"Fact of the day: Pumpkin pie became a popular dish during Civil War-era celebrations of Thanksgiving because pumpkins were grown on small farms, not plantations, making the pie a symbol of abolitionist virtue."
-@danielsilliman, Twitter
Read more about this delicious diva, and other delicacies in Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon by, Cindy Ott.
… I give a very difficult task. You will have the ability to know the minds of men, but I do not permit you to speak about what you learn. Many times you will be pained by what you see, and in your pain you will turn away from Me and forget that it is not I but the perversion of My Idea that is causing your pain. You will see so much of man that you will come to know him as an animal and wrestle so much with his animal instincts in yourself that you will lose your way; but when you come back to Me, Scorpio, I have for you the supreme gift of Purpose.”
-Martin Schulman, Karmic Astrology
"I will cut adrift—I will sit on pavements and drink coffee—I will dream; I will take my mind out of its iron cage and let it swim—this fine October." -Virginia Woolf
Oh. My. God.
So, if you read my last post, in one month, I've gone from a Spring & Summer of broken pipes, and torn up lawns, and collapsing garden beds, and invasive weeds, and death, and glitches, and a mini neighborhood crime wave to collapsing porch railings, massively clogged downspouts, broken down fences, a dog that's refusing to eat most days, broken furniture delivered on the (wrong) rainiest day possible, windstorms & power outages, and bursting kitchen faucets ... And that's honestly just the highlight reel. It's safe to say that 2024 is absolutely kicking my tail— not necessarily in a bad way, but not in a not-bad way either (if that makes sense).
Oof. Reviewing the last three months of my calendar trying to figure out what to write in this moment, I am completely dumbstruck that August has come to an end. Ok, ok if you're less than new here you know I kind of do this ... Often. Like, how can any one person be SO utterly bamboozled by the time of year, or the incessant passing of days? You're probably wondering, and I mean, don't get me wrong I'm not like a startled baby seeing a rainbow prism for the first time dancing across the wall on a sunny day or anything...
“Colorful artwork can trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, leading to feelings of happiness and well-being.”
-Dr. Shivani Khetan, Expressive Arts Therapist
-Steven Jay Gould
I know I can't possibly be the only person out here that finds living in an era of pervasive sensationalization ...
Exhausting.
... As Those that Have Wit.
-Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard (1741)
I haven't done a post like this in quite a while, but I think today is quite fitting to discuss one of THE most idiotic things I've done in the name of beauty, preservation, self-care, and vanity. I think it's safe to say, at one time or another, we've all been fools when it comes to (no matter how you slice it) clinging to our youth.
To this day.
That’s why we need humor,
style, stamina, art.”
-Pamela Anderson
My fellow Americans, and little darlings it's been a long, cold, lonely Winter (are you singing along? Don't worry, I won't make you follow the bouncing ball). The good news is, I think I'm finally on the verge of thawing out ... Slooooowly, but surely. The bad news is, I'm not entirely positive I'm ready for it. I mean, I am, but I'm not if that makes sense. I could definitely use several more dark weeks of blissful nothingness. You know, those terrible blustery days where the light never seems to join the party, and morning just sort of stretches into evening completely unnoticed, and no one really expects much out of anyone? Yeah, I could take a handful of those right about now. I guess it's pretty lucky I'm in the PNW then, I'm sure something like that will be on the menu once or twice in the next couple of months, I'm just longing to overnight them for no extra fee.
Oddly enough, this has been the most productive start to a year I've had in a ridiculously long time. I've begun planning my garden, hell I've already started most of my seeds! I've got a jump start on Spring Cleaning - I've been scrubbing, and shoveling out my house, getting rid of everything I don't love, or has become useless. The thing is, in my regularly scheduled life I'm a very tidy person; everything has a place, and all that, but lately I have admittedly NOT been living like that, and for quite a while now when I look around my house, I kind of just see everything through a red haze, and hear synthesizers in my head. I knew something had to give, but now I've become reorganizing fiend! I've been framing & hanging, replacing, removing, washing, and folding, storing, and tossing like a mad woman. And now ... I'm even cataloging and spreadsheet-ing. I know, I know this pen & paper gal barely recognizes herself either, but It's amazing how my life changes when I start the morning by eating a complete protein!
Pray for me, send good vibes, or phone in a good old fashioned Care Bear stare that I will be able to ride this wave of productivity for the rest of the year, and I'll do the same for you. Wishing you all the luck in the world that you're successful in whatever you need to accomplish right now!
xoxo
-Sir Francis Bacon
"She puts her hands on either side of my face, and the room falls away. I have never gotten so lost in a kiss before. And then, the space between us explodes. My heart keeps missing beats and my hands cannot bring her close enough to me. I taste her and realize I have been starving. I have loved before, but it didn't feel like this. I have kissed before, but it didn't burn me alive. Maybe it lasts a minute, and maybe it's an hour. All I know is that kiss, and how soft her skin is when it brushes against mine, and that even if I did not know it until now, I have been waiting for this person forever."
-Jodi Picoult
The Lunar New Year is upon us once again, which (if you don't know) is like, only the biggest holiday of the year for approximately half the planet. But if you're like me, and won't be lighting firecrackers, or dancing in the street with silk dragons, as awesome as that would actually be, you can certainly use this time of year to check in with yourself. My new year starts January 1st, but I like to use the time between then and now to sort of test out some ideas I've cooked up for how to show up for the next 12 months. Who am I going to be this year? How am I going to navigate the months, and challenges ahead? What do I wish to accomplish? How do I want to feel?
Honestly, how are we at the end of January already??? I'd also like an answer for why this month has simultaneously felt like the longest, and shortest of my entire life ... Where's Mr. Owl when we need him?
One question we are not lacking an answer to, however, is what our color overlords have chosen as 2024's color of the year. If you're not new around here, you already know each December the Pantone Color Institute selects a color to represent the vibe of the upcoming year ... And then they make sure of it by all of the licensing deals they make across all areas of commerce to ensure the color of the year is used on products that make it into our grubby little paws, one way or another. You also know I have a couple opinions about this ... I'll let you torture yourself with my color screeds at your own pace, if you so choose.
