Of Summer Blooms and Fallow Periods
My jasmine is blooming again.
The first flowers appeared right after I got the plant in February, and they filled our house with fragrance. But it was too cold to plant it outside then, so I watered it religiously and kept it going indoors.
By April it had warmed up enough, and I hoped it would not only survive outside, but enjoy itself enough to start climbing up a trellis we built for it. Luckily it has, and it's so lovely to see it flowering again.
A few of the vegetables I've been tending since the depths of January are miraculously still going as well. The tomatoes mostly, which have come back from the dead twice now. No sign of flowers or fruits yet, but hopefully soon.
The climbing French beans are also taking off now, and my partner had the brilliant idea to name them Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.
The squash I'd planted around the same time as the tomatoes was unfortunately lost in the war against the slugs, which I waged for weeks using various tactics inspired by both medieval warfare and the Royal Horticultural Society, yet none of them seemed to work. So pour one out for the squash plant that never was.
The slugs have also been enjoying the spinach, although we've managed to sneak a few leaves here and there every few days. The geraniums, hydrangeas, and roses are doing surprisingly well though, so I'm quite proud of them.
When I wasn't engaging in the art of war against the slugs, or shaking my fist at them, indoor house projects kept us busy during the spring, and it's been so lovely to update things to make it feel more like ours. I still pinch myself everyday that we managed to find this place, and I'm so so grateful.
When it comes to reading, I've had three or four books on constant rotation to keep the brain weasels at bay, and to try and keep my doomscrolling to a minimum. I'll put my favorites down below as always, and all the things I've been watching and listening to.
In April we went on our first trip this year to the coast, which was a much-needed breath of fresh sea air.
Writing has been tough lately with *gestures to everything happening in the world right now*, so I'm focusing on refilling the well and being a bit more intentional with my energy. I'm trying to be kinder to my brain and not force anything, while letting it percolate on the ideas that are still simmering away on the back burner. To mix in another metaphor/cliche, you have to let some fields lie fallow so they can come back stronger in the next season, right?
I have had some lovely feedback and interest in Venice Book, which has been really exciting. Another source of serotonin is the fanart I've been commissioning for my WIPs, and they're all being created around the same time right now, which is so much fun to be a part of.
First up, here are my two MCs for Venice Book done by Caleb (please go check out his work and give him a follow!) I LOVE the graphic style, and the gorgeous character-specific details in the backgrounds!
I'll be working with one of my FAVORITE artists (and people!) for another commission for Venice Book next, AND I've commissioned a portrait of the MC of Raven Book from another artist, which I'm hoping to share very soon! 😍
So tl;dr YAY ART! And let's all keep supporting artists making REAL art! Oh and fuck AI in all its forms.
Links & Things
Continuing on from the above, please check out Nicole's post on being anti-AI which I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SECOND.
I loved Alex Elle's notes on healing, and about what else can be said when it feels like there's nothing else to say.
The Guardian's reporting on the genocide in Gaza has been pretty shit overall, but this opinion piece was really well said.
This two-part interview about how we've been abandoned to deal with Covid and its effects on our own is infuriating and scary, yet it's also essential reading. It should also radicalize you! Here's part one and part two. (It mostly focuses on the US and UK, but is still really important info.)
This article also expertly summarizes the mass-denial that mostly everyone is engaging in, and how it's ultimately going to lead to our downfall. Fun, right?
This post by Jeanna Kadlec on creativity, productivity, capitalism, and healing is itself so healing to read. I might need to print it out and read it every day.
AND HOLY SHIT THIS POST (shared by Nicole!) about being a "good girl" in today's world, which has so many rage-filled bangers it's unreal. Like this one: "I thought that if I was perfect, it would protect me. If I was honest, followed the agreed upon rules, and tried my fucking hardest, then the people around me would do the same. But life doesn’t work like that; it’s just what they tell you so that you keep your mouth shut and smile."
Favorite Recent Reads
I really loved Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, it was full of so much beautiful insight and wisdom, and has transformed how I look at the plants and ecosystems right in my own backyard.
And I'm seriously loving The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron! It's got all the swashbuckling action and atmosphere, and some fantastic queer pirate rep. What's not to love?
Some exciting new self-pub releases to check out are Ancient as the Stars by Maya Darjani and Sailing By Gemini's Star by Katie Crabb.
AND if you're not following Nicole Evans yet, get on that, because she's going to have some amazing news coming up very soon! 👀🎉
New Music
Love me some Bryce Fox. Also very relevant lyrics.
Rediscovered this old gem, and Santana's classic album in general.
So glad I stumbled onto this artist, their songs are SO catchy.
Two songs called Forever! But this one's by Loreen, so you know it's gonna be great.
I really like Charlotte's sound too, and her lyrics always pack a punch.
I've also joyously rediscovered the Putumayo label. Their new album compilations are so fun.
And last but not least, I love Dobet's voice, and the layered rhythms in her songs.
For things we've watched lately, I was RAPT by Shogun. The attention to detail, the levels of intrigue, the cinematography? Incredible. And you know I'm always here for things set in the 17th-century! I'm also currently recovering from the fifth episode of The Acolyte (IYKYK 👀 I wasn't a Reylo fan, but this I can get on board with!), and a rewatch of Moon Knight, which is just so damn good. Let me know what you've been reading or listening to lately.
Since shit's getting really bad again (even though it's been bad for a while! The pandemic never ended!), I wanted to end by asking that everyone PLEASE mask up when you're anywhere out in public, using the best respirator you can get. N95 is the gold standard, but KN95 or FFP2/FFP3 are also great. This Reddit group has fantastic reviews and links, and really reinforces how any mask is better than no mask, but those are the best types.
Are masks hot and sweaty and annoying to wear? Yes. But that's still better than getting Covid. And if ALL of us masked consistently for like, two weeks, we could stop Covid in its tracks. IN ITS TRACKS. And we'd be living in solidarity against fascism too. Win-win, right?
And in terms of vaccines, there are so many variants circulating right now that any booster you had in 2023 or earlier this year is probably not protecting you anymore, so please get the most updated one you can! The Novavax one is the most up-to-date with the latest variants, and isn't known for having side effects like the mRNA/Pfizer ones. (The vaccines should really be updated every six months now in order to get on top of all the variants, but it's extremely doubtful the powers-that-be will actually do that...)
In the face of all the problems we're up against, masking and getting vaccinated every six months are small things we can all do to help others and ourselves. And if you feel self-conscious with masking, please remember this saying I saw somewhere and keep in my mind:
Embarrassment is temporary, Covid is forever.
Because there is no cure. It's basically airborne HIV. And we don't know how badly it will affect us in 3, 5, 10 years down the line, especially if we've had it multiple times and it causes cumulative damage each time.
We are all we have, and if we want to start building a better world, we have to start now with the tools we do have. So please mask up.
Thanks as always for reading.