January is a tough month - every year it strikes me down and I’m caught unawares. This year, it’s looked like 6 migraines, spontaneous crying, travel nausea, and a sense that there is some large, unnameable thing I am carrying around (floating above my head?) - making itself known to me in various forms of physical pain. I’m okay, just feeling swollen, stagnant, and mildly confused. In stolen moments, I have started a few projects - the muslin for my wedding garment (?!?), a wool felt bear, alterations to my woolen snow pants - but none of them feel ready to share, so I’ll save them up for a time when I am buoyed once again, which is to say, apparently not January.
BUT there have been some real glimmers this month, which I would love to share with you.
Seeing my sister, my sister-in-law, and my bb nephew! meeting baby stevie & catching up with jess! seeing my dear heart ruby (who i have missed so much!!) by complete surprise :,)
Noticing my attention to the phases of the moon becoming sharper. Especially delighting in this full moon spotted from the streets of berkeley.
Visiting one of my favorite dip spots on a snowy day.
Taking a “snow bath” (is that a thing? idk, just go with me) on a migraine day when I did not have it in me to go to a body of water.
Spending a special weekend in VT with two dear ones, nicole & christian :,)
Feeling “public infrastructure rich” & enjoying talking about that feeling with my dear, caroline.
riding the train to vermont
taking the ferry from SF to Oakland
working from the top floor of our lovely local library - such great views! so many outlets & comfortable places to sit, privately!
realizing that the regional transit authority runs a sort of hybrid bus/uber situation on the weekends and it costs $3-$4 (!) to go anywhere in the county. I took it to Magic Wings (see pic at the end of this dispatch), the butterfly conservatory that you may recall was on my “winter happiness list” :)
even feeling a softening towards the nightmare that is BART (for the uninitiated, the train that gets you around in the SF Bay Area, known for its infamous, loud squealing wheels/tracks)
Working on these sheepskin collars with nicole (we’ve each since added red ties to ours <3)
SNOW! (albeit often short-lived & rained away. briefly beautiful, but so loved)
a (pink!!) sunset sled at our local park. just before the sun went down, josh & I borrowed a sled from our neighbor and walked up to the park for one run before dark.
working with the work crew from our local county jail on clearing some brush as part of the conservation project I’m part of - and, more importantly, making s’mores together. (reflecting on what relationships of reciprocity look like when one of you is incarcerated. I don’t have answers here, but I’m sitting with it & looking into local orgs doing liberation work)
one of the great (trivial) joys of traveling for me is the constraint of carry-on luggage to plan outfits around. I just got back from a work trip to the Bay (5 days + 2 travel days). The forecast was rainy most days, with highs in the high 50s (and an expectation that I’d be inside for a lot of the time).
These are the 8 fits I came up with & what I packed:
1 pair canvas mary janes, 1 pair rubber clog (+ birkenstocks for longer walking days, not pictured)
3 shirts
3 pants
1 vest
1 liner jacket & 1 oilskin rain/overcoat
Accessories: 1 pair sunnies, one knit bonnet, rain hat
yours in wintry mix,
ani x
Saving the very best for last with that butterfly pic :) WOWEEE beauty on beauty :)
Sending all the january love your way, feeling it too. Love all the sledding and cozies, butterflies and outfits too💗