Hey guys, this is Jess.
It’s 2 p.m. on a Sunday, and I have been nursing the same cup of coffee since 7 o’ clock this morning, microwaving it and taking a sip, then forgetting about it until I remember and microwave it again as the cycle continues. I’m trying this out as method of death avoidance because I suspect that God will not strike me down as long as I have two sips left.
Hopefully you all have been enjoying the longer days, the warmer weather, the hoards of strollers carrying the winter newborns as they are introduced to the outdoors for the first time. It’s all fun and games until someone starts screaming, but even then Spring is still in the air and it is quick to wash out the distress of the world with its pleasantness. It reminds me of a scene from The Secret Garden (1993), one of my long-time favorites, in which a branch is cut to expose the green below its brown surface, revealing to the protagonist that the Winter landscape that surrounds her is full of life.
A recent Brain Pickings essay focuses on Winter, and how the dormancy and self-preservation of plants during this season is mirrored in the ways in which humans approach our own periods of sadness, and it encourages us to embrace the accompanying wisdom.
[Since childhood] we are taught to ignore sadness, to stuff it down into our satchels and pretend it isn’t there. As adults, we often have to learn to hear the clarity of its call. That is wintering. It is the active acceptance of sadness. It is the practice of allowing ourselves to feel it as a need. It is the courage to stare down the worst parts of our experience and to commit to healing them the best we can. Wintering is a moment of intuition, our true needs felt keenly as a knife.
— Katherine May in Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
I haven’t read May’s book so I don’t know what she has to say about the coming of Spring, but lately it does feel like there’s a collective sigh of relief, enjoyment, peacefulness, hanging in the air. Making it halfway through March feels approaching a significant threshold. Though our own personal winters come at their own times throughout the year, we are collectively rewarded with a shared season of warmth. How thrilling it is now that we get to experience it together (save for our friends South of the Tropic of Capricorn, sorry to leave you guys out).
There is a modern dance by Pina Bausch, called “The Nelken Line”, that uses a series of small movements to represent each of the seasons which are conducted repeatedly as participants walk in a single file. It feels like a reflection, expression of gratitude, celebration of community, etc. and there’s something about it that seems almost morbid but not in a bad way. A performance of The Nelken Line was included in a film composed of selections from Pina’s work and it’s so charming, everyone looks so happy to be there and they are dressed like they’re on their way to a Spring wedding. I’ve been watching this scene over and over to indulge the sense of nostalgia that it gives me, and because it makes me feel hopeful and excited for a time when I can be with all of the people that I miss.
OHhhh take me with you! Please!
I’m thankful for the seasonal change and it’s affirmation that time is, in fact, still passing. Hope you guys are also able to find some solace in it as well, or just something new to look forward to!
Other Things
✿ Do you guys remember Muzzy? He was a big, green monster that taught us Spanish in elementary school. I’ve been try for sooo long to find a clip from this show that’s been burned into my brain for years, and I finally got it only to find that it is even better than I remembered and also an unsung pioneer of the lofi beats to chill to movement:
✿ The Miley Cyrus #TikTokTailgate Show which she concludes with The Climb because sometimes living life really pays off.
✿ Finally saying it because I am NOT afraid… I love big band jazz!
xoxo,
Jess
Hi everyone and happy spring! I think I can say that now!!
(It’s me, Sophie)
What’s up??? Not much for me lately. In a good way, though. And today I wanted to share these cool pics of random bathrooms I’ve had saved on my desktop for the past two weeks…
I was just thinking about how much I love candy stores. It’s probably because I’m entering a candy phase (happens around this time every year…) and I was just excited thinking about the concept of going to a candy store: how fun it is to look around at all the different colors and flavors, pick out exactly what you want, and use the tiny metal shovels to scoop them into a bag. You’re essentially curating your own perfect mix of candy—heaven! In fact, one of my earliest childhood memories is picking out a bunch of the melty “smooth pastel peppermints”. My personal favorite!!
Anyhow, the concept of spending time in a store picking out saccharine snacks is fun, but this week I’m interested in something that might be closer to the logical opposite. Contrasting the ~truly~ beautiful artificiality of candy, I’ve been thinking about nature.
Nature: a huge topic, without a lack of complexity. Clearly, everyone growing up on earth lol has their own unique relationship to nature (even if it’s a lack of a relationship at all). I’m interested in thinking about it most specifically since I finished the book “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. A book most are deeming as “canon”, that for some reason, really reminded me of the fad/inspirational book called Women Who Run With the Wolves, and had a similar effect on me. (Although I’d recommend and re-read the former any day over the latter!)
Braiding Sweetgrass has been recommended to me by many, with high-praises on Goodreads and in real life, too. I’ll spare you the full review (rest assured you can follow me on Goodreads.com if you care to hear my random opinions on books LOL) …anyhow, the book is basically a collection of short stories centering around indigenous wisdom about the earth from Kimmerer, who is an indigenous scientist. The stories are meant to inspire readers to see the beauty and abundance present in utilizing plants and appreciating nature in a way that gives back, rather than takes.
I loved the stories and the way it was written, but by the end, I felt a little guilty at how eager I was for it to be over. The book itself made me think about my own relationship to nature. Sure, I love the idea of nature and I’d say I feel connected to it; I love hiking and breathing in fresh air, exploring new landscapes and appreciating fresh produce. I try to be mindful of how I treat the earth and to live a sustainable my lifestyle. But I can’t deny that I’ve never been someone who identifies as a “plant person” or a “nature girl”. When I see others who proclaim such deep connections to nature, I can’t help but feel I am missing out on something. I’d liken it to the way some people feel about contemporary art; that they’re missing a piece of the puzzle if they aren’t always deeply affected by it or if they don’t “get it”. The spoiler is that there’s nothing to get right??? (basically… lol I think….I know I studied art but don’t ask me) Anyways, the book left me with some intentions for how I can change my current perspective on nature but also the thought that I don’t feel I connect to nature in a super specific way. And, maybe all of this really is just about appreciation, rather than a complete identity shift.
I’ve always been drawn to anything artificial, be it colors, foods, or materials. I don’t mean to dichotomize things, but it’s easier for the purposes of this newsletter. The first experience I can think of that I really connected to nature was deciding to go on a group backpacking trip with a friend and a bunch of strangers, while I was a freshman in college. I was bored and very lonely, so I figured that driving the 20ish? hours straight in a van from Tennessee to Utah seemed like a great idea for a spring break trip. And it was!! I experienced the desert for the first time, which felt so different than any terrain I had ever seen growing up, and as a result I now think about any arid climate in an overly romantic way.
Finally, coming full circle, last week I had an emotional moment in the park. After having mentioned to you all in the last newsletter I simultaneously discovered and took in the demise of the Country Girl’s Creamery, (a dairy farm that used to be located in Mississippi, cows have been relocated to another farm no worries!), I was literally sitting on the ground in the park and decided to check out their facebook page on my phone, only to find a video of one of their dairy farmers singing a song to the cows on their last day of milking. ಥ﹏ಥ
Watching it really affected me for some reason, and I must have cried for at least 7 minutes while walking around the park. I did felt great after it was over!! I think that watching this video made me feel connected to nature, to have an intense moment that caused me to appreciate… the sheer sublimity of it all. The point, for me, is just to see nature through a different lens of wonder and enjoyment when I can.
Ok! That’s all I’ve got today!
Recommendations this week:
“The World’s a Little Blurry” (The Billie Eilish Documentary) This turned me into more of a Billie Eilish fan than I was before, and I can’t stop listening to her music now. I’m always interested to see the everyday life of someone super famous, especially at such a young age….lots to say about this one. It’s a super angsty and kinda depressing watch in ways, but overall worthwhile.
Japanese Candy Youtube Videos…and specifically any videos by the youtube channel “DancingBacons”. This is my ASMR this week…how can I find one of these candy claw machines ASAP? (Highly recommend the entire video below!!!)
“How To Eat Candy Like a Swedish Person” (article) more on candy, if you’re in the mood to read about it. This one was a short read and made me feel happy inside!! And made me want to order candy from Sockerbit.
And to finish on theme w/ personal faves lately…. Trolli Sour Gummy Worms, which my younger sister Bess recently got me onto. Wow!! Wow..such an amazing classic. Why have I not been revisiting these more?? Ritter Marzipan Chocolate and Twizzlers!! Classic!!
Always taking candy-related thoughts, recommendations, love to hear your gas station orders, or really, anything these days. Email us or leave a comment if you feel so inclined!
Love you all,
<3
Sophie
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Love this!!! Somehow your newsletter had been slipping into my spam folder until now so this is the first I am seeing this. It is wonderful! The wintering section reminds me of this old brazilian song, "Aguas de Marco (waters of march)." here is an english version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MNknFy2gdQ
The end of winter is bittersweet in a surprising way.
PS sophie -- I love that japanese candy unboxing video. Hope you all are doing well xoxo
Jess, I love the quote you included about Wintering. It feels like a perfect articulation of the emotional growth and self-love I have come to know recently, especially in this long "winter" of the pandemic. In regards to spring, my mother always used to tell me to imagine all the seeds in the ground: in order to grow and pop out of their shells, they must get so angry and use so much energy. I think of that yearly, especially as someone who has only come into feelings of anger as an adult. It is powerful, and although spring might feel soft, there is true energy in growing and bursting through the proverbial hard shells.