stuff I loved ... in August

Don't you just love autumn nights? The soft darkness you enter, fumbling, coming from a well-lit house, and the scent of a weather about to turn crisp that you can feel in the air. To be able to see the stars in the sky again is such a bliss. Did you know that the longer you look at stars the more of them you start to see? It's something to do with how fast the light can travel long distances -- if you'd like to know more I'll ask my husband to explain but to be honest I was concentrating on the stars at that moment rather than theories about the speed of light.

After so much light -- 24 hours per day! -- I welcome autumn and the darkness with open arms. And yet, this year the beginning's been an emotionally turbulent one for me. It's been good and sad and all kinds of wonderful; somehow bittersweet all the time. Maybe it's to do with a certain someone growing, and sending her to fourth grade without the permission to walk her to school (I did ask, in fact I pleaded) or tell her what to wear in the mornings. My girl is ten, and will keep on growing. With melancholy nostalgia I long to re-do grade one with her -- and yet I don't.

About ten years ago I started this thing here on the blog where I would share my top 5 favorite things each month. Now, I didn't actually do it each month, but I've been thinking of maybe doing that now? It'd be like the good news, only good stuff I've come across in the month that's passed by. I can't promise to limit them to 5 things, so I'll just call this section 'stuff I loved' from now on. (How brilliant & original!)

TO READ:

I'm a total history nerd. If I was applying for university right now, archaeology would totally be my first choice. (In fact, for a long time it was my first choice, but I let myself be convinced by sensible [stupid] adults there wouldn't be a career in it. Folks, don't kill the kids' dreams!) Since I'm not an archaeologist, I try to immerse myself in history in any way I can, and this month it's been by reading fictional novels of actual or assumed historical events.

Two of them are definitely worth recommending: The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, a feminist rewriting of Homer's Iliad, in which a princess-turned-slave narrates the story of the Trojan war from her perspective. Lily King's Euphoria, on the other hand, is set in 1930s New Guinea, and is inspired by the story of anthropologist Margaret Mead. Both had me reading hours upon end, and are captivating even if you're not a history nerd like me. 

TO LISTEN:

I've had a problematic, distorted relationship with food for pretty much my whole life, starting from a first diet at the age of twelve, to going vegetarian in the early 1990s when nobody else was yet, to gaining and losing weight all through my adult life. So when suddenly this month I've come across several podcast episodes that talk about diet culture and what it's doing to our health (both physical and mental, especially for women), I've been excited to dig into it.

The concept of intuitive eating wasn't completely new to me, but when I listened to this interview with nutrionist and coach Laura Thomas, I instantly wanted to find out more. To then hear Kali Gray talk about mindful eating a couple of weeks later was what did it for me. I just started eating what my body seemed to crave for when it craved for it, and alas, I've been so much more energetic and feeling more positive ever since.

TO WATCH:

I don't know why I hadn't before (maybe because I already had so many teenagers in my head from work?), but I finally watched 13 Reasons Why on Netflix, and let me tell you, I think Season 1 is something I think all adults, especially those working in schools, should watch. I think it beautifully depicts how things that might seem small to others may, to some, be too much to handle. Of course it also shows things not so small taking place in teenagers' lives in a very real, gripping way. So obviously I had to watch the other two seasons as well...

SIMPLE THINGS:

Spending time at our lakeside cabin and in the woods on two respective weekends made my soul sing. There's something about the forest in autumn -- the always something about being in the forest, but especially in the autumn -- that gives me peace. 

And finally, an autumn staple: apple pie. One week I made three, and they were all gobbled down within 24 hours. I use Niina's old recipe which I once wrote down on an Instagram post as well, in case you're looking for something easy to bake at the beginning of a new week and new month. In fact, that's what I'm about to do because if Monday isn't the greatest reason for some pie, I don't know what is.

Wishing you a lovely start to September!