Monthly Archives: December 2022

Dec11

not small things.

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what a wonderful 90 minutes

spent (online) with one of my all-time favorite authors

*fredrik backman.

 public libraries in 37 states hosted this live chat with fredrik

as he continued on a worldwide book tour

for his latest work,  ‘the winners.’

 he spoke openly about his struggles with anxiety

being on the autism spectrum

 the pressures of a success which he never expected

 his wife as his partner and support in all things

her important roles

organizing his promotional side of being an author

helping him to stay grounded

 encouraging him taking as many breaks as needed.

i first became acquainted with his writing with the arrival of his book (and later, film),

‘a man called ove’

and there was no going back.

when he was asked about his writing process in today’s chat,

i found that we have a somewhat similar process.

his reply:

“my process is just chaos. all of these ideas are just in my head, like horses in a burning barn, trying to get out. my brain is always working, hearing a bit of conversation, crossing paths with a stranger, a place i happen into, anything is fair game, and i think, i would love to include those words or that person in my writing. i am always observing, listening, taking it all in, my brain never stops. i have to write an idea down on whatever i can find, an envelope, a scrap of paper, a receipt….then 3 weeks later i’ll make my family insane by asking, “where is that envelope i wrote my idea on a few weeks ago?” i have to scour our whole apartment looking for it and make everyone crazy. i suppose that is my process.”

amazing.

“words are not small things.”

-fredrik backman, beartown

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*Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and Anxious People, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @BackmanSK.

 

 

Dec10

glowing.

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with my tiny home

loaded up

with bushels of nuts and piles of books

ready for the coming season

you’ll often find me sitting

in the quiet of the early morning

with a steaming cup of coffee

tapping away at my blog

telling the day’s story

reading others’ stories

smiling by the light of the screen.

—

“i blog because i’m not a good rapper.”

-gerry l’crow

Dec9

cooking by committee.

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we worked hard making

 butter

and

savory monkey bread

and

gingerbread cookies

it took a team

lots of

shaking ,stirring, rolling. cutting, chopping, spilling, melting, cooking, waiting, cleaning up

loads of fun

 little bits of magic

and

a few mishaps

thrown in for good measure

to make

a perfect day of cooking

tomorrow

we set our fancy table

and

sit down together

 to share our feast.

—

“no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”

-julia child

Dec8

in synch.

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The scientific power of live music

We’re all familiar with the sense of wonder and joy we experience when we hear a song or piece of music we love, but there’s something even more magical about hearing that song performed live. Although many artists offered streamed performances online during the pandemic, these didn’t quite leave us with the same enchanted feelings as concerts. So what makes live music different? Columbia associate music professor, Mariusz Kozak explains why live music is so powerful.

Live music allows us to experience what philosopher Alfred Schütz called a “mutual tuning in” This term refers to the phenomenon where we experience the passage of time and emotions with others. This is part of the reason humans need social interaction to thrive. When we attend a concert, we’re experiencing the tone of the music—fast, slow, happy, sad—with others around us. This creates a sense of intimacy with the crowd around us. This is also why babies who are bounced in time to music with an adult display more altruism towards that person.

This pleasurable effect gained from synchronizing with those around us is what makes live music and dance so powerful. Although most people probably relate to this feeling when remembering their favorite concert, this feeling is not limited to conventional music. It can also be experienced through collective visual synchronization. In the deaf community, facial gestures and movements are to convey emotions in music performance. The collective interpretation of the emotions behind these facial gestures also promotes a sense of unity.

The Blackfeet in North America use the same word to refer to music, dance, and ceremony, indicating the essential role of gathering to fully appreciate the benefits of music. Close friends can even experience this synchronization when walking or talking together.

Experiencing music in the presence of others cultivates a feeling of unity and empathy within us which exceeds anything we could experience by ourselves. As we head back to in-person concerts and relish this feeling once again, know that the true power of the music you’re hearing might not come from the artist, but in fact your fellow concert goers.

—

“There is a high that comes from live shows,

a collective energy in a large group of people all gathered for one reason.

The beat slices through the melodies and then drops;

the crowd bounces and undulates like ripples of water.” 

  • -christina lauren, roomies

 

—

credits: the conversation, beth daly, Columbia University Mariusz Kozak

Dec7

hunters and gatherers.

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they quite naturally

are always busy

little hands

hunting and gathering

collecting, counting, carrying

organizing, sorting,

moving, lining up

until it feels and looks just right.

or until recess ends.

whichever comes first.

and then there is a mad rush

to fill pockets, and mittens, and hands

with as much as they can hold

treasure to be transported home

to go through the whole process again.

—

“we used to be hunter-gatherers, now we’re shopper-borrowers.”

-robin williams

 

Dec6

beginning…

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https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=787006252392996

Aurora Borealis Observatory

 Reindeer under the aurora

 

—

“i always believe that the sky is the beginning of the limit.”

-MC Hammer

Dec5

dress up.

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walking around downtown on saturday
amidst a whirl of fashion statements
people dressed in support of the university of michigan national championship football game
with the maize and blue proudly displayed (we won)
people dressed in support of team u.s.a. in the world cup make or break soccer game
with flags in red, white, and blue proudly displayed (we lost)
and
people dressed in winter holiday funwear
even more proudly displayed
(we are all winners in this game)
everyone busily strolling
all mixing
all happy
under one december sun
and not a spot of snow to show for it.
—
“anyone can get dressed up and glamorous,
but it is how people dress in their days off that is most intriguing.”
-alexander wang
—
image credit: getty images
Dec4

almost edible.

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Almost Edible, 106-Year-Old Fruitcake Found in Antarctica

Even the original owners didn’t want to eat it.

Fruit cake found at Cape Adare thought to be from Scott’s Northern Party (1911)

IT’S NOT THAT UNCOMMON RE-FINDING forgotten holiday fruitcake months after the event. More surprising, though, is when it’s over a century old. Conservators from the New Zealand-run Antarctic Heritage Trust found themselves faced with this kind of a figgy phenomenon while recently excavating an abandoned hut some 2,500 miles from the South Pole. Cape Adare, at Antarctica’s northeastern tip, was an important landing site and base camp used by early Antarctic explorers.

Made by the British brand Huntley & Palmers, which still exists today, the cake was wrapped in its original paper and stored in a tin-plated iron alloy box. While the tin had begun to deteriorate, the cake was in near-perfect condition and, according to the researchers, still looked “almost edible”.

In a statement, Lizzie Meek, the Trust’s Programme Manager-Artefacts, described the cake as “an ideal high-energy food for Antarctic conditions, and still a favorite item on modern trips to the Ice.” Despite that, researchers manage to hold off snacking on their discovery, which apparently smelled like “rancid butter”. In fact, the hut contained the best part of a picnic: sardines, “badly deteriorated” meat and fish and some more appealing “nice looking” jams.

In 1910, the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott made an ill-fated expedition to reach the South Pole and, on the way, explore the continent’s uncharted wastelands. The Heritage Trust believes the cake dates from his endeavor, known as the Terra Nova Expedition after the supply ship.

Conservators from the Trust have been working on restoring and documenting almost 1500 artifacts from the Cape for the past year. Once they’ve finished their conservation efforts, everything will be returned to the Ice for future explorers to find and enjoy—though they may want to avoid sampling the fruitcake.

—

“this is true; virtually all edible substances, and many automotive products,

are now marketed as being low-fat or fat- free. americans are obsessed with fat content. 

-dave barry

 

 

—

credits: antarctic heritage trust, natasha frost, gastro obscura

Dec3

the fixer.

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the tiny drinking fountain in our room

had been shut off for over 2 years

as a precautionary measure due to covid.

this year

one kinder, a young 3

decided he was going to fix it

fidgeting with it every day

without any tools

looking under it and all around it

pushing the button

day after day

he never stopped trying

nothing happened

until

one day we came in

noticed it was working

(perhaps a building elf had stopped by after school)

i took our little fixer over to see it

showed him the water coming out

told him he must have finally fixed it!

hard to imagine

the look of shock and joy on his face

to see it working

after all of his hard work

and refusal to give up

the class now celebrates him as a hero

and use the fountain every day

 he proudly checks on it often

his face still amazed every time.

—

“i’m good at figuring out how things work, but I don’t know how this happened.” 

-nora roberts, the collector

Dec2

wrap it up.

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not olive and i,

but similar to what went down when we wrapped gifts together 

i apologize in advance for any cat hair in the tape.

 

==

“a wonderful gift may not come wrapped as you expect.”

-johnathon lockwood huie

 

 

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photo credit: getty images- 1938