Things I'm Loving (v. 12)

Gardening, artsy notebooks, social motivation and figure skating.

The garden, the garden, the garden. That's where I've been. Spending hours outside.

Wanna sneak peek at some of my work? Here are some photos before diving in, and see the very bottom for info about where you can find more!

Starting to turn the bricks in the front, so that instead of being stacked on top of each other, horizontally, they're vertical for a cleaner line and fewer weed holes!

Old mulch, but added a stone border in between wood chips and grass.

Front row of bricks is finally completed! And I've added new wood chips and multiple plants throughout.

Where the backyard started… Not where it's ended.

Something for play

A friend and I have been working for several months on creating notebooks. Although mine aren't live yet, hers are, and I wanted to share them with y’all.

We've accounted for every detail (cream paper because it's higher quality than white), table of contents (so you can track where you wrote things down), and more.

I've ordered some of hers and samples of some of mine, and I've been really pleased with the quality of the notebooks: they're flexible, but sturdy, and if you're into word play, these are perfect for that.

Check out all the options here.

Some open access imagery we're using for inspiration via the U.S. National Gallery of Art online archives

Something to read

This article by Devon Price is insightful and thorough.

I first learned of Devon and their work via Jo VanEvery and this was their first piece that I read. Although I don't have an ADHD diagnosis (and am not pursuing one), several of Devon's points resonate with me.

I love body doubling and co-working times— one of my favorite things to do is host a writing hour every Friday morning. (Interested? Shoot me an email, it's free and open to everyone). The focused time and the others working alongside me makes it much easier to sit down and get the job done, especially when there are so many other things in my home clamoring for my attention (dishes! laundry! three cute and demanding cats! you get the picture).

Here's one of my favorite quotes from the piece:

”It’s odd that having a strong social motivation is considered a pathology at all, when we consider that nearly all of us are social animals.

The majority of humans throughout history have lived, worked, cooked, cleaned, gathered resources, and played together, feeding off of one another’s energy and encouragement, the natural movements of their lives lending structure to each other’s days. 

Being observed makes all human beings more productive, and collaborating on a task improves focus, motivation, and performance for nearly everyone. When people feel that they are a valued member of a team, they do more and actually enjoy their efforts, plus they’re just happier in general, because of the company; when we toil alone, we often feel work is meaningless.

And since our lives as humans center around our relationships, a life of nothing but isolated work is a meaningless one in a very real way.”

Something to make

An early spring plant (perennial in many areas) are chive blossoms.

Chive blossoms look like little dandelion puff balls, but are usually purple(ish). They're edible— you can add them to salads for a colorful touch and a slightly peppery flavor.

A new recipe I found that I'm going to try out this week is this Chive Blossom Vinegar.

It's super easy and I love the deep purple you're left with after the blossoms infuse the vinegar.

Image via The Spruce by Debbie Wolfe

Something to watch

I dunno if you grew up watching ice-skating, but for my family, it was a looked-forward to event every time our local tv station aired a competition.

Recently, Ilia Malinin competed at the World Figure Skating Championship, and became the first skater to complete 6 quadruple jumps in one competition.

I initially watched this with commentators, and their awe and excitement was palpable. Watching it now reminds me of the wonder and possibility I felt as a child when I watched figure skating.

Something to help you slow down

Ursula Le Guin is one of my favorite authors. A while back, I saw this shared and I've saved it to return to when I want to remember to hope. May it bring you some hope today.

Initiation Song from the Finders' Lodge

“Please bring strange things.
Please come bringing new things.
Let very old things come into your hands.
Let what you do not know come into your eyes.
Let desert sand harden your feet.
Let the arch of your feet be the mountains.
Let the paths of your fingertips be your maps
And the ways you go be the lines of your palms.
Let there be deep snow in your inbreathing
And your outbreath be the shining of ice.
May your mouth contain the shapes of strange words.
May you smell food cooking you have not eaten.
May the spring of a foreign river be your navel.
May your soul be at home where there are no houses.
Walk carefully, well-loved one,
Walk mindfully, well-loved one,
Walk fearlessly, well-loved one.
Return with us, return to us,
Be always coming home.”

— Ursula K. Le Guin

For an extra special treat, listen to her read it here.

Wildcard: Something to fill your heart with beauty

I discovered Pottery Witch on Instagram— and her work is just beautiful and whimsical. Here's her website.

Mushroom Valley - Pottery Witch

Although I don't own one of her mugs, it's fun to see what she restocks each time (& immediately sells out!) Enjoy!

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Y’all, this spring I have spent hundreds (thousands?) of hours working in my garden.

Although I'm not going to fill this space with that, if you're curious feel free to check out my Patreon, where I'm sharing photo prompts connected to the process, as well as a video (!) update of how it's turned out!

— Monica

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