Hello friends,

Have you ever lost a whole month? Two? How about six? I can’t say I exactly lost all six of them, but they certainly slipped past a lot faster than I expected, each dancing by more quickly than the last. I never really intended to take this much time off. Actually I never intended to take any time off. But nor did I intend to pick it back up once I had. I’m just sort of going with the flow of things I guess. For six months it just didn’t feel right, and now it does again.

During the last half year a lot has happened. We started another year homeschooling. (at this point I guess we’re really doing this?) We had lots of adventures: a trip to Virginia to catch-up with old friends, make some new ones, and see gorgeous art; visits to my mountains and my beach to refresh our souls; Tennessee for a football game, Alabama for a wedding, DC for a party and a lovely conversation… it was all wonderful, but it’s been even more wonderful to be home for a while and the next soonest plans still a long ways off.

As I sit here the most delicate snowflakes are swirling around outside my window - a rarity for Athens, and yet it’s the second time this month. A nearly translucent blanket of white is slowly being woven over the outside world. It’s all a bit enchanting, on a dreary day when I think many of us could use a little enchantment. So that’s exactly what I hope to bring you with this newsletter.

Thanks to you each for being here, especially for sticking around through the break. Take care of yourselves. And you know how much I love to hear from you (seriously, I’ve missed you; the highlight of the time away was hearing from some of you!) So as always, you know what to do.

much, much love -

kg

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS…

Many months back I started loosely following the work of Eric Jeng, who stops people on the street for short conversations, which he films. They’re sometimes funny, often insightful, and almost always very beautiful. I’m amazed at how often he’s able to capture a moment that feels so intimate and special while standing on a New York sidewalk. This video here has been one of my very favorites, and plays through my mind often. You can find beauty anywhere at all, when you look for it.

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

- Wendell Berry

(I know I shared this in my last newsletter, but that was ages ago and it feels perhaps even more relevant now. )

The snow is nice. But oh, how I do look forward to these slow summer days.

RECENTLY

LISTENING TO

I haven’t been listening to much that’s new lately. Mostly I’ve been cycling through Leif Vollebekk’s catalog beginning to end. His new album, Revelation, came out in September and did not disappoint.

READING IN

For Christmas I bought my oldest a subscription to Nautilus magazine, and have become completely obsessed with it myself. It’s a gorgeous science magazine exploring everything from the natural world to the human brain, deep space to deep sea, and all of the “-ologies” in between. Many of the articles are available for free online (if you don’t mind a few ads, anyway) though if you like these science-y sorts of things the subscription is entirely worth the price. The print magazine is so beautifully illustrated it’s an art piece in itself.

CRUSHING ON

Food always has been and will be the way to my heart, and lately I can’t get enough of the Mississippi Vegan, Timothy Pakron. His cookbook (subtitled Recipes and Stories from a Southern Boy’s Heart) is full of so many amazing and creative options, I swear you’d never even notice they were vegan. (Also he does all of his own photography and let me tell you, it is absolutely gorgeous! If I didn’t already own the book I would buy it just to have out on my counter.)

THINKING ABOUT

Impermanence. Snow is good for that. Beauty comes, and goes. And comes again in another form.

(Another good reminder is this thoughtful gift from my oldest.)

A QUICK HOUSEKEEPING NOTE -

For 20 years every camera I’ve owned (analog aside) has been a Canon. I have loved them dearly and they have served me well. But, I was long overdue for a change. So I’m selling most of my current gear, to both fund and make space for my next big adventure. If any of you are Canon shooters, want to be, or know anyone who’d be interested, feel free to reach out and I’m happy to let you know what’s available. I have several bodies (DSLR and mirrorless), along with an embarrassing number of lenses, all in great condition, some barely used.

The four images below are a little preview from one half of my new setup. I don’t think I could love them more.

That’s all for this month. Thanks for being here!