I am always so comforted by the small constants in life.

The sun rising. The seasons changing.
The Jehovah's Witness man in his long dark coat and fedora handing out Watchtower and Awake! magazines at the end of 200 East.

He is always there. Every Friday morning without fail. And I always accept his magazine with a smile and a word of thanks.
Partly because I find them fascinating and have a habit of collecting religious pamphlets and tracts of all kinds* And partly because what's the point of rudely averting your gaze? Or swerving around him? Or making a show of turning him down because you have a religion thankyouverymuch?

In other news, I really do love the seasons changing. It's spring! The weather is fickle. We had a white Easter. But now it is 60 degrees and there is popcorn popping on our apricot tree outside (we really do have an apricot tree in our backyard, and it really has broken out into the most beautiful pink-white blossoms this week)! and we are planting lettuce and spinach and peas and onions and carrots in the garden. and sprouting tomatoes and peppers and eggplants and melons under our grow lights indoors.
And it might snow again next week--but that's alright. That's just mother nature trying to make us appreciate the warm days more. And we do.

*Last time I went sacred harp singing at the local Episcopal church I raided their pamphlet section. I think I took one of every single kind. And I read them all too. I like the episcopal church.
Also, when I worked at Foodland I used to gather all the little evangelical tracts that people seemed to strategically leave in the shopping carts and take them home with me-- not to thwart the missionary efforts but because they were always so interesting and full of passion and zeal and they usually had great cartoons of people burning in hellfire!

2 Documentaries

Praying With Lior
I watched this documentary a few weeks ago and it has stayed with me. It is simple. It is precious. It resonated.
On top of that, it is very beautifully made. I don't know why, but I love love love the pink-tinged cinematography.
Take a minute (or 87) and watch this.
Lior will steal your heart, I promise...
and make you wish you could prepare for your bar (bat) mitzvah and recite torah and clap and dance in joyful circles and learn to daven and have such constant innocent faith in hashem.
(I'm not gonna lie. Sometimes I really wish I could be Jewish).


A Touch of Greatness
Another good one. I saw it for the first time a few years ago and watched it again last week. It never fails to make me want to abandon all other plans and just go teach 5th grade. Bear costumes? Shakespeare plays in the woods?
Albert Cullum is a remarkable man. If you care about education, watch this film. It actually makes me cry a little because I feel so joyful and inspired when I watch the way he teaches.
It's only 50 minutes or so.


Both of the above films are on Netflix watch-instantly. Do it.

"Cheap Food"

"Cheap food is an illusion, there is no such thing as cheap food. The real cost of the food is paid somewhere--and if it isn't paid at the cash register, it is charged to the environment, it is charged to the public purse in the form of subsidies and it's charged to your health."

-Michael Pollan, in Fresh

"Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

Genesis 3: 17-19

Reconstructing Memories

t & s

love these girls, it's true.

Tegan & Sara - Feel It In My Bones - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Orion

I turn my head to the winter sky and all I can see are these three stars. They command my attention above all others: Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitak. Orion's belt.

Lately I have started feeling annoyed with them. Orion is known as one of the most conspicuous constellations. Bright, easy to find--especially in the winter. But for some reason I feel like these stars are being selfish. Not only are they conspicuous but rude, flashy--boldly co-opting the night sky. taking it over. dominating. constantly stealing my gaze away from other, equally deserving and probably more fascinating constellations.

I need to resolve these negative feelings I have towards Orion. He will always be there after all.
Or else take some astronomy classes so I can start noticing other stars.

T-Rex

In my opinion, she was the perfect cat. RIP little T-Rex.