Fourth Person Singular

My local library branch has a rotating display based on varying themes. Every now and then, one of the titles will grab my attention. This was the case recently when I left with the 2017 publication "Fourth Person Singular" by Nuar Alsadir.

An odd collection of poems and snippets of thoughts, I enjoyed the higgledy-piggledy nature of her writing, mixing raw emotions with playful musings. I'm not sure how one becomes a poet, but I'm guessing it's similar to a comedian and likely why I'm intrigued by both. Observation meets lyric and when executed well, there is an engaging and riveting truthfulness that leads to personal reflection and musings of one's own. It's easier and more convenient to display the work and words of others, but perhaps in the future, I'll do some digging of my own and discover I too have some lyrical commentary to share. For now, enjoy the following by Alsadir:


Why do scabs itch? Wasn't the initial pain enough?


(I was quick to intrude upon the dream to change my outfit)


I'm tiptoeing around my life.


Does my heart sit on fault lines?


Sadness folds the chair I would have sat on -


Dreamt I wrote my autobiography: the pages were
blank, the text in footnotes.


It's degrading to be reduced to concerns about
survival - war brings people to that position.


Why did they care so much, all the king's horses and
all the king's men? Was nothing else happening in the
kingdom? Was Humpty Dumpty somehow important
to the greater good? Or was it the impulse to put the
pieces back together again, revert to an idyllic image of
cohesion, avoid fragmentation at all cost?


Sketch 27
A man entered the subway car at Borough Hall,
was about to sit, but just as his knees began to bend
the train jerked into motion. He stood up, as though
regaining composure after a brief humiliation,
as though it were somehow shameful to be subject
to gravity's impersonal force, caught
in its grip, an object controlled by physics.

Remembering "Reading Rainbow",

SJW

Happy Tastebuds

A fun tip to share - borrow cookbooks from the library first (perhaps multiple times!) before deciding whether or not you want to invest and add it to your shelf. This method gives you the chance to try out the recipes, see if you actually cook anything, and most importantly, test if you enjoyed the result! Sometimes I simply flip through the pictures for ideas and other times my grocery list and meal plan is directly impacted :) I've found that by simply reading through recipes you can increase your comfort level in the kitchen by recognizing common flavorful ingredients (tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, red onions, herbs, goat cheese, quinoa, etc.) so that you can improv. on your own.

I recently picked up The Yellow Table: A Celebration of Everyday Gatherings: 110 Simple & Seasonal Recipes by Anna Watson Carl. She's a private chef that lives in Brooklyn and the inspiration behind her dinner parties & new recipes began in her childhood, sitting around the family's yellow kitchen table. You can read more and peruse her blog repertoire here.

I'd highly recommend these simple 6-ingredient grilled panini sandwiches flavored with dijon mustard and pears. I used the rosemary ham from Trader Joe's and their English coastal cheddar - so delicious! We made these for lunch today & they're on repeat for an easy dinner this week along with these other items I marked to try:

Hericot Verts
Lemony Pesto Spaghetti (sub almonds for pine nuts for Mr. Fleece)
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad 
Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Thyme, & Shallots
Spaghetti Carbonara with Garlicky Greens

Are you trying anything new in the kitchen this week? 

Turning on the stove,

SJW

Spring Has Sprung

March has been generous to Seattle, giving gifts of sunshine upon sunshine tied up with flowers & blossoms. It's been a delight walking Ebony and taking in the streets laden with pink cherry trees. People often rave about summer in Seattle, but every spring I'm taken aback and reminded how sweet and lovely this season is in its own right.

Winter was filled with skiing - I ended up hitting the slopes 5 times, the best season I've had yet, but I'm looking forward to more outdoor activities that don't require snow including bike rides, pickleball matches, runs around Green Lake, and another season of badmitton at the park :)

Until then, Mr. Fleece & I have a puzzle on the table and have been playing a cooperative computer game called Overcooked. We'll also keep listening to our "Discover Weekly" playlist on Spotify as we cook dance in the kitchen. Here are my top picks this week:

"Carry" by Branches
"Twinkling Lights" by Annalise Emerick (I also like her other song, "This Love Won't Break Your Heart" that's a cross of Auld Lang Syne)

Planning for spring,

SJW

Only Sometimes

The title of my blog states that sometimes I'm trendy. Sometimes I'll hear about or watch something cool, interesting, or new and want to share it with the world, meaning it will likely make an appearance in my conversations, Instagram, and/or blog posts. I like sharing and expressing  my affection, infatuation, or enjoyment of whatever it happens to be (i.e. The Crown, Blue Apron, The Skimm, GroupMuse, Stranger Things, The Olympics, etc.) with the genuine belief that you'll likely love it too :)

I'm categorizing something as trendy if it's recent news and widely & positively received. Personally, I believe the largest amount of 'trendy points' are awarded simply on the basis if the person sharing heard about it before their listener. So the truth is, sometimes I get lucky and could be considered trendy. I'm sometimes in the know, in the loop, or on board with unique and new content that others might not know about.Other times, I'm not.

Podcasts are a prime example.

I've been sorely behind the times with Podcasts as a whole. I was captivated by Serial like the rest of America, but other than that, I really didn't climb into the endless cavern of options. So, although I'm roughly 14 years late to the podcast game (not trendy), here's my big comeback - I have a few favorites to share that were started or posted within the last few months (trendy!).

Slow Burn - all about the Watergate Investigation. It's fascinating, particularly because it's just as baffling and inconceivable as what's happening in today's world with Trump. There are plenty of similarities!

Skimm'd from the Couch - I've touted the Skimm before, and am still a huge fan. They recently launched Skimm Notes and this new Podcast, Skimm'd from The Couch where the two founders interview other successful businesswomen.

Oprah's Super Soul Conversations - I grew up watching The Oprah Winfrey Show and am in the "she can do no wrong" camp. She is a fantastic interviewer and loves to get to the heart of the matter. I've only listened to two episodes but will keep my eye out for other interviewees I admire.
Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling: Brave New Worlds
Reese Witherspoon: It's About Time

Atlanta Monster - this one is probably the most fascinating. Similar to Serial, this is a true crime investigation and interview process after the fact. Did you know that more than 25 black children were missing and murdered in Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1970's?

Grabbing some headphones,

SJW