hello! a lot of things happened this month, and I hope you are taking care of yourselves and your communities. this is the time of year that really energizes me, and I have been trying to take advantage of it as much as possible.

food: I have a complicated relationship with food. as a person who is easily overwhelmed by decision-making (never put me in a gas station candy bar aisle) having to make several decisions about food every day can easily overload my brain. I have been getting by on no-prep, minimal ingredients meals for a long time but fueled by a desire to use a new toy (toaster oven/air fryer thank you santa clause) and the aforementioned winter energy i have been cooking. a lot. and it turns out I really enjoy it, assuming specific conditions are met (recall: easily overwhelmed).

read: What Goes With What by Julia Turshen (2024). So, part of the secret of making cooking easier for me is having a small number of possibilities to choose from. I followed Julia on Instagram (before I fled Instagram), so I picked this up on a whim and I am SO glad. This book is the overwhelmed cook’s friend. The recipes are simple and good, and she provides lots of tips for substitutions and how to make things easier. I have so enjoyed exploring it, and have found some definite keepers.

stage: Penelope at Firehouse Theatre. A one-woman musical about Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. I ventured out in the ice to catch this, and I’m so glad I did. A really interesting show! I love Firehouse as a venue, and part of that is that space constraints require the musicians to be onstage. Firehouse’s music director, Elle Meerovich, directed the small band from the piano and played both silent servants and very UN-silent Athena (I’ve seen her do this liminal acting/singing/directing/piano thing in three productions now and every time I walk away going WOW). Penelope herself was strong and steady and desperate and a powerful mezzo with nearly a perfect range. My one complaint was with some of the staging. There were some projected animations which I thought were unnecessary and detracted from the overall production. But if you’re nearby I highly recommend checking it out.

read: Amory Ames series by Ashley Weaver (2014-). I was surprised to discover that the only books I’ve finished this month are from this series. It’s good! Set in the 1930s, follows an unhappy society wife who discovers she’s quite a good detective and that forcing her husband into cahoots with her is a surprisingly effective way to fix a marriage. The series is finished, but I have 2 more to read. More here.

game: Mass Effect Andromeda (2017). Every time I mention that I’m replaying this game (and not for the first time) to someone who knows video games, they are surprised, because it was a flop at the time and the intervening years have not brought people around on it. And to this I say ach..nae…i love him. Is it a flawed game? Absolutely. But it had so much promise and I enjoy revisiting that promise and will continue to do so. Join me.

dog:

cat: