Might as well be spring…
First off, let’s just acknowledge that it is very, very weird to try to talk about anything normal right now.
There is something deeply surreal about chatting about my garden and the birds I’ve seen lately, while entire civilizations are being threatened with extinction. Yesterday was a bad day.
I think it’s worth remembering that whatever governmental leaders and powerful industries in the world are doing, most of us, everywhere, just want to live our ordinary lives. Every culture has traditions and quirks, little ways of doing things that make life a little better.
Here’s what I’m doing lately:
Other than the obvious doomscrolling and wall-staring.
Forsythia! Walking along, I told Bob, “I hear the blossoms are delicious.” “Was the person who told you that a squirrel?” he asked. It’s a reasonable question.
Reading:
I’m slowly savoring The Overstory by Richard Powers. It is both rich and intense, so I’m taking relatively small bites.
I’m also enjoying Turning to Birds, by Lily Taylor. I’m particularly charmed by the way she relates acting technique to birding.
On another note, I’m reading a lot of the Illinois Master Naturalist Manual, because I have begun training to be a Master Naturalist. Master Naturalists are educated and trained volunteers who support natural spaces with education, science, and care. After my 40 hours of training are complete, I’ll intern with the Cook County Forest Preserves.
You have to love a program for adults that offers you stickers for your notebook.
We had our first training session on Saturday, and it was truly delightful to be in a room of nature nerds. In the coming weeks, we’ll learn about geology, botany, climate science, animals, ecosystems, and more.
Making
I finished my Soda Firing class, which was a ridiculous amount of fun. Playing with fire and chemistry opened up new ways of thinking about clay, which is good, because I’m often thinking of clay. This term, I’m back to regular old wheel throwing, with a plan to improve my consistency and, of course, throw a taller cylinder.
Putting soda into the kiln!
I started playing with my drop spindle again this winter, and made more progress than I ever have before. That does not mean I am good at spinning. Just better than my previous attempts. I suppose that’s all one can ask for.
Nourishing
After a couple of years on the waitlist, I once again have a community garden spot. This is very exciting, because my porch has many excellent features, but full sun is not one of them. Great for lazing in the shade, not so great for growing all the things I want to grow. I’m happy that instead of trying to make things grow on the porch anyway, we can reserve it for a few nice boxes of plants that like shade, and get the tomatoes going in the garden.
Another thing that has been nourishing my heart lately is spring migration season. The birds are back, and with the Merlin app at the ready, I am going to identify them all. Someone at Master Naturalist training said birding with an app is a lot like Pokemon Go, and I think that’s probably true. I want to be the very best, like no one ever was.
Thinking
In the midst of all this terror and destruction, it’s still spring. What’s starting to grow for you?