I’ve had a good wfh setup since well before the pandemic sent us all home, but in the last couple of months, I’ve made some upgrades. I got a new desk, swapped out chairs, put my monitor on an arm and my laptop on a proper stand, and got all my shit together to use my camera as a web cam. And yesterday, I set about rearranging my desktop into something that feels more useful and usable, as well as making the surrounding areas more conducive to my being on video. (Read: I put a lot of shit away). There is certainly more to do (like building a shelf for books and tchotchkes, and a charging station that’s more than a small, tin bucket), but having this much of a refresh is invigorating to my working spirit. And having the drive to do what is new, both in terms of the projects and the skillset I need to use to build them, is vital. I’ve got a personal portfolio to finish designing so I can get to building it. I also have some big ideas to fold my big trek into AIP eating into local takeout information (if you’re guessing that it involves Takeout Tracker, you’re probably right). And more writing, both casual and intensive pieces, in offline forums and online.

An unplanned side effect of making my space “video ready” is that my work table (the surface behind me) is now begging me to make something on it. Anything. I hustled like hell to finish my Mom’s quilt before I saw her for the last time, and I just haven’t been able to make anything since. It's just another pause that my heart, head, and hands needed. And while paused, I found it much easier to use that space as my most in-the-way and visible oubliette. It made sense at the time. But now, it makes sense to use that surface once more for cutting, drawing, assembling, planning, painting, and whatever else I wish to do that falls under the wide umbrella of making. I will start with something small: cropping my jeans to reveal ankles when worn. And from there, I'll just see where my heart, head, and hands want to go next.

• WATCHING: Bridgerton 🤤 I can't believe I took so long to watch it, but Corey and I were hooked within minutes. I love that there are 7 more books to each neatly turn a season into. (PS - I TOTALLY guessed who Lady Whistledown was, and I still feel rather chuffed about it)
• READING: Patti Smith's newsletters
• WRITING: Trying to figure out how to write a social media post again! I took a break last year from posting basically anything that wasn't about my mom or grief. It's what I needed then, but I'd like to re-engage with the world in more ways than just that. We'll see how it goes.
• LISTENING TO: A pair of podcast episodes that weren't made to go together, but they tell two different parts of the same important story: heir's property laws, and the role they play in a significant loss of black property ownership over time. Planet Money's episode outlines the specifics of how the laws and processes work and the impact on one family's land. This episode of Resistance takes focus on an important community from my home state of SC, the Gullah Geechee, and the cultural erosion younger Geechees are working against today. So much of their experience mirrors that of my tribe, the Catawba nation, and I personally think they deserve a protected land trust like our reservation. But that's a longer discussion :)
• MAKING-DIY-ING: The deck is done, and I have started climbing a ladder to sand and then repaint a wood installation on the front of our house. It's terrifying, admittedly, but I know it's going to look amazing.
• LEAVING THE HOUSE FOR: I saw my closest friends at a safe, outdoor birthday gathering of vaccinated people this weekend, and it was soul-renewing. The first time I have seen all but one of them since my mom died. And HUGS! Ugh, it was truly the best ❤️
• AIP RE-INTRO STAGE: Wheat!! I tried a bagel sandwich yesterday (starting with the timed out teeny bites), and was in heaven. So far, the test has gone well, but obviously there is more to be tried... looks like I need another sandwich today.

XO
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