Things I'm Loving (v.3)

Today's issue highly favors Instagram and YouTube finds. Get ready to dig in!

Thanks to all the new subscribers who've joined in the past week! Welcome to this small corner of the internet. 🥰

Something for play

Having COVID and being knocked out gave me the perfect excuse to spend time playing with old watercolors. This week's “play” is a nod to that.

Each of these tableaus uses two colors of paints for the entire palette. I used a paper plate to mix for varying new colors and then I made marks on top with a range of pens and markers. The activity was soothing and required little thought—which is a good thing, because my brain's been fairly useless this week!

Here's a video with some simple watercolor techniques, if you wanted to branch out from the mark making above.

Something to read

Most of us have items that remind us of (deceased) loved ones. Off the top of my head, I can think of a wire-wrapped pendant from my first love, a doll blanket that was my great-grandma's, and the engagement rough-cut diamond my grandfather gave to my grandma.

The Keepthings, run by a former O Magazine editor, is dedicated to these types of things. Essays are short (<600 words, or about 2 pages typed) and always accompany a picture of the item. Check out some of the photo-essays on their Instagram profile.

What are some of your own Keepthings? I'd love to know in the comments below.

Something to listen to

This week is known as a liminal time, when the veil between our physical world and other worlds is lessened. They're hole-y days, with tears in the gauze or firmament. Some of the better known holidays/holy days include Halloween, Dia de los Muertos and All Saints Day—all times that honor ancestors.

I chose Unchained Melody for this week's “something to listen to” to honor my dad, who loved doo wop. It was one of his favorite songs. He and I, like many children/parents, had a strained and complicated relationship.

Years ago, he took me to a PBS doo wop concert featuring The Drifters and other musical legends. I was surly when he invited me; it felt like a crumb, but went anyways. Boy am I glad that I went. It's probably one of my favorite, least-complicated memories with him. He was happy because he was reliving nostalgic memories, and I was happy because I love live music.

When my dad was dying (and unconscious) in Fall 2020, I had my laptop with me at St. Agnes. COVID restrictions had just relaxed, and patients were able to have 2 visitors at a time if they were on hospice. I played “Oldies” on my laptop, including Unchained Melody. Later, I'd learn that each of my siblings had also played the song for him.

Do you have songs you associate with your ancestors or loved ones who've died?

Something to help you relax

I saw lots of memes this week that referenced the Christmas-ification that happens at 12:01 on November 1st. I have two… let's call them squickinesses… with this.

First of all, Christmas isn't the only winter holiday, and not everyone is Christian, or celebrates a secular Christmas. But secondly, why collapse timelines and compress everything between Halloween and Christmas, totally ignoring Thanksgiving (American) or another fall harvest celebration?

My Facebook friend, Magda Pecsenye, started Candletime to help alleviate this mess.

Here's a brief description of Candletime, from its Facebook page:

“Candletime runs from November 1 through the day before American Thanksgiving (November 23rd this year).

To celebrate, when you come home at night, light some candles (or use electric candles) and sit enjoying the sparkly light while drinking a beverage of your choice. Popular beverage choices include tea, hot cider, cold cider, water, wine, beer, hot cocoa, coffee, soda, and bourbon. Candletime can be celebrated alone or with others, and you can observe as many days of the holiday period as you choose.

You can blow out the candles whenever you want (they don't have to burn down on their own).

There's no website for Candletime, because it's not a commercial holiday!”

If you'd prefer to follow along on Instagram, the page lives here.

Something to watch

You may remember The Bengsons from summer 2020 when The Keep Going Song went viral. It really captured a moment early in the Pandemic. Sometimes when I watch it now, I realize that my cheeks are wet and I think we still have no idea what trauma-processing will look like when we finally finally emerge from the hellscape of COVID.

BUT this isn't about that song! It's about their song, “I was too late”. I found this video (👇🏼) a while back and I fell in love with the actor and his portrayal of the role.

I knew that the show was playing in NYC, and this week, they shared a video clip (👇🏼) of the *same song*, and I love it just as much as the original. The actor is different, the vibe is different, and maybe when my head is clearer I'll analyze what exactly feels unique in each of them. Even if you can't see it live in New York, I hope you'll enjoy watching the clip here.

From the Manhattan Theater Club website:

“Lyrical story-telling and live folk songs from The Bengsons weave a tale of searching and longing, family and legacy. A Haitian immigrant travels from Miami to California on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. Years later, his son makes the same journey in reverse. Along the way, blurring the lines of time, these two finally discover common ground and make a connection that has eluded them for decades.”

Something to help you slow down

Renee is one of the first folks that I met online, back in 2010 and I love everything she creates.

Her upcoming course, A Practical Magic Guide to Slow Living: Less hustle, more ease starts at the end of November and lasts for two weeks.

From her site:

Practical magic for slow living is:

Side eyeing capitalism and heteronormative patriarchal rules. Refusing hustle in all the ways we can while also still having to live in a capitalist society. Inviting ease as a lifestyle. Embracing simple in every way you can for every area of your life. Creating time for things you love to do. Turning routines into ritual to shift the energy around stuff we HAVE to do. Love languages for your life as a lens and an answer to what you have capacity for. Asking yourself what you want more, and less of, and so much more over the two weeks……

Renee's prompts are magical and lush, filled with story, imagery, and humo(u)r.

(Wildcard) Something that made me laugh:

This week, we could all use some laughter. From fur babies to skin pigs, reunions to bullying, and bad trips to hate mail, I laughed and laughed watching this comedy special. Rhys Nicholson looked familiar, but I still haven't placed him.

Rhys Nicholson Live at the Athenaeum is on Netflix, but if you don't have a subscription/share a sub, you can find him on YouTube.

Thanks as always, for being here. If you have recommendations of things I might love, please let me know! And, if you know someone who might enjoy this round-up, I'd appreciate the share. 😘

˜Monica