with pieces of frozen banana (Tip: when you freeze bananas you'll want to peel them, and chunk or cut them up first, then bag and freeze).  Throw in the rest of your ingredients, and blend the hell out of it (you may need to stop a few times in order to scrape the sides of your blender's pitcher).  That's it!  If you'd like to enjoy this as a dairy-free "nice cream" option, transfer your mixture to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

This is an incredibly easy, but delicious, and festive concoction to have at Summer gatherings, and is a perfect alcohol-free option that can accommodate a good swath of guests, and their needs without singling folks out, and excluding them from the fare.

Happy sipping!

Say What?

"They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?"

-Diana, Princess of Wales