This month… I won’t lie, the emotional whiplash has been a lot. I can spare you the politics (not good, not good) but I, of course, cannot ignore what has happened to my beautiful LA County. As I mentioned before, the way that almost all of LA came together, overrunning donation centers with supplies, donating to fundraisers, opening their homes at a moment’s notice–that is what I am going hold onto from these last few weeks. The rest, well…I’m protecting my peace. I’m focusing on community, on what I can do in times like these. I can hardly fathom times like these…
The winds did pack up again since the Palisades and Eaton fires. All was safe in my little LA enclave, but I was crossing fingers and toes as the Santa Anas raged back up again. In 2022, there came a violent overnight windstorm that felled several large trees in my neighborhood, including two giant pines into my neighbors’ yard. Some post-storm photos below.
I wasn’t about to go anywhere near the fires, nor the destroyed homes. Props to the photographers who did rush literally into the fire to document what happened. That was not me. There is also plenty of concern about the air quality here, particularly with toxic compounds lingering in the air. I’m taking as many reasonable precautions as I can.
After what felt like the absolute longest week, I am finally crawling back to the myriad of small projects I have going as the year charges on. Work slows down quite a bit for me now, which is good for a sense of balance for this freelancer. That is, until about the end of February where I begin to question why I got myself into this career. Then, the moment March begins, the client calls being to come in and my mood vastly improves.
My work, along with a crew of very talented photographers, was featured on BizBash here. This was for the annual Candlelight Concert at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, which raised over $19 million for arts programming and education.
Currently reading:
100 Years of Solitude by the Gabriel Garcia Marquez – it’s been on my TBR shelf for years, and with the Netflix series out I figured now was as good a time as any to read the renowned classic. My copy is a Harper Perennial Edition with deckle edges. In the age of booktok and sprayed edges (aka “spredges”) this is more the aesthetics of reading I enjoy. There is not much more I can add to the discourse around this book. It is not an easy read, and thankfully this edition includes a family tree of all the main characters, but it is captivating. I’m glad to have read it before watching the series.
The Paris Review – longtime reader, ever behind at least one issue.
Miscellany:
In contrast to last year’s wet and soggy SoCal winter, this one has so far been dry and disconcertingly warm. Despite that, I plan my spring gardening right around now because it does sneak up. I receive catalogs from Baker Creek (the popular kid), John Scheepers (old and reliable), and Strictly Medicinal (a delightful and quirky catalog to peruse), and I also browse the many offerings at Renee’s Garden.
I’ve had the same 2-quart slow cooker (Crock-Pot brand) for over 10 years now. It had been sitting in my cabinets unused until sometime last fall when I pulled it out and started using it again. I’m happy to say, it is possibly one of the best kitchen gadgets for a two-person household like mine. I’ve stuck to mostly chilis, stews, and soups, as well as a pot of mulled cider for the holidays. I’ve recently purchased this cookbook, which has a number of recipes ideas that work for just me or two people. I’ll have to put some of my successful slow-cooks here as I go.
