Monday:

Why don’t you go watch a meteor shower? The Geminid Meteor Shower was last night and I only saw a single one but it was absolutely wonderful! Ever since the arrival of the virus, I’ve been weirdly fascinated with space. I can point out Mars and Jupiter now without any trouble. I still don’t know a single phase of the moon. I never will. It was freezing cold last night but I was intent on seeing meteors, so I bundled up, put hand warmers in my pocket, and hurried outside. After less than ten minutes out there in the snow, I abandoned my observation space for one of the rooms upstairs that has a decent view of the night sky. I don’t do cold. I stared out the window forever, I thought, disconsolate, muttering things like, “I’ll never see one of those dang meteors,” and “I didn’t want to see one anyway,” and then one streaked across the sky. It only took a second or two and I smiled so big it hurt.

Tuesday:

Why don’t you stay up late and do something you used to love but you stopped doing for no real reason? I was up in the small hours last night baking baguettes. I couldn’t tell you the last time I’ve messed with baguettes. Until I started doing sourdough again, I hadn’t really done much baking at all. I have no clue why because I really do truly love it. I get bread like a spiritual thing. I’m experimenting with a recipe from a Parisian baker that I discovered, of all places, in Mexico City. It’s been a joy and the baguettes look like garbage but they always do when it’s a recipes first try. They’re cooling now and they’re going to be delicious. I just know it. 

Wednesday:

Why don’t you remember that we’re just floating through the universe, bound by the laws of physics, and nothing we do really matters? This is a philosophy I’ve always appreciated but this year it has helped me more than I can say. When I feel overwhelmed by politics or personal conflict or even just a seemingly endless ennui, I remember that I’m one of billions of humans on one of billions of planets in one of billions of universes and, well suddenly, nothing really seems too tragic or too unknowable. We’re just here for a little bit, which is wild, and we should enjoy it if we can. Be nice, help out, enjoy yourself, nothing is really that serious. (I’m not talking violence and hunger, obviously, those are things that really DO matter, but my cosmic perspective helps me take myself out of the equation so I can focus on the bigger picture.)

Thursday:

Why don’t you get with the program and join Apple Fitness? I literally hate exercising, even though I don’t really, I just don’t like the idea of regular fitness. I don’t like having to do anything. But, for whatever reason, I enjoy this new service more than I thought I would. The program connects to my Apple Watch and nice people in a California studio tell me how great I’m doing and my vital stats are transmitted from the Watch to the TV and it’s like living in the future. An added bonus is that there’s no hair in the sink drains. I clean my house. Gyms don’t, apparently. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Friday:

Why don’t you watch the gorgeous little films the Metropolitan Museum in New York City has put online? Here’s a link. They’re absolutely dreamy. One particularly absurd video is about the cats that can be found in the Met’s art collection. The commentary is deranged and I found it marvelous. But there’s more than cats, there are exhibition videos from the great and glorious exhibits of the past and there are charming instructional videos and it’s all marvelous. I’ve had the most wonderful time watching them. There’s one about daily life in Egypt in the 50s and I can’t wait to set aside an hour to watch it. And, on top of that, there’s one that features Diana Vreeland, that glorious creation who inspired this blog series! What a wonderful world it can be!