I know my own mind and I like what I like.
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| Deep burgundy! |
Those words could be etched onto my gravestone. My life-choices - particularly in terms of how I present myself - are clear and simple. Take the tiny example of nail varnish. It's a no-brainer. It has to be black. Black goes with everything, looks a bit edgy, and perfectly suits my short square nails. Easy peasy. Except! Over recent months, I've been swayed. I'm currently sporting a dark green. Before Christmas, I wore a succession of deep burgundies. I once tried a navy blue. What was a clear cut uniform taking up no additional thought, has been muddied by options. COLOURFUL options.
Or how about this? For decades, my knickers have been identical. Yep, we're going there! The exact same style, from Marks and Spencers, and always, ALWAYS black. Last night, whilst looking to refresh my underwear collection, I found myself clicking on midnight blue. MIDNIGHT BLUE. What is going on?
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| The dog carries off this dress way better than I could. |
They say a change is as good as a rest, but this isn't restful. This is anarchic! My inner world is all over the place. What I knew to be true, in the tiniest of ways, suddenly feels like less firm footing. Change isn't restful, it's energising!
Writing News
Meanwhile, I'm on a roll. Not to be smug but there are plenty of times when I'm anything but, so I need to shout from the rooftops when my productivity level explodes. I now have a formatted template. The spacing is good. The trickier parts (images of notebook pages inserted within the text) look fine. The final fiddly details are yet to be tackled but I'm close. Let me enjoy my smug satisfaction while it's here. We all know it won't last.
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| Hamnet. Image from here. |
On paper, the film Hamnet and the TV show Heated Rivalry don't have much in common. The story of Agnes and William Shakespeare's loss of their child, and the sexy exploits of queer ice hockey players, might seem worlds apart, but hear me out. They both began life in book form. Both stories explore the human experience and drag viewers onto the emotional roller coaster that is taking the risk to love. Both stories made me feel ALIVE.
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| Heated Rivalry, episode 5. |
Seriously, the energy that coursed through my veins after Hamnet's cathartic ending wasn't hugely dissimilar from the final scene of Heated Rivalry's episode five. How wonderful it is to exist in the world when stories like this can be devoured. How fab to feel such a rush. That energy, of course, is magic. It propels the creative endeavours of those that experience it. It can't be a coincidence I've been on a writing roll this week. Here's to the continuation of the buzz of life!
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| It's not pretty but it's fit! Hummus topped with lentils, maple carrots, cavolo nero, green beans, and chill and honey mushrooms. Plus pitta! |
Georgie Mullen's book What to Cook and When to Cook It continues to inspire. Over the past couple of weeks, there's one meal I've made repeatedly - a winter hummus bowl. Whilst not being an exact recipe in the book, I've merged a few of her suggestions together to make foody magic.
First, whip up a batch of fresh hummus - her basic recipe can be found here. Spoon and smother it over the base of a bowl. Now choose your toppings. Whatever veg you need to use up, get creative. Maple roasted carrots? Sure. Soy and sesame oil griddled green beans? Why not? Crispy cavolo nero? Of course! Just make sure everything's tasty. Now you can add some protein. Marinated salmon chunks? Puy lentils? Crispy tofu? Use any and all of the flavours you like; the world and this bowl is your oyster. I've made multiple versions of this meal recently and it hasn't got old.
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| Just me, taking up space, barely drinking. |
Out and About
Soon my hibernation will be over and I'll be actively seeking reasons to be out in the world. Right now, I'm still sneaking out for bursts of activity before scurrying back to cosy warm. This week, those bursts of activity involved two mega writing seshes in Costa. As much as I like to support indie businesses, I'm much comfier nursing a large tea over an entire morning inside a well-established chain. I also booked train tickets for a London jaunt in a couple of months, and flights for a holiday later in the year. It didn't involve leaving the couch but the promise of the outdoors and future adventure was there.
I need to keep on with this writing roll. I need to continue to nurture myself through the winter whilst feeling emotionally and creatively energised via cultural excellence and exciting future plans. I need to ride the emotionally energetic roller coaster that I'm on and use it to my advantage. That's a plan, right?
Have a lovely week, folks.
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