Ideas Are Like Arugula And Cucumbers
Happy 2024. What ideas do you plan to nurture and grow this year?
Hi, happy new year!
I’m back from my unplanned hiatus from writing this newsletter and resisting the urge to say sorry for dropping off without notice. It’s really hard not to say sorry though because I missed this space. I missed you. As December unfolded, my body and mind yearned for a complete reset. So I listened. But I didn’t stop writing. Quite the opposite. Most mornings I woke up with Steve at 6 a.m. to sit at the kitchen table or fold my legs under me or Kona’s warm fur on the couch, with the Christmas tree twinkle lights and my laptop glowing in the darkness. I caught a few fuchsia sunrises that way, and I wrote more beginnings to personal essays than I have in years. A theme for a collection of essays is emerging, and it’s clicking and making sense in a way that feels really exciting.
This new year is full of potential. I have so many creative ideas that are just tiny seeds rolling around in my palms at the moment. From building community to sharing my personal projects, I can’t wait to plant them into soft, rich soil and let them grow. But as every expert gardener knows, seeds are not planted all at once. Their seasons differ, thank god. Otherwise that would be too much all at once. Lettuce and arugula are some of the first vegetables to go into the ground, at least that’s true for Oregon, while cucumbers and peppers must wait until the days are warmer. Some of my ideas are arugula and lettuce seeds, while others I hope will grow into plump cucumbers and peppers. The Farmer’s Almanac reminds me that not all beginnings happen at the same time, and in fact, pacing myself is necessary.
So what’s going in your garden this year?
With much love,
Latest Bylines
I wrote a piece about sheep shearing for Laine Magazine, a stunning print publication out of Finland dedicated to knitting. The story appears in Issue 19, which landed in December, and you can get your hands on it by subscribing or visiting a stockist. I profiled Pony Jacobson, who is based in Astoria and specializes in small flocks. A highlight of summer, for sure.
Fixing your own hiking gear is the ultimate DIY flex (Backpacker)
Heli hiking showed me a new side of the backcountry (Backpacker)
Testing out Super Pacific’s X1 Switchback camper for 48 hours (Field Mag)
Monthly Curiosities
Reading: I caved. I started A Court of Thorns and Roses because I want to know what all the fuss is about. Many of my friends have read it and loved it, and I am not above adult fantasy. I’m 70 pages in so far and hope to finish this weekend. Also on my nightstand is Sofi Thanhauser’s Worn: A Peoples History of Clothing.
Recapping: My favorite sewing projects of 2023, my favorite bylines of 2023, and a few of my favorite moments of 2023
Reflecting: For the last three years, I’ve used this planning and review guide for recapping my freelance business. Maybe you’ll find it useful too.
Making: I’m building some floating shelves for our kitchen, and… it isn’t going very well. I’m following this blog, and I think I have to make them thicker than 1 inch and use a special drill guide that I’ll borrow from a friend. Wish me luck.
Listening:
Drinking: For Bitter For Worse Smokey No. 56
Buying: A book about building Japanese furniture, cherry red socks, this little side table/stool, and this sectional from Castlery that I’ve been eyeing for months
Welcome back! Lovely to see a letter from you again, Amelia. "Not all beginnings happen at the same time" 🙏