“Hummingbirds famously have a high heartbeat, of more than five hundred beats per minute. As humans, we can’t abide that pace; we also need to settle into our souls.” Conversations with Birds

I recall these words as I consider the looming holiday season. At a time when our world is moving sideways and back at a hummingbird’s pace, it can feel challenging to settle into the full-body experience of the holidays.

To settle in, I’ll slice the last of the Ribston Pippin apples that Bob Sivinski, former New Mexico state botanist, gifted me when he visited for tea. A historic British dessert apple, the Ribston Pippin is best paired with dark chocolate. Caring about biodiversity — in this case, apple biodiversity — can bring heartbreak but also surprises. In a recent ORION piece, I write about: “Eating Apples: Finding Hidden Happiness in Nature’s Variety”

Lastly, a lucid new translation of Montevideo by acclaimed Spanish novelist Enrique Vila-Matas (Yale University Press) allows a reader to slip through the veil of reality. One caveat. You have to “settle in” to get the full experience.

Wishing you apple-tinted holidays!

Priyanka