Some Winter Recommendations

A few seasonal recommendations for winter, while my ipad heals.

Welcome to Winter, Issue #10 of Making Time. Each week, I share a seasonal perspective on the creative process. This month, my theme is Storytelling. If you’d like to follow along on this year-long experiment, you can subscribe for free.

The Culprit, Duke.

Hello friends,

I took an unexpected break from casually reading things on the internet this week. This was not by choice.

You see, I was taking a bath early in the week, with my ipad propped up on the bath tray so that I could watch ancient episodes of The Late Show with Conan O’Brien when Duke (my cat, pictured above) decided that he wanted to occupy the exact same space hitherto inhabited by said ipad. The result is that the ipad plunged into the bath and was completely submerged in water.

The good news is that it seems to have made a full recovery after being left covered in rice for a while, but since it’s the device I use for reading, I didn’t have a chance to gather links this week. It was actually a nice break from the constant onslaught of information, but I feel a bit unprepared.

Apologies for the long-winded explanation, but I thought I’d switch things up and just share 10 random things I’ve been enjoying this winter instead.

1. Plants: I grow a lot of geraniums in pots indoors. Most never flower, but I like their weird leggy forms, and the scented ones are heavenly. But I recently bought a Roger’s Delight plant from Logee’s and not only do the leaves smell wonderful, it’s bushy and has bloomed with beautiful bright pink tri-tone flowers. I just love it. Geraniums are also very easy to propagate from cuttings, so one plant can be turned into many.

2. Interviews: Speaking of Conan (because when am I not? I am a fan.), this interview with Bruce Springsteen is everything. Two of my absolute faves. Bruce talks about always pushing and challenging yourself creatively, and hearing him laugh and laugh at Conan is just delightful.

3. Books: To Have or To Be? by Erich Fromm has been one of my favorites so far this year.

4. Cookbooks: I have been so busy lately that I’ve been reaching for the fastest, easiest things I can make. Super Natural Simple is a really good choice. I’ve been cooking Heidi Swanson recipes for probably 15 years, and I’ve only ever made one thing I didn’t like.

5. Recipes: This smoky potato and kale soup is delicious. I use vegetarian chorizo or sausage.

6. Sewing: I’ve been doing a lot of it! One of my most recent projects is the Goldie top and I’m just going to plug it because it’s great. I have about 5 more fabrics I want to sew it in now. A little romantic, a little sexy, but still wearable and comfy.

7. Crafts: Bead Embroidery Stitch Samples is such a cool book. I haven’t used it yet, but it’s really fun to look at. I’m trying to think of places I could use a little beading. A sweater maybe?

8. Music: Leonard Cohen’s 2016 album You Want it Darker gives me chills. I listen to it on cold foggy morning walks and feel very sad and very alive.

9. Art: The watercolors of Charles Demuth. Like a dream of spring.

10. Poem: I return to Rumi’s The Guest House over and over. It is how I’m trying to live these days, not hiding or fighting but welcoming.

I know this is truly a random assortment of things, but perhaps something in here will delight you too.

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