LAST WEEK at our newsletter, I posted a lengthy and intricately crafted post on The Return of Rich Woods, filled with wonderful information and even more beautiful interiors inspiration. In hindsight, it might have been much better suited here rather than there. We're still figuring out how to keep these two spaces separate and what sorts of content would work best where.
SOMEHOW, SUMMERTIME casts an enchanting spell. Even when trying to focus on work, the beckoning sunshine streaming through wide-open windows makes my gaze wander and the languid rhythms of summer days slows everything down.
I FINALLY finished Little Women and understand now while it did not end satisfactorily. Louisa May Alcott had written it for money, at the request from her publisher (and a little nudge from her father), and she apparently did not enjoy the process. She also wanted the main character, Jo, to remain unmarried, but at the time (1868–69), this was not possible and the character had to be married off.
THIS WEEKEND was the May Bank Holiday, yet, today, we've chosen to forgo the leisurely pace and return to our usual routine, save for a walk in the rain in the early afternoon hours. The current state of upheaval, a time of transition and change for us, is making it challenging to concentrate on work until circumstances stabilise a little.
P WROTE LAST week's Newsletter, and it's about American Fiction, as well as the author whose work inspired the film, whom he is now reading. (You can find it here.) While still in the middle Little Women, of course I started two new books—the latest being In the Swarm: Digital Prospects by philosopher and cultural theorist Byung-Chul Han.
I HAVE BEEN making these oatmeal breakfast cookies lately with maple syrup and dark chocolate chips. If you subscribe to our newsletter, you'll have the recipe. Both P and I have been reading quite a bit about manifesting, as well as the concept of dopamine fasting...
LAST WEEK, during cardio, was watching a film in which two of the main characters were a British couple living somewhere in Italy. Italy, of course, was very much a main character itself, with its terracotta orange and olive green and blindingly sunny skies. It looked idyllic.
There are golden, springlike days peppered intermittently in with the cloudy ones, but we're waiting for a proper London summer, hot and filled with untold meanderings and adventures. I've been having issues with my hair for the past few weeks (oily at the scalp, discoloured, and extremely dry at the ends) and thought that I needed to switch up my shampoos and conditioners, but then dry patches began appearing on my skin.
RECENTLY finished reading Susan Sontag's essay, "The Double Standard Of Aging" (1972) and found it very enlightening. Made a lot of notes, some of which I'll share in an upcoming article, but mostly, thought for a long time about her ideas on the subject, and what it it means to be a woman in today's society.
THERE is a word in Greek—meraki, (pronounced may-rah-key) that translates to “essence of yourself.” There is no English equivalent, but it means doing something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into your work.
IT WAS A chilly, rainy, blustery weekend and we’ve become very disenchanted with winter now. It’s true that the longer days make everything a little better, but it still feels like spring is a long way off, despite all the pink magnolia buds on the trees and beautiful falling cherry blossoms.
THIS WEEKEND we made it out to the riverside pub that is our favourite summertime place. Saturday was a warm spring-like day, so we were able to sit outside, although not for long, as it began to cool down around 4:00 pm. Before the pub, we stopped in at a patisserie that’s well-known in the area and picked up a delicious strawberry custard tart...
ON FRIDAY P brought home a box of fortune cookies he found at the supermarket in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Neither of us is entirely certain of all the traditions associated with this celebration, but according to the Chinese zodiac, this is his year.
ON FRIDAY afternoon, met with Anna, my new hairstylist (no, Eugen did not work out) for a maintenance cut to trim away all the dry and split ends (winter) and add some shape and layers back in. On Saturday we ate cake and drank wine and on Sunday afternoon, we stopped for some oysters and a glass of English sparkling
Have a puzzle mindset—really resonated. It goes something like this: Rather than viewing the problems we face in the world (either individually or collectively) as crises, which can cause us to feel despair, seeing them—whether financial, environmental, health-related, or political—as puzzles can help us to think about new approaches to solving them...
