What I Did Instead of Writing to You

The green and gentle spring has given way to the crispy gold of summer hay. The wind blows hot in my face and I sigh out the memory of water. The bees are loud and active in the magnolia. My voice has gone silent, as it always does in these weeks of building heat.

How are you? Is it this hot where you live?

In this period of aching busyness, I have not been writing to you. There is so much to read, to see, to watch, to learn, and I am quite sure you’ve had plenty to drink in.

But now I share with you the things that have been occupying my time, my hands, and my mind. Perhaps something in this list will tempt you into abandoning your work as well. Perhaps it will help remind you it is always okay to let go of something, even if it is something you desperately love, even just for a little while, if the doing of it conflicts with what your soul is telling you.

In these months I have been:

Baking with Einkorn.

I have been systematically working my way though the cookbook by Jovial founder Carla Bartolucci, and I must say that I am fully enamored with 100% einkorn baking. Einkorn is a bit fiddly and sticky to work with, but the nutrient level is off the charts and flavor is captivating.

Studying.

I’m currently attempting to discover my writing voice as it speaks the language of fiction, which has got me all up into my head. The only way through is through, so besides daily writing, I have been inhaling every craft book and piece of virtual learning I can get. I have always been obsessed with Russian literature, and so I have been utterly absorbed by

George Saunders

’ A Swim in the Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life. Even if you do not consider yourself a writer, this is a gem for anyone who enjoys stories. (That’s all of us, right?) His Substack Story Club is a sort of continuation of this book and is a fascinating place to dawdle for a few hours.

I have also embarked on a diverse collection of writing classes and retreats led by a slew of talented women, most of whom I discovered on Substack:

Jami Attenberg

’s 1000 Words of Summer,

Jennifer Lauck

’s Bones of Storytelling,

Nancy Reddy

’s Strategies for Creative Research, and

Amanda Montei

’s Writing Group virtual retreat. I cannot emphasize enough how much surrounding myself with little bits of community has helped me become a happier writer. No matter what your focus is, I think we know by now that our best work is done with support! No more slaving away in the dark!

Reading.

I have particularly enjoyed Leslie Jamison’s Splinters. In a note to my girlfriends, I said, “Reading this book makes me feel like the artistic interpretation of motherhood should be the most revered and intellectually worthy art in the world.” And I stand by that! I also inhaled both of Tommy Orange’s novels, devoured The Future by Naomi Alderman, and luxuriated in

Maggie Smith

’s book of poems, Goldenrod. Exquisite!

Entered the fun stage of my kitchen renovation.

Though we have progressed at an elegant snail’s pace through a kitchen renovation (which I am quite convinced will never be completed), we have finally gotten to the era where the beauty is showing through. After almost two years after we began, I find myself eternally grateful to possess an enormous farmhouse sink and large swaths of truly gorgeous countertops! Now to install the zellige tile backsplash behind the range and choose wallpaper.

Picking up our family’s produce for the week at our CSA.

I simply love the European / East Coast model of the CSA, where we have free choice to “shop” the weekly harvest in the barn, and then turn around to the fields where we can also pick our own flowers, herbs, strawberries, and snap peas. Later in the season, we will harvest our own wax beans, peppers, tomatoes, and pumpkins, and it truly is the highlight of my week!

Taking my children to swim lessons.

Watching them delight in the water and absorb very high quality instruction is a genuine pleasure for my both my inner child and my mama bear self. The joy of movement, the joy of trying something difficult and eventually excelling, the joy of play, the joy of water, water, water. All of this is so visible on their faces and I can’t help but clap my hands and giggle.

Picnicking.

Before the heat of the summer drives us fully indoors, we’ve enjoyed several impromptu picnics in various locales. Sometimes the beach, sometimes the backyard. Throughout this never-ending heat wave, it’s been exclusively beside my parents-in-law’s pool. To my thinking, the only requirement for a picnic is food, and that it is eaten outdoors.

Prioritizing my health.

I struggled through a flare up of my chronic inflammatory disease, and my food intake became very dull for a bit of a spell there. When part of my life’s joy (and work!) is to cook, it can feel particularly frustrating when what I am allowed to eat becomes severely limited. As I emerge from this mundane disaster, I have been embracing the joys of sweet cherries, heirloom beans, seedy crispbreads, and so much crunchy lettuce with a refreshed intensity. Our health is directly affected by the food we consume, and how lovely it is when everything is ripe and fresh and full of nutrients!

Gotten deep into designing a homekeeping planning journal.

I have been working on my own planning pages to both organize and enrich my daily life for over a year now, and I have begun to have my prototypes printed. I’ve been hearing “If you build it, they will come” over and over in my head every time I work on this project, which I am taking to mean that the universe (spirit, Goddess/God, whomever) believes in the idea and that it needs to be born into the world.

Essentially, it is both a daily and a monthly planner, enhanced with a bit of reflection and journaling space. I designed it solely for me, a creative mother who works from home, though I think it will be appealing for anyone who wants to slow down their lives (while still staying on top of tasks) and deepen their connection to their home. I would love to hear your thoughts on planners — do you use them? What do you find to be the sticking points to be?

I leave you with a one of the many quotes I jotted down from Leslie Jamison in Splinters:

“It’s what the fairy tales have been trying to tell us for centuries. Don’t be afraid of never getting what you want. Be afraid of what you’ll do with it.”

Until next time, my sweet friends!

Kristina