What’s for dinner?
Meatloaf is good, actually
Roads Go Ever On 04: What’s for dinner?
💻 what I'm up to 💻
I can measure 2020 in a lot of ways, one being how many times I've groaned, "What's for dinner?" Don't mistake me. I enjoy cooking. Baking cookies this summer was a soothing coping mechanism for me. But part of this being at home all the time forever is the drudgery of it all and that can include cooking, cleaning counters, and running the dishwasher (which I am so grateful to have) over and over. Ad nauseam.
But it has given me more reason to revisit my go-to recipes. I keep them in a three ring binder that has seen better days. I've carefully tucked recipes away in plastic sleeves over the years. Some recipes printed, some hurriedly scrawled on a notepad while my mom listed ingredients for me (I consider it a win if I can get amounts from her). It's loosely organized but not at all uniform. That's a thing that normally bothers me because hi, I'm a Capricorn. Not with this though.
Just last night I thumbed through the sleeves looking for my beloved meatloaf recipe which I've modified enough that the printed recipe is covered with notes—this one is not from my mom because, well, her meatloaf wasn't great. She made plenty of other delicious food... just not meatloaf. I didn’t know meatloaf could be good until I was an adult. Anyway, turning the pages is like going through memories. I think of friends who shared recipes with me. That time I learned about the concept of peeling celery. The spiced cookie recipe I remember making with my aunt around the holidays. And on and on. It's kind of like a photo album and that makes the chore of it all a little less aggravating. I’ll take that.
I have a few fun things in the works, but December is largely going to be recharge time for me (outside of my full-time job obviously). I'm putting together a behind the scenes piece on the Tales from Galaxy's Edge VR experience for Star Wars Insider and have been interviewing fascinating folks for it. And... I should be starting work on something tremendously exciting towards the end of the month. Otherwise, I'm trucking along with some research.
📘 my book things 📘
So the holidays are around the corner somehow. If you’re looking for unique Star Wars books for the folks on your list, may I suggest:
Women of the Galaxy (Chronicle has notebooks, postcards, and a 2021 calendar with art from the book too!)
The Jedi Mind
Elee & Me
I am still working on the idea of custom bookplates I can sign and mail, but if I’m being real with myself, that’s gonna be a 2021 project.
📺 what I'm watching 📺
The Queen’s Gambit
I’ve never been able to get into playing chess. I don’t remember what each piece does. Strategy and me? Not close friends. So I was hesitant about this new Netflix series because I thought it might be boring. Well, Past Amy was dumb. It’s riveting, and Anya Taylor-Joy is a treasure.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
I’m watching Spider-Verse for the, I don’t know, at least tenth time as I write this. (I keep getting pulled in and not writing). It’s leaving Netflix on December 25, and if you haven’t watched it yet, I cannot encourage it strongly enough. The story centers on Miles Morales finding his way as Spider-Man. The soundtrack rocks, the animation is fresh and innovative and not like anything else I’ve seen, and it’s uplifting and hilarious.
📚 what I'm reading 📚
The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp and Manuel Preitano
DC Comics YA graphic novel series has continually impressed me. I've been catching up on them, and this story is a powerful one for Barbara Gordon. She's undergoing physical and mental rehabilitation at a center and things get weird. It highlights Barbara's smarts and tenacity, all while she's processing a life-altering change. And the art is moody and kind of... ethereal?
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
Okay, get this. A fantasy series centered around a kickass protagonist, Sierra Santiago, set in a world with shadowshaping—a kind of magic in which spirits can step into art. Maybe that’s murals or maybe it's music. Something's happening to the shadowshapers, and Sierra has to figure it out. This book digs into familial ties and how they can be strong and how they can be frustrating. It has such wondrous, potent magic. I can't wait to read more of this series.
Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler
My reading list for the rest of the year is largely romance novels, and I so enjoyed this sweet tale set in a small Alaskan town around Christmas.
Anyone else use Goodreads? Feel free to add me there!
🐳 something whalesome 🐳
I like wholesome things and the whale emoji is cute so: whalesome!
Here. Have some chonky fluffs playing in the snow. Click to play the video for maximum whalesome effect.
🍃 creativity corner 🍃
Here I’ll share tips and tricks that are helping me write, imagine, and/or stay productive.
I struggle with ideas. Struggle. Give me a brief and I will pirouette from there. I'll outline. Evolve. But finding that spark is not my best thing. I'm always keeping myself open for inspiration and one source is art. One of my favorite things to do is relax my brain and browse Tumblr, museum catalogs (many of them have extensive online resources), or DeviantArt. When a piece of art or a description catches my eye, I save it for later - I use a Pinterest board for this sometimes and I create bookmarks. I'll go back and see what about the image or information inspired me and in my head, maybe I'll think about a story for that image. Often this is just for the sake of exercise and to make my synapses fire in ways they weren't before.
📃 quote of the week 📃
“Hope was the wind that came from nowhere to fill your sails and carry you home.” - Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars
Feeling hopeful can feel futile. And I’m not going to pretend that opening yourself to hope is some kind of magical solution. That’s not realistic. But when you can pull on that sparkling thread of hope? It feels like this.
PS: Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse is incredible. I’ll probably keep finding a way to mention it in every newsletter until everyone dives in. You’ve been warned.
No mourners...