three new things in my living room…
sad and complicated and beautiful.
Our living room is pretty small. And I really don’t see that changing any time soon. So adding some new things that you want around feels significant. It’s a part of our lives—in a decent percentage way—every day. Here are some new things and what they mean to me…
1. Two Brass Cranes
In 2017, my sister and her one-year-old daughter were living with my husband and me in our two bedroom rental. For our anniversary, Evan (the husband) surprised me for a night away at this hot springs resort in the middle of nowhere. We didn’t drink. We swam. We laughed. We explored. It was a really special retreat. And on the side-tables were these two cranes. I immediately wanted them. I’ve seen them at different antique shops before, but just recently I found a set that I knew I had to haggle for. The bending crane was missing and eye—just like my husband.
So I talked ‘em down and brought ‘em home. This kind of stuff gives me hope that the universe is a thing that’s paying attention.
2. My Proudest Piece
You knew I was gonna have my New York Times article printed, matted, and framed. And I am so so proud of this piece of writing, but sometimes I forget how sad it is. I talk about my miscarriage pretty openly in that article—I shared that with the whole world. The pain is a lot less (a lot lot less), but it still pings every once in a while. I miscarried the day before Valentine’s Day in 2019… and then continued to miscarry through Valentine’s. I ended up connecting with a writer who I admire on Instagram. I told her I had just gone through a miscarriage and she gave me such comforting words and TV show suggestions. She gave me hope for getting pregnant again. I told her I miscarried on Valentine’s and she told me that if I would’ve have written that into a story, she would’ve circled it and noted “Too much. It’s a hat on a hat.”
It felt like a lot. So the past few days, seeing my proudest piece, which holds my saddest story, which happened during this time just three years ago… it’s a lot. It’s life, right? Sad and complicated and beautiful.
3. Ira in Rare Form
Two pretty foundational things about me: I’m obsessed with This American Life and I moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming when I was 21 without knowing anyone. I moved there to intern with Alpinist magazine, but after that ended, I worked at the Jackson Hole News&Guide. I soon met an iconic photographer for the JHN&G named David Swift. This photo hung in the newspaper hallway and I always asked David where I could get a copy of the print. He always answered, “I don’t know! I’ll have to look for the film… I think the paper has it!”
In 2013, I was living in Missoula, Montana, but I traveled to Jackson to see Ira Glass at the Center for the Arts. He absolutely blew me away. The way Ira talked about storytelling and life and people—I was obsessed. It was his second show of the night. He said something about how he was ready to let loose and someone brought him a cocktail on stage. He took his tie off. Someone threw some dollars on-stage. It was hilarious. David Swift took the above photo. It captured so much for me. It was perfect. So I ordered a print from David and I’ve hung it near every work computer I’ve had since.
David died suddenly in 2018. I don’t know why I never put this photo in a frame. It’s scratched and a little bent. I’ll never be able to get another copy and I never want to forget that night and this inspiration—so I put it in a frame this week.
A Little Woo:
Full Moon Fever: There’s a full moon happening tomorrow—February 16th! I always feel like it’s a bit counterintuitive, but Full Moons are a time to think about what you want to weed out of your life. What do you want to give up? What isn’t serving you? What is that crunchy part of your life that needs to be pruned right off and put in the compost so that you can glow on up?
And apparently this Full Moon in Leo will bring a confidence boost, which I’M NOT MAD AT.
Quick Hits:
Jam of the Week: Ivy Sole – Call Me.
(she knows what she’s doing with that nostalgia. I am here for it. you’re talking to someone who ab-so-lute-ly loved the Super Bowl Halftime Show.)
I Did Not Expect to Like The Lumineers This Much.
(live on KEXP… but not at KEXP. and the whole thing is great, but the song I linked to really hit me. “I don’t know where we are… but it will be okay.”)HA!
(but, omg, 100%.)
This Art Still Makes Me Tear Up.
(tomorrow, KEXP celebrates the year 2010. I remembered that Wilderness Downtown piece… please do it if you haven’t. 2010. it was a great year for me. the year I met Evan. the year I declared Arcade Fire my favorite band. fun to look back at what I listened to and what I played on KHOL.)
Should I Splurge on This Print?
(it really is my skiing vibe. I got to ski with two girl friends this weekend and it was the chillllllllllest. aka it was wonderful.)(our local indie art gallery has a bit of a cat theme going right now and it’s so wonderful. friends’ daughter had a piece in the show, so we all dressed up and went to see it and celebrate her. I love art. I love kids. I love friends.)
And I love you! Thank you for being here.
xxo,
rachel.