That's Gneiss! #175 ~ Birthday surprises!
Plus: how to secure your correspondence from prying eyes, and we can't stop looking at old things
Happy March 372nd! One year ago yesterday we had our last meal out in a restaurant. Feast your eyes upon the last pear martini I enjoyed…
I’m not going to go on about the anniversary week (month!) of this stupid pandemic. The world does not need more words written about it by me - you can find plenty of recaps out there if you want to dwell on it. I don’t. Each of us has had a challenging year in our own individual ways and there’s no need to wax poetic here. I see you all and acknowledge it’s been rough.
That last dinner out was to celebrate my birthday, which is coming up soon. I took a long weekend off work to mark the annual trip around the sun. It’s been good so far! The best part is I haven’t felt stressed out about work. I choose not to talk about work here because it’s important to me to separate my personal life from the way I pay the bills. But I will tell you, I had a really hard time disengaging from work during my February vacation - there was a lot going on and I was feeling stressed about it. NOT THIS TIME!
I’m really enjoying my time off.
Normally Michael and I don’t buy gifts for each other, we’re very much about getting what we want when we want it. In normal times we have a nice meal out at a restaurant to celebrate birthdays and holidays (see above). He surprised me this time though!
OH BOY!!!
Six cactus seeds!
At this point I realize you’re all probably thinking “oh, that’s, um, very nice…”
Even better, it’s two seeds each of three different kind of cacti!
Okay. Maybe you’re not as excited as me. Cactus seeds!
There is a little more to it. They come from Cactus Traxx, as a little extra when you purchase one of their vinyl records. Normally you get just the type of seed that goes with the record you buy, but Michael mentioned it was for my birthday and they included the other types as well as a nice little note - and stickers!
Off by a year, but that’s okay. I’m a proud member of Gen X, thank you very much. Barely.
The music is great too - techno by DJ Different. Each album is named for a different type of cacti. Here’s the one we got…
Wilcoxia poselgeri can be found primarily in South and West Texas, as well as the adjoining Mexican state of Coahulia. Sometimes referred to as the “Lead Pencil Cactus” or “Dahlia Hedgehog Cactus” due to its slender stems and tuberous Dahlia-like root system, Wilcoxia poselgeri grows in the sandy soils of hills and valleys on either side of the Rio Grande. When in bloom Wilcoxia poselgeri produces large, moderately fragrant pink flowers that open during the day and close at night.
If all goes well in a few years I’ll have a cactus that looks like this (without the larger cactus this one is grafted onto), as well as two other types. An exercise in patience! I now await the specialized potting mix to arrive so I can plant these six little seeds…
The other birthday treat for myself is MORE WATERCOLORS!
Surprise surprise. Haha.
I got this nice special offer in the mail, too!
I guess I’ve really joined the “old people database” now.
That’s why I’ve taken some time off for a long birthday weekend. So I can rest, because I’m old and tired. So very tired.
NEWS FLASH!
We just had a surprise over-the-fence visit with friends who stopped by to drop off a birthday bottle of wine on the porch. It’s the first time we’ve talked for more than a couple minutes with anybody, in-person for almost a year. I’m feeling emotional in a good/weird way. I miss the people I love and like so much and I’m looking forward to being able to do more of this sort of thing again. With luck we’ll all be vaccinated by summer. Rowland was especially happy because he got to see his favorite drummer…
Let’s all hang in there a little longer.
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In other neighborhood news…
Tidbits
30+ fascinating maps of America -socioeconomic comparisons, natural resources, and the dominant coffee chain in every state (way to hold out Minnesota). WHO KNEW?
Three newsletters to read:
Essaying - sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom’s newsletter on Craft, Voice, Self & Society
The Dolly Moment (well worth your time!)
The Vajenda - everyone’s favorite gynecologist Jen Gunter explains things you didn’t realize you needed to know, and takes on the anti-science “wellness” industry that promotes worthless and harmful products and remedies in the name of “health” (the health of their bank accounts, that is)
Steady - Dan Rather’s foray into longer writing about the state of our country, the role of journalism, and all that he’s seen through the course of his life
Photographer Updates Postcards Of 1960s Resorts Into Their Abandoned Ruins (thanks M.B.!)
Flashbak - everything old is new again (or maybe we’re just feeling nostalgic and want to read about old stuff)
Letterlocking - analog methods for secure communication: learn more and learn how!
Letterlocking is a modern term used to refer to the ways people in the past built security into their letters. Before the invention of envelopes, the letters themselves had to be folded or rolled up and secured shut for sending, to avoid prying eyes. Thousands of innovative techniques were developed over hundreds of years.
Making: along with the watercolor pods, I’ve been playing a bit with paint and ink…
Reading: reading goes in phases, eh? I’m in a low spot right now, finding it hard to focus on much. Maybe that will change soon.
Art Zone
Instead of me telling you what to look at this week, how about you share a favorite who you think should get more attention? Any medium, including the obscure or things we might not immediately think of when we think of ART. Drawing, painting, music, food, landscaping, design, fibers, fabric, sculpture, printmaking, poetry, collage… the list goes on.
What speaks to you?
Song of the Week
Current Temperature: 40.6 F (4.8 C)
Current Humidity: 92%
Wind (max gust): 17.2 mph
Precipitation: 0.41 inches
That's Gneiss! #175 ~ Birthday surprises!
Good stuff, Anne!
I'm really digging the fused metal (mostly utensils) sculptures of British artist Ann Carrington on Instagram. Check her out! Also, I love Jen Gunter, especially when she gives it to The Goop. And Happy Birthday!!!!
"Stay Succulent" 😂 That's awesome! I hope your cactuses grow big and beautiful! We have a couple in the house and they seem to really like being watered from the bottom. Mine are really growing way faster than I thought they would!