1. this incense.
{because it’s perfect.}
2. these little pinecones.
{for being still on the branch.}
3. this toothpaste.
{because i’m an absolute sucker for fancy toothpaste and also because the pine is truly delightful.*}
4. this middle candle.
{and james for making it from dirtied bits of old wax resulting in the very perfect color.}
5. the top half of our tree.
{for being all mine.}
other things:
few things inspire as much generational angst, curiosity, and anger as real estate.
for our stay-at-home christmas menu slash right this minute please.
cooperation over self-interest.
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8 Comments
I definitely read that as “A Les Miserable Winter” and I was really hoping for a Les Mis themed winter scene. 🙂
ha!
I loved the Social Life of Forests article! It reminded me a lot of the book The Overstory by Richard Powers– which was hands down the best novel I’ve read this year. Hard recommend for anyone looking for a good read!
Thank you for this recommendation. I also loved the forestry article and rushed to pre-order the book (….six months in advance) from my local store – I am thrilled to have something in the same vein that I can read right now!
Similarity makes sense – Patricia Westerford is based on Suzanne Simard!
+1 for The Overstory: informational, thought provoking, exciting
Thank you for the link to the Long Winter piece. It took me right back to reading the books which, even as a British girl in a very British town (perhaps because that’s what and where I was), I absolutely adored.
I reread some of them a couple of years ago and the author is right, that erasing and denigration of Indigenous peoples jumps right out at you. Some scenes in Little House on the Prairie were particularly uncomfortable.
Still, I think we can acknowledge that, abhor it and yet appreciate other passages in the books for what they are at the same time. My favourite is the first book and it’s left me wanting to tap maple ever since!
The article about the Laura Ingalls Wilder books in interesting. My daughter and I started reading them once the pandemic hit. I was shocked that I didn’t remember the details in the book about the taking of the land from the Native American Indians. Prior to this article I have been telling my daughter this was wrong to take the land like this. Not sure how much she will grasp, but I think the generation of little ones now will see history very differently than when we were brought up and taught. I disagree that these books shouldn’t be read- the narrative should be addressed, not ignored.
I do think the article author was correct about The Long Winter being an art form. It’s the book I remember the most from my childhood.
Thanks for including this article in the weekly roundup!
Would love to hear more about how y’all make your tapers!
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