taken on december 29, 2022 at 7:17 AM
Greetings, dearest readers! Welcome to another year at sewandsowlife! I am so very grateful for your presence here. I look forward to navigating the year ahead with you, and look forward to your comments. Please don’t be shy. Give me some push back if you don’t agree with something I write. Or say, “heck yes, I agree” if something strikes a chord. If something doesn’t make sense, ask me to clarify! And if you have resources to add, let me know! The comment section is a place where we can build community and make connections…even if it’s only in the ether. xo
We had a lovely brunch with neighbors on New Year’s Day, snuggled into their cozy straw bale house. The menu was pot luck and included so many local treats. We spent the rest of the afternoon with seating pulled up close around their wood stove…knitting, chatting and laughing with two dogs curled up underfoot. It was a fine way to ease into a whole new year, sprawling out before us.
With quite a bit of calamity swirling around us, I’ve come to realize that to stay sane, I need to push back against the gloom and doom. So I’ve dedicated a bit of my time in January to having fun. I’ve gone through all the folders in my pantry…sorting the recipes cut from magazines, printed off the internet and scribbled by hand. I threw a bunch away. It felt good. Now all of our faves are tucked into binders, with tabs for different categories. A fresh start in the kitchen. Which leads me to playing with my food. This recipe (above) is called “Green Galaxy Smoothie Bowl with Buckwheat Crispies” and can be found in My New Roots, Inspired Plant-Based Recipes For Every Season, by Sarah Britton. Since I have the same mug that’s photographed in the cookbook, I couldn't resist trying to duplicate the scene. :-)
In an effort to tidy up my eating, I pulled out another of my favorite cookbooks, At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, by Amy Chaplin. This is a book where I reread much of the opening chapters, because they inspire me anew. I spent the better part of a morning prepping lots of different foods to create an easy grab and cook situation. I also spent some time at our food co-op, prowling the bulk and produce sections, looking for foods rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Batman is building us a new spice shelf to hang on the wall in our “room of requirement” and so that is prompting a review of all the jars that are headed that way. There are three fruits and tons of blossoms on our Meyer Lemon tree and lots of micro greens sprouting on the windowsill and in jars in the cupboard. I’m hoping to keep the kitchen in “playground condition” until further notice. What a lovely place to spend time, fortifying our immunity and connecting with the magic that Mother Nature and her farmer partners offer us.
this was taken at 6:49 AM on sunday morning
Did you see the full Wolf Moon at your house? What a beauty.
I’ve been working my way through a stack of gorgeous old magazines. I’ve been cutting out photos and using them to make fun notecards for snail mail. Combining the images with wash tape has created some whimsical, homemade cards that will make their way across the miles to some of my favorite correspondents.
If you are looking for a fun read, I recommend Year of Yes, by Shonda Rhimes. You don’t need to be a fan of her TV series to love this book. Her story will leave you feeling freshened and ready for a new lease on life…an inspirational way to head into 2023.
On a bit more serious note, I have been swept up into Anderson Cooper’s podcast, All There Is. Anderson takes his listeners on a deeply personal exploration of grief and loss, via interviews with friends and experts. Sometimes it’s not an easy listen, but it is rich with insights, truths and comfort.
And for some of the best viewing ever, head to PBS for season three of All Creatures Great and Small. The green fields and the gentle storytelling tug at my heart with each episode.
Earlier this morning we had a spell of what I call “sun flurries”, when the snow is swirling and sparkling at the same time that the sun is out. It happens now and then when two weather fronts collide over our ridge. It’s magical and beautiful and reminds me of why I love the winter so much.
So, in 2023 I’ll be trying to keep us all afloat with play and creativity and curiosity and hope and light and love. I will be navigating with my head and my heart. I hope you’ll join me here whenever you feel like.
Let me know what you are up to in these fresh days of 2023. Have you picked a '“word of the year”? Do you have plans or dreams or intentions that you are comfortable sharing here? Is there something you would like me to post about here on the blog? I’m so curious about all of it!
xo