February Love, A Few Warm Thoughts, & a Prediction or Two…

A // W // F

It’s been almost two weeks since I ended my last series, The Secret Messages Project, and if you’re a regular reader (I know that I do, in fact, have a small handful of those now), you might be wondering what happens next.

Me, too.

So I thought I’d take today to tell you a little bit about what’s going on with me and what I’m seeing on the road ahead (no prophecies or promises, but I can live with a few predictions).  I also thought I’d share a little of my everyday life with you, in case you ever wonder what that looks like.

(If you don’t, that’s okay, too — I promise I won’t do this often).

// On My End Table //

flamethrowers

The Flame Throwers by Rachel Kushner.  I’ve been savoring this book for awhile, working my way through it slowly, and I have to say, Kushner is killing it.  Her novel has a keen eye for art and a keen ear for the people who like to stand around talking about it.  It’s the smartest piece of fiction I’ve read in awhile.

// Outside My Windows //

snowbw3

Snow, and lots of it, coming down hard as we speak.  I’m learning that I love the way snow changes the composition of everything I see:  it softens the angles of whatever’s below, sharpens the lines of whatever’s above, silvers the light, deepens the shadows, and also creates lots of blurry little flecks in my lens.  It’ll take awhile for me to become adept at shooting the white stuff, but I’m working on it.

// On Pandora //

The Spanish guitar station.  Can’t.  Get.  Enough.

// On My Wishlist //

I need a new Macbook (mine’s limping along, which is why you see so many blurry iPhone photos here instead of the images I *should* be uploading from the DSLR — if you have any recommendations in the Air vs. Pro debate, please share).  I’m also coveting these bangles (everything Bullfinch & Barbury makes is a dream!), this handbag (it’s monogrammed!), and a fancy macro lens (that last one is going to take awhile, but I’m saving).

// Making Me Smile … //

A certain pretty bromeliad, rehomed from the office and looking lush and green behind my favorite writing chair:

bromeliad

// Happening Next… //

 On Friday, I’ll be posting with 1000 Voices for Compassion (you can click the button above to find out more).  I’m not usually into this kind of thing, but I like the idea of being part of large group of people who are each interpreting compassion in their own way.  Some bloggers are writing from an anti-terrorism perspective, in support of cultural tolerance, to raise awareness of the challenges of being a caregiver, or to encourage everyday ways to help those in need.  I’ll be putting my own unique spin on things, of course, so stick around.

I’m also getting ready to start a beginner’s graphic design course, and I hope to share some of what I learn right here on this page.  No grandiose plans — just hoping for another creative outlet.

And last but not least?  I’ve got an important project up my sleeve and I’m mulling over when to share it with you.  It’s personal, vulnerable, and frankly a little frightening, and that’s okay — I just need to prepare my heart to pull the trigger on it.  You’ll be hearing a little more about that in the days ahead, but for now:  please go out, make a snow angel or two, stare at the sky, brew a cup of tea or hot cocoa, hug somebody special, or make something beautiful.

snowbw1

I’d love to hear a little bit about what you’re into, too. ❤

17 Comments

  2. The Flamethrowers goes straight on to my reading list!
    I am reading Dancing Naked in the Mind Field by Kary Mullis, 1993 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry (for inventing the PCR – genetics). All I can say is that I am grateful to not be his mother! Hint: mind field is a very apt play on words!

    Most of all I am enjoying the free course I am doing in Medical Neuroscience through Duke University and Coursera. At last our most extraordinary and fascinating organ in detail!

    My favourite guitarist is Derek Gripper. See his (the guy with the beard) latest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg_irZoXOas&feature=em-subs_digest

    Not even a hint of snow outside; in fact, nothing at all that even vaguely softens angles (how wonderful to see that), but then there is nothing quite like the light that sets the world aglow at sunset! Supper has been late every night for a good while now 🙂

    Greatly looking forward to what you will be doing in your Graphic Design course!

    Checking out 1000 Voices

    Pull that trigger!!

    Off to brew a cuppa.xx
    Oh, and all the answers always come to me in the shower, where note-taking equipment is never welcome.

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    1. I love everything you shared & have to tell you something: I LOVE neuroscience — seriously consider it to be one of the most fascinating realms of scientific exploartion out there. Have you read Shadows Bright as Glass by Amy Ellis Nutt? Sometimes her overdramatic armchair-science writing style gets on my nerves, but I found her subject (& the important questions he leads her to) intriguing. Worth a look…

      Does the course you’re taking have a specific title? I’d love to look into it.

      Enjoy that warm weather & sunset light! I’m jealous. 🙂

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  3. Nice way to start the morning. I’m seeing a lot of the same things you are. Snow, changing perspectives and so on. Flamethrowers has been on my list for some time. Your comments have bumped it to the top. Is that Beautiful Ruins by your chair? Good ensemble of characters in that one. I’m going to add the Spanish guitar to my Pandora list. Thanks for the suggestion.

    So nice talking to you. Looking forward to your next project.

    One question. Your cover photo for this post. What is underneath the snow? Can’t quite figure it out.

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    1. Thank you for your kind comments! I really do hope you enjoy the book and the music; I certainly have. And yes, that’s Beautiful Ruins by my chair. Thomas is actually reading that one now; I may get to it next. The photo on top is a low set of curved stairs that leads down to a path through the woods. It was completely covered yesterday, so that you couldn’t see any stairs at all. Strange (& beautiful) to see how the snow makes so many familiar things almost completely unrecognizable … What are *you* reading at the moment? Sounds like we may have some overlapping readerly sensibilities. 🙂

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  4. I just finished re-reading Out of the Woods, a collection of short stories by Chris Offutt. His writing is really lean and direct. Before that, I read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. But I’m ready to pick up a new one so I’m going for Flamethrowers. If you haven’t read Meg Worlitzer’s The Interestings, you might want to take a look.

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    1. Thank you for the recommendations! I’ll have to check out Worlitzer’s book. Did you enjoy The Road? Thomas and I have a tradition of reading books aloud together, and every autumn we pick a moodier, darker book for Halloween. The Road was our October book the year it came out, and I have to say, that’s a piece of fiction that was *made* to be read aloud around a fire. 🙂

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  6. I really liked this post, it gives a vignette of well thought and loved life. 🙂 I look forward to hearing your next project!

    I have both mac pro and mac air laptops- the MB air is older and I am writing on it right now. It is fast and light and sleek, but a small screen (I have the larger one) and not much space for storing lots of images, music, etc. The MB pro is newer- I bought it refurbushed from Mac of All trades (I won’t ever do this again- they have had to replace it with a new machine 4 times in less than a year!). The MB pro is bigger, heavier and heats up a lot faster. I haven’t even reinstalled my software onto the most recent replacement (I got it back about 6 weeks ago). I just made sure it worked. I ended up haveing to order a new iMac desktop machine, as they had my former MB Pro for over a month assessing it. So I had an emergency and had to get a reliable machine. I’m glad I did- it has tons of room to hold all the images from my dslr. I like to have a laptop but I don’t think they’re good for lots of large image files, esp not MB air.

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    1. This is helpful — thank you. 🙂 I am tremendously hard on a laptop and tend to use it as my main workhorse, but I may be getting to the point where I just *have* to go the desktop + supporting laptop route. Things to think about … Thank you, as always, for stopping by. I love hearing your unique perspective and gaining a little wisdom from it. 🙂

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