Just the idea of over boiled sprouts, brings back memories of school Christmas dinners with cartridge paper turkey, things pretending to be carrots, and mushy roast potatoes 😳 Love your definition of whelmed 😘😁
Restive is perfect! Let's start a movement! Oh, wait. that takes work and planning. 😅
I'm trying to be calm about the demands of the season, but I'm suddenly sleeping more fitfully, my mind still chewing on what I've done or not done the day before or thinking ahead to tomorrow. Like you, I adapt well to whelm, but one social event too many and I tip over into overwhelm. Balance is hard. Glad you're taking care, Rebecca!
Oh Elizabeth, I’m laughing so hard at that line ‘Oh, wait, that takes work and planning’! 🤣
Finding a balance is an elusive task, isn’t it? I keep reminding myself to pace myself - and am advising plenty of other people around me to do the same!
Thank you for this beautiful essay Rebecca. I love picturing you at home, working on your cards and stretching time. The elasticity of time has always fascinated me and your post is a reminder to move more slowly, with intention.
I was that kid in the neighborhood who couldn’t wait for school to start again. New clothes, new pencil box, new bus driver, new teachers, new desk, new notebooks—I craved them as the summer calendar flipped. As for the Brussels sprouts, please: let’s hurry them along. A little crunch is good with a cruciferous vegetable, and minimizes the cabbagey stink in the kitchen.
I am with you 100%, Peter. I remember the newness of back-to-school with great fondness. It was like a chance to start over and maybe get it right. As for stinky, over-boiled sprouts -- yuck! Why?! Sprinkle them with olive oil, salt , pepper and garlic and roast them in the oven for 15 minutes at 450˚ - they smell and taste delicious! Crisp and crunchy.
Next time you buy sprouts, ask where they come from. Very likely they are from California. Lots of Brussels sprouts farms are just north of Santa Cruz. They love the cool coastal climate.
Wow, I never knew! Hey, that’s ANOTHER reason I need to get to Santa Cruz! I’m buying British, though - we’re in peak sprout season right now and golly me, they’re delicious! xxx
You have an excellent point there - actually I used to love going shopping in the run-up to the new school year for new school shoes, pencil case, pens, all that kind of stuff!
I had to laugh at Jim's sprout allusion - I used to loathe them myself after years of suffering mustard coloured sprouts that practically had to be served with a paintbrush, gah!! Love this essay in every way AND I recently purchased Wintering for my own stocking which I fill myself every year now. It is a superb stocking, always! Happy Holidays!!
Years ago I discovered sautéed sprouts and never looked back— a little bacon and onion, a sliced carrot to add sweetness, yum!
I find that some years I’m excited about holiday activities and others— I’ll just do a couple of things and that’s it. I think finding that comfortable spot is so specific to the mental/emotional space we are in at the moment.
And you’re so right about holiday activities. It’s such a good plan to just go with what you feel like, and finding that ‘comfortable spot’. Good lesson for life as a whole, not just this time of year! x
I hate how a lot of Christmas stuff has titles or dialogue with "saves Christmas" or "the true meaning of Christmas". First of all, Christmas is not a denizen of a Baptist revival meeting (it already has "found" God) and there is no such thing as a "true" meaning of anything, except in dictionairies.
I confess I personally avoid Christmas. But because the galleries and bookstores that carry my artwork on an ongoing basis need this is the time of year to do well so they can keep going during other parts of the year I do some holiday-ish public efforts. But privately, personally we celebrate Jolabokaflod (I've been sharing about that in my newsletter) and so in our house there are stacks of books 📚 around rather than Christmas decorations. I tend to hermit this time of year and read... so I really relate to your post!!
Hurrah for hermitry! I hugely enjoyed your Jolabokaflod posts this time last year - I’m ever so behind on my reading right now but am making it a priority this week to catch up on it! Looking forward to treating myself to a whole session of CLANCYreading!!!
Yes!!! Hurrah for a cozy hermitage - and I hope you have a comfortable one too!!! I'm honored by the thought that you might have a Clancy reading festival!!! So kind of you!!!! Spoiler alert: Your Jolabokaflod gift this year is my entire 144 page sketchbook!! I do hope you'll enjoy it 😊 🙏😘💚💚💚💚💚💚
AWESOME, Sue!!! I’ve just also been reading your ‘book roulette’ post and am sooooooo going to do that - I’ve got several books waiting for my attention and this is a great way to pick my next read, by reading a little bit of all of them! And thank you so much. ☺️
Have a wonderful holiday season, Rebecca! And I refuse to return to boiled sprout times - my mom tried it once when I was a kid. Never again. But a roasted sprout these days is a treat.
I love your essays because they make me slow down and enjoy the moment. Taking the time to fill out Christmas cards is so wonderfully analogue— old fashioned. 🥰
Oh, that’s me to a T, Carissa, ‘wonderfully analogue’! And thank you so much! I appreciate you as a reader - I’m very behind on my own reading but I’m making it a priority to catch up! 😘
"Seeking solace in the stillness" is beautiful prose and immediately upon reading that, my favorite line from the Christmas carol, "In the Bleak Midwinter" came to mind, "Snow was falling, snow on snow, snow on snow". How wonderful to wrap yourself up in the tangible and intangible and slow down when so much of the world, close by and far away, seems to be at a full gallop. Cheers to your restive choice, and heres to mornings and afternoons surrounding yourself with what you hold dear and your favorite hot beverage(s). Cozy on, Rebecca, cozy on.
Whelmed. Thank you, Rebecca. I've toyed with this word but have been too lazy to look it up. It's the perfect word for people like you who have energy to spare to give it your all without tipping over the edge. I, however, have reached that point where my To-Do Lists are short ... two maybe three items. And as in the past, if I accomplish half of them, I win.
Oh, thank you so much, Sue! I treat myself and my to-do lists with compassion, especially while I’m lacking in energy as I am right now, and that really works. As long as a task is ON the list I am happy even if I don’t do it - anything not ticked off at the end of the day simply arrives on tomorrow’s list.
I used to have an entirely different approach to lists, but by treating mine as a ‘would be nice to get this done sometime but no pressure; it’s only on the list so I don’t forget about it altogether’ kind of thing works so much better!
I agree. Having a couple of undones on the list helps keep me motivated to wake up the next morning. At 75, my energy level has waned so much, I can manage to make the bed, take a swipe at the kitchen, and do one other big chore. Sometimes, I can add an unexpected bit of to-do. Well, now you know my routine. Stay young and hearty, Rebecca. Sixty may be the new forty, but seventy still knocks you off your arse. 😇
Sue, your last sentence has got me in FITS of giggles! Oh, and forever more in this house will be heard the phrase ‘I’m going to take a swipe at the [insert relevant part of house]’ in the name of housework! You’re so wise! x
Well, we wouldn’t be the people we are without the exact experiences we’ve had, now would we? But I hear you - I wish I had my now-that-I’m-50 head on my shoulders when I was twenty!
Just the idea of over boiled sprouts, brings back memories of school Christmas dinners with cartridge paper turkey, things pretending to be carrots, and mushy roast potatoes 😳 Love your definition of whelmed 😘😁
‘Cartridge paper turkey’! Oh goodness me, I KNOW IT WELL! Thanks so much, Jo! 😘
Restive is perfect! Let's start a movement! Oh, wait. that takes work and planning. 😅
I'm trying to be calm about the demands of the season, but I'm suddenly sleeping more fitfully, my mind still chewing on what I've done or not done the day before or thinking ahead to tomorrow. Like you, I adapt well to whelm, but one social event too many and I tip over into overwhelm. Balance is hard. Glad you're taking care, Rebecca!
Oh Elizabeth, I’m laughing so hard at that line ‘Oh, wait, that takes work and planning’! 🤣
Finding a balance is an elusive task, isn’t it? I keep reminding myself to pace myself - and am advising plenty of other people around me to do the same!
Thank you for this beautiful essay Rebecca. I love picturing you at home, working on your cards and stretching time. The elasticity of time has always fascinated me and your post is a reminder to move more slowly, with intention.
Oh Donna, thank you so much for reading! x
I was that kid in the neighborhood who couldn’t wait for school to start again. New clothes, new pencil box, new bus driver, new teachers, new desk, new notebooks—I craved them as the summer calendar flipped. As for the Brussels sprouts, please: let’s hurry them along. A little crunch is good with a cruciferous vegetable, and minimizes the cabbagey stink in the kitchen.
I am with you 100%, Peter. I remember the newness of back-to-school with great fondness. It was like a chance to start over and maybe get it right. As for stinky, over-boiled sprouts -- yuck! Why?! Sprinkle them with olive oil, salt , pepper and garlic and roast them in the oven for 15 minutes at 450˚ - they smell and taste delicious! Crisp and crunchy.
I’ll be right over with a stalk of sprouts, Sharron. Pre-heat the oven, would you?
Done!
🤣
Sounds yummy! Mind you, my favourite sprout of all will always be a lightly-boiled one!
Next time you buy sprouts, ask where they come from. Very likely they are from California. Lots of Brussels sprouts farms are just north of Santa Cruz. They love the cool coastal climate.
Wow, I never knew! Hey, that’s ANOTHER reason I need to get to Santa Cruz! I’m buying British, though - we’re in peak sprout season right now and golly me, they’re delicious! xxx
You have an excellent point there - actually I used to love going shopping in the run-up to the new school year for new school shoes, pencil case, pens, all that kind of stuff!
I can still smell the pencil shavings! That new pink eraser!
YES! And felt-tip pens that hadn’t yet dried up, right?!
Yes! Snnnnnnnniiiiiiiffffffffff. And the glue pots. My first unnatural high!
Uh-oh! 😱
I had to laugh at Jim's sprout allusion - I used to loathe them myself after years of suffering mustard coloured sprouts that practically had to be served with a paintbrush, gah!! Love this essay in every way AND I recently purchased Wintering for my own stocking which I fill myself every year now. It is a superb stocking, always! Happy Holidays!!
‘….had to be served with a paintbrush..’!!!!!! Oh Sue, I am laughing my SOCKS OFF here at that line!
Your stocking sounds absolutely perfect! Happy holidays!!! 😘
Years ago I discovered sautéed sprouts and never looked back— a little bacon and onion, a sliced carrot to add sweetness, yum!
I find that some years I’m excited about holiday activities and others— I’ll just do a couple of things and that’s it. I think finding that comfortable spot is so specific to the mental/emotional space we are in at the moment.
Ooooh, adding carrot is a great idea!
And you’re so right about holiday activities. It’s such a good plan to just go with what you feel like, and finding that ‘comfortable spot’. Good lesson for life as a whole, not just this time of year! x
Have a most wonderful restive, festive season. 🤗😘💕
Oh Beth, thank you! You too!!! 😘
"... relative to my adult age a single year is a much, much smaller fraction than it used to be..."
"Time is its own immalleable master..."
"Boiling sprouts is not an endurance sport."
Beautiful writing, Rebecca. From California, I send all my best wishes to you and your entire tribe for the most whelming of holiday seasons.
Oh Sharron, thank you so much! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
I hate how a lot of Christmas stuff has titles or dialogue with "saves Christmas" or "the true meaning of Christmas". First of all, Christmas is not a denizen of a Baptist revival meeting (it already has "found" God) and there is no such thing as a "true" meaning of anything, except in dictionairies.
I confess I personally avoid Christmas. But because the galleries and bookstores that carry my artwork on an ongoing basis need this is the time of year to do well so they can keep going during other parts of the year I do some holiday-ish public efforts. But privately, personally we celebrate Jolabokaflod (I've been sharing about that in my newsletter) and so in our house there are stacks of books 📚 around rather than Christmas decorations. I tend to hermit this time of year and read... so I really relate to your post!!
Hurrah for hermitry! I hugely enjoyed your Jolabokaflod posts this time last year - I’m ever so behind on my reading right now but am making it a priority this week to catch up on it! Looking forward to treating myself to a whole session of CLANCYreading!!!
Yes!!! Hurrah for a cozy hermitage - and I hope you have a comfortable one too!!! I'm honored by the thought that you might have a Clancy reading festival!!! So kind of you!!!! Spoiler alert: Your Jolabokaflod gift this year is my entire 144 page sketchbook!! I do hope you'll enjoy it 😊 🙏😘💚💚💚💚💚💚
AWESOME, Sue!!! I’ve just also been reading your ‘book roulette’ post and am sooooooo going to do that - I’ve got several books waiting for my attention and this is a great way to pick my next read, by reading a little bit of all of them! And thank you so much. ☺️
Oh good I'm glad you'll try the Book Roulette game!!! I hope you'll have lots of fun with it too!!!!! 💚💚📚📚📚💚💚💚 And thank you for your kindness 🥰
Have a wonderful holiday season, Rebecca! And I refuse to return to boiled sprout times - my mom tried it once when I was a kid. Never again. But a roasted sprout these days is a treat.
Thank you, Alison! You too! Roasted sprouts are pretty good, but gosh, I love them boiled (but only very lightly)!
I love your essays because they make me slow down and enjoy the moment. Taking the time to fill out Christmas cards is so wonderfully analogue— old fashioned. 🥰
Oh, that’s me to a T, Carissa, ‘wonderfully analogue’! And thank you so much! I appreciate you as a reader - I’m very behind on my own reading but I’m making it a priority to catch up! 😘
"Seeking solace in the stillness" is beautiful prose and immediately upon reading that, my favorite line from the Christmas carol, "In the Bleak Midwinter" came to mind, "Snow was falling, snow on snow, snow on snow". How wonderful to wrap yourself up in the tangible and intangible and slow down when so much of the world, close by and far away, seems to be at a full gallop. Cheers to your restive choice, and heres to mornings and afternoons surrounding yourself with what you hold dear and your favorite hot beverage(s). Cozy on, Rebecca, cozy on.
Oh, I love that carol, Mary! And a cozy Christmas is the best kind of all. 😊
❤️ 🎄
Whelmed. Thank you, Rebecca. I've toyed with this word but have been too lazy to look it up. It's the perfect word for people like you who have energy to spare to give it your all without tipping over the edge. I, however, have reached that point where my To-Do Lists are short ... two maybe three items. And as in the past, if I accomplish half of them, I win.
Oh, thank you so much, Sue! I treat myself and my to-do lists with compassion, especially while I’m lacking in energy as I am right now, and that really works. As long as a task is ON the list I am happy even if I don’t do it - anything not ticked off at the end of the day simply arrives on tomorrow’s list.
I used to have an entirely different approach to lists, but by treating mine as a ‘would be nice to get this done sometime but no pressure; it’s only on the list so I don’t forget about it altogether’ kind of thing works so much better!
x
I agree. Having a couple of undones on the list helps keep me motivated to wake up the next morning. At 75, my energy level has waned so much, I can manage to make the bed, take a swipe at the kitchen, and do one other big chore. Sometimes, I can add an unexpected bit of to-do. Well, now you know my routine. Stay young and hearty, Rebecca. Sixty may be the new forty, but seventy still knocks you off your arse. 😇
Sue, your last sentence has got me in FITS of giggles! Oh, and forever more in this house will be heard the phrase ‘I’m going to take a swipe at the [insert relevant part of house]’ in the name of housework! You’re so wise! x
😂🤣😂🤣😂 Such wisdom comes with the years. If only I had it when I was twenty. Then again, that would erase all the silly story ideas.
Well, we wouldn’t be the people we are without the exact experiences we’ve had, now would we? But I hear you - I wish I had my now-that-I’m-50 head on my shoulders when I was twenty!
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful and peaceful holiday! I look forward to enjoying your posts in the new year!
Oh, thank you so much, Sue - and likewise, very much!!! Happy New Year (in advance, for tomorrow!). xxxxxx