Observables #13
on turkey fog, horse babies and filling up with all the best words
My self-identified role for this thanksgiving was pumpkin pie filling. I found this recipe and thought it sounded yummy. It called for roasting the pumpkin yourself and whispering to it sweetly as you added in every weird ingredient: molasses, cloves, almond flour… The result: it wasn't that delicious, which confused me. Why me? Why my pie? I kept announcing that the flavour was complex, hoping I could fool people.
Then I went to bed and dreamed about having twin baby boys with horse like heads. I was trying to figure out how to care for them, so I organized that Natalie would take them for a day and my mom would take them for a day. I would also take a day. (Not every day was accounted for.) I spent the dream trying to figure out how to carry two horse boy babies places. At one point one of the babies got up and started to run, which was strange because how could he be running already? Overall, it had the trappings of a Midsummer Night’s Dream hallucination.
What seems clear to me now is that my dream was my brain processing my feelings around the logistics of a turkey dinner. My mom said we are too obsessed in our family with making things delicious.
Look at my consternation. That’s how hard I need to concentrate these days to cut a pie. The other day I was in a coffee shop and I had to tell the person I was with that I couldn’t continue my conversation until my coffee lid was completely fastened. I don’t know when precisely I stopped being able to do two things at once.
I briefly looked at this coat in a moment of weakness and now Saks is convinced I want it. Still thinking about your rag and bone item? They wrote in their email headline. And because I am gullible like that, I went wait, what item was that? Now that you mention it…
The Carrying, full of lush poems by Ana Limón. She writes this line in a poem about a friend who calls to say her sister has died:
“Later we’re talking about self-care, being strong, surviving a long time.”
Which sums up just about every conversation I have with my mom or my sister.
Also, Zadie Smith’s essay, “Something to Do” from her book Imitations is also excellent. I like her idea that “There is no great difference between [writing] novels and [baking] banana bread. They are both just something to do.” She disabuses artists of the notion that making art is a grandiose act. It’s just something to do like anything else. But the loving that we are all called to— that’s the real task.
The season finale of Season 2 of Ted Lasso, which warranted much analysis in our house. Was Ted mean to Nate? How did Nate start telling himself that story? We do tell ourselves all kinds of stories as humans that don’t serve us at all. I am great at it. But seeing Nate do it so… violently… it was a good lesson of what not to do, and I felt pleased with myself for the learning the whole family was doing in front of the television!
Please help me with these: Violet’s thanksgiving questions.
What IS Amazon?
Do we have to go to school?
WHY do we have to go school?
Does Grandma have a job?
What is Auntie Natalie’s job? Does she like it?
Is it okay to drop a cat?
Why are there only two days in a weekend?
Sister On! is up tomorrow—all about mentoring or UNmentoring? Hot tip: We recorded in a car and I seriously overheated in the process. It gets weird :)
My first reaction is, Amazon is the devil. Don't say that. It's definitely a company I feel that has become like Coke, fast food chains (nestle) and cigarettes companies. Its no good for anyone, but feels good so we sign up and become obsessed. I also know people with disabilities who rely on it heavily due to other reasons. Sorry if that was too much 😅 😬
I won't touch the school one.
An aunties job is to be a family assistant, support or parents trusting guide to send their children to. I know more than two handfuls of children who call me auntie. I play, host birthdays, buy clothes, take phone calls, give advice, parent sometimes, drop off and pick up, feed, teach and much more. See, an assistant to parents, support to nieces and nephews everywhere. That's what my auntie and uncle did for me.
Yes. Cats are fine and will figure it out.
Girl, I know right, only two days. If there were more, it would become very hard to live, focus, have jobs and so on. In saying that, through my weeks I try to take on a European example in how to live when I can. I take 15min naps, say no to things, relax on my weekends, spend time with family and friends, indulge when I want to, smile a lot and shove stress away with understanding, humour, logic and sometimes physically write it out and throw it away. That makes the weeks not so bad, and go fast.
Love ❤❤❤
get the coat! ...but then i saw the price