When the World Is Falling Apart, Plant Something

Morning Glory from my own garden

A meaningful life needs more than resistance to what is wrong. It also needs an affirmative vision of what is good, beautiful, and worth preserving.

Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit explores an interesting contrast between George Orwell's political side and his love of gardening. I finished the book today and wanted to share some of the thoughts it has left me with.

I read 1984 last year and, by the end, was both shocked and numbed by how closely it mirrors the attacks on language I see unfolding in the US today, along with so many other unsettling parallels. However, while he was confronting some of the darkest aspects of human nature, he was also making room in his life for the simple, tangible work of growing things. And not only things that nourished physically, like fruit trees, but also roses. And a flower's beauty nourishes something entirely different. 

Maybe that's part of what drew me to this book. Over the past two years, I've been gardening. When the world feels overwhelming, there has been something grounding for me to focus on tending to living things and creating a little beauty in the midst of it all. 

In the book, a story of Helen Todd and "Bread and Roses" strummed my heart. The idea is that people deserve more than just the bare necessities of survival. In 1910, Todd, an American factory inspector and women's suffrage activist, was campaigning for women's right to vote. She later recalled a conversation with a young woman named Maggie, whose family had hosted her during the campaign. When asked what she remembered most from the speeches, Maggie said it was the idea that women voting could help ensure that, "everybody would have bread...and flowers too." The phrase is said to have evolved into "Bread for all, and Roses too" and may have inspired James Oppenheim's 1911 poem Bread and Roses.

I've been reflecting on a phrase of my own: "Bread for your table, and flowers too." It brings to mind Jesus' words about the lilies of the field. He understood that we worry about the necessities of life, but he also directed our attention to the natural world, reminding us that there is more to living than the struggle to provide for and protect ourselves. Bread sustains us, and I love bread - ha, but beauty, nature, and maybe even the simple act of tending a garden nourish us in other ways. 

Maybe my garden isn't a way of turning away from the world's troubles or pretending they aren't there. It's a way of making room for something beautiful in the midst of them. We should acknowledge what is broken but not forget to nurture what is beautiful. Orwell did. 

Dear Reader, 

May you have bread for your table, and flowers too. 

Other Memorable Ideas from Orwell's Roses:

• Beauty is not a distraction from serious work. It can be part of what makes that work worth doing.

• A garden can be an act of hope. Planting something is a way of investing in a future.

• Political awareness and an appreciation of beauty can coexist. Caring about injustice does not require turning away from life's pleasures.

• The natural world has a value beyond its usefulness to human beings. Not everything needs to justify its existence through productivity.

• The ordinary pleasures of life deserve our attention. Flowers, gardens, and small moments of delight are not trivial simply because they are ordinary.

• Even people who confront the world's darkest realities need sources of joy. Being joyful does not mean someone has retreated from reality.

• Small acts of care can have significance beyond their immediate results. Tending a garden matters even when it changes nothing on a grand external scale.

• Hope is not always grand or dramatic. Sometimes it takes the form of tending something fragile and allowing it to grow.

Our Scarecrow, Harvest Hank

It became obvious I needed a scarecrow for the garden. A limb fell that happened to make the perfect shoulders and arms so I ran to Goodwill, picked up some clothes, and happened to find a pumpkin candle holder that worked perfectly for a head. Introducing Harvest Hank!

I spray starched his clothes, hot glued a hat to the pumpkin, and fastened him to one of my garden's entry poles. He's lasted through rain and wind gusts. Oh yay! And he's been perfect for the spooky season. Heck, sometimes even when I'm working the garden I'll forget he's there, turn around, and startle myself. Lol.

The Day Those Buffalo Ghosted Me: The Wander Society

This weekend I drove to another town so I could wander around an antique store. I was reading The Wander Society by Keri Smith when I decided that morning to not just read about wandering but actually wander.  

Where did I end up?

In someone's pasture reading the very book that had sent me wandering in the first place. Nothing happened as I planned. Which, I suppose, was the point. Granted, my adventure was mostly by car and the book focuses a lot on walking, but I know that wandering is a state of mind that requires little. We need a willingness to go out the door and have the next direction be the one that simply looks the most interesting. Or to pause when something catches your eye. Or to sit for a while without needing to accomplish anything.

On the way, feeling spontaneous, I stopped to see where the buffalo roam. But those buffalo ghosted me. And that was perfectly fine.

I got out of my car and walked, listening to the crunch of little pebbles beneath my sneakers. I wandered beneath a small group of oak trees gathered in a loose circle, like friends around a campfire, and listened to the wind moving through the branches with that deep, rustling sound that seems to belong entirely to autumn. I decided, right there, that the sound of wind through oak trees is currently my favorite tree sound.

As I continued walking, I lightly touched the hip-high prairie grass, with its soft, fluffy heads perched on long, slender stems. Their colors shifted as I moved from the pale tan of a manila folder to a deep, dusky burgundy. I don't know exactly what kind these were, and somehow, I liked not knowing. Simply noticing was enough.

After walking a bit, I turned back around to see the scene from a different angle. Love that! Then I found a perfectly flat rock and sat down.

And listened. And pondered. 

Birds. Wind. The country breathing around me. Every now and then, a car passed by and briefly interrupted the quiet before disappearing down the road.

Nothing remarkable happened.

Which was, perhaps, the remarkable part. The part that really calmed my nervous system. 

Eventually, I got back in the car and continued toward my original destination. The Antique Store's door sign said, "Closed for Good." Hmmm. I opened the map and looked for somewhere else to wander.

That is when I found a little coffee shop close to a lake.

The coffee shop was NOT roadside. I drove down a gravel road, unsure, as I continued onto someone's private property, past a barndominium to the lower part of the land where another small barn rested under the trees. There were tables outside, but no flags announcing OPEN. I called and they welcomed me in, so I walked down their gravel path, again noticing the sound crunching under my sneakers. I ordered a sweet coffee, and settled down at their outside seating with my copy of The Wander Society. I read a few pages, doodled in the margins, watched low clouds roll southward across the sky above me, and ate my honey badger panini with apple chips.

And somewhere between these gentle activities and some soft hellos to others walking by, I realized I enjoy wandering. Maybe that's what it gives us: a chance to be available to the things we are usually too busy to notice. 

The Wander Society's patron saint, Walt Whitman, once wrote:

"Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose"

Yes, uncle Walt, yes. 

The open road makes no promises, but to the curious, it gives treasures. And I like that. 

Victorian Gossip - A Classic With Bite

Our new book club, affectionately called TBR or The Book Readers, is trying a new format. Basically, we spin a wheel with the attendees’ names, then spin again for our predetermined group of genres. Whoever the wheel lands on chooses the book and writes the questions for our next Book of the Month.

I was chosen first and landed on Historical Fiction. However, I have grown pretty tired of the usual historical fiction centered on the world wars or early American history, so after some debate with myself and a quick check with the club, I picked a book that has been on my own “to be read” list for a while. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. This bold but mostly unknown classic earned a 3.5 to 4 stars from me. Mostly it's considered Victorian Realism, however, in terms of the modern reader, we felt it was close enough to Historical Fiction.

Anne Brontë published under the name Acton Bell to avoid bias against women writers, and her work is now recognized as some of the earliest feminist writing in English literature. She died at only twenty-nine, yet her voice and the story remains strong and slightly modern.

This story begins when a widow arrives at Wildfell Hall with her son and a fierce desire for privacy. Gossip follows her immediately, springing from a mix of social control and boredom that still exists today. As we read Gilbert Markham’s letters, we see him refusing the rumors and grow determined to uncover the truth she is protecting.

What is she hiding? As a new, modern reader, has society changed in its view of women? Can men and women ever truly be friends or does someone always feel more deeply? Are young people even able to listen to the advice of their elders or must they experience life to understand it? These were the questions that came to me.

The book blends mystery, relationships, and the courage required to choose freedom, all within a gentle Gothic atmosphere. 

Here is my honest confession. I enjoyed this far more than Wuthering Heights. Emily’s emotional storm has never been my favorite and I hated the characters. Anne’s characters felt more real because she was still great at developing characters and shocking readers. And although the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film with Keira Knightley is beloved by me, reading and listening to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was more enjoyable than my experience with Pride and Prejudice. Anne’s pacing and style of using Gilbert's letters and Helen's diary made it feel like I'd stumbled across the Victorian TMZ. 

This 1848 story has been adapted into several different lengths and that makes it perfect for readers who like something beefy or for those who just want a story without too much extra. If you decide to read this with a group, below are the questions I provided my club. [SPOILER ALERT!]

Book Club Questions: The Tenant of Wildfell HallQuestions: 

1.       From 1-5 stars, what would you rate this book?

2.       Why do you think Anne Brontë chose to use “the tenant” in the title, and what does it tell us about Helen’s place in society?

3.       The story highlights the youthful infatuations of Helen and Gilbert along with the advice they received. If you could have shaken some sense into either of them, what simple piece of advice would you have shared?

4.       After a night fueled by Arthur’s drinking and entitlement, Helen refused to indulge his mocking the next morning. As she walks quietly out of the room, he mutters “confounded slut.” It’s a small moment with big weight and is meant to shock Victorian readers. What was Anne trying to show by this sudden quip of cruelty in contrast to Helen’s gentleness?

5.       When did Helen’s character and strength shine the most for you?

6.       What was your favorite moment of the book, and which one made you think, “Absolutely not!”

7.       Gilbert’s letter reveals his plan to play the long game as Helen’s “friend” until she catches feelings. Knowing his dishonestly, how did you feel about them becoming a couple in the end?

8.       Do you think Anne Brontë risked her own reputation by challenging Victorian norms about marriage, women’s autonomy, and domestic abuse?

9.       If Anne were sitting here with us tonight, what question would you most want to ask her?

What is National Women's Equality Day?

Photo of purple, white, and yellow women's suffrage flag flying

On August 26th, the United States celebrates National Women’s Equality Day, honoring the fight for women’s rights that began with the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in July 1848. Organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Martha Coffin Wright, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and Jane Hunt, the convention introduced the Declaration of Sentiments. This pivotal document addressed the legal and social inequalities faced by women and called for various reforms, including the right to vote. Frederick Douglass, a supporter of women’s suffrage, also attended. After 72 years of relentless advocacy, the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18 and certified on August 26. Sadly, none of these pioneering figures actually lived to see this victory.

Please remember to vote in your local and national elections. People dedicated their entire lives for us to have this privilege. Be a voice for women as we continue to fight for respect and autonomy today.

Here are some inspiring quotes by Lucretia Mott:

"The great truth which the world has yet to learn is that the equality of men and women is essential to the peace and progress of the world."

"The true remedy for the injustices of woman’s condition is that all men should become as just and benevolent as women have been long forced to be."

The Genre Traveler’s Guide: A Year of Storyworld Adventures

For my next planner, I’m dedicating each month to a different book genre and building a small set of themed activities to go with it. I’ve already mapped out ideas for every month, but am placing ZERO pressure on myself to complete everything. I’ll choose one activity or dive into all of them depending on how much stress or freedom each month brings. The goal is simply to explore, enjoy, and let each genre add a little spark to my year ahead. 

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Welcome to the Genre Traveler’s Guide, a year of explorations across twelve genres. Each month brings a new world, a fresh vibe, and a themed set of unique activities. No pressure to complete them all or do them exactly as written! These are just to inspire you or provide fun ideas. Choose just one or try them all depending on your needs for the month and watch your planner become a book of lived stories.
 
 

👻OCTOBER — Murkmire Hollow (Horror Realm)
Vibe: Haunted houses + foggy nights + scary movies. A damp, fog heavy kingdom where lanterns glow green and shadows whisper. Quote: “Monsters are real. Ghosts are real too. They live inside us.” - Stephen King
Activities: ☐ Read a horror novel ☐ Have a S'mores & Scary Movie Night ☐ Listen to a paranormal podcast 
☐ Turn your car into a spooky ride ☐ Create a tiny “haunted terrarium” with moss, twigs, and a miniature ghost 
Challenge: ☐ Watch a horror movie alone in the dark.

🧙 NOVEMBER — AMBERWOOD (Fantasy Realm)
Vibe: Cozy magic + fall vibes + escapism. A golden forest where leaves shimmer and magic hums under every root. Quote: “We are all stories in the end.” - Doctor Who
Activities: ☐ Read a fantasy book ☐ Visit a local castle or unique historic building ☐ Read a local myth or legend ☐ Wear something whimsical ☐ Walk casually this month – no need to rush! 
Challenge: ☐ Brew a “Realm” Tea — Create a tea blend inspired by the Amberwood Fantasy Realm.

❄️DECEMBER — FROSTPETAL VALE (Holiday Realm)
Vibe: Twinkle lights + nostalgia + coziness. A crisp valley where frost blooms like flowers and lanterns glow warm against the cold. Quote: “Winter has a way of slowing the world so our hearts can catch up.” - Unknown
Activities: ☐ Read a book based on the winter holidays ☐ Drop off goodies to a fire/police station ☐ Feed some birds a treat ☐ Wear something festive ☐ Do some creative writing- jot down a brief note from the perspective of a snowflake on an adventure to your front yard 
Challenge: ☐ Create a Realm Candle - Choose scents and colors that represent this realm’s essence.

🔍 JANUARY — STARWELL SANCTUARY (Mystery Realm)
Vibe: Wintry weather + detective vibes. A quiet sanctuary under a star strewn sky, where clues hide in constellations. Quote: “The criminal is the creative artist; the detective is only the critic.” - G.K. Chesterton
Activities: ☐ Read a mystery book ☐ Watch a detective movie ☐ Set up a hang-out time with someone else to work on a puzzle ☐ Visit a mysterious local place ☐ Listen to a true crime podcast/documentary
Challenge: ☐ Create Shadow Notes: As you read or watch your mystery, choose one character and jot down anything that feels odd: contradictions, a strange pause, anything that seems off. Use those notes to build a brief detective report about their true motive.

🤠 FEBRUARY — SUNCANYON (Western/ Western Romance Realm)
Vibe: Desert sunsets + cowboy love stories. A warm canyon realm glowing with sunset colors and soft desert winds. Quote: “Never was a horse that couldn’t be rode, never was a rider that couldn’t be throwed.” - Texas proverb
Activities: ☐ Read a Western romance ☐ Visit a country-themed place ☐ Wear boots or a hat sometime this month ☐ Make chili or cornbread ☐ Have a sunset moment
Challenge: ☐ Ranch Rescue — Volunteer to help with a local farm or animal shelter for a day

🧭 MARCH — BLOSSOMROOT VILLAGE (Adventure Realm)
Vibe: New energy + movement. A lively spring village where every path leads to a new discovery. Quote: “Adventure is worthwhile.” - Aesop
Activities: ☐ Read an adventure novel or watch a movie ☐ Visit a restaurant in a new town ☐ Listen to the “Genre Traveler’s Guide – Adventure Playlist” on Spotify ☐ Have a cozy reading day ☐ This month carry a small adventure kit (small journal and pen; tiny paint set and art book etc.) 
Challenge: ☐ Move your body and dance this month. Go out, do it in your house, or even in the car…just dance at 100%

🌸 APRIL — RAINWHISPER CROSSING (Fairytale Realm)
Vibe: Spring blooms + whimsical vibes. A misty crossing where rain sings and fairytales drift through the air. Quote: “The world is full of magic things.” - W.B. Yeats
Activities: ☐ Read a fairytale retelling ☐ Watch creative youtuber: @samanthacboyer ☐ Create a Fairytale Bookmark ☐ Be a kid at heart; find a “Portal” and walk through a doorway, arch, or tree opening as though it goes somewhere magical ☐ Get out of your comfort zone and go on a poetry picnic
Challenge: ☐ Imagine for a day that a tiny unicorn or fantasy creature follows you; let it make you smile each time you remember “it’s there.” 

🌾 MAY — SEEDGLINT FIELDS (Dystopian Realm)
Vibe: Stark beauty + resilience. A cracked, sunlit field where hope glints between the ruins. Quote: “We do not survive alone.” - Margaret Atwood
Activities: ☐ Read a dystopian novel ☐ Notice something growing out of place (a flower in concrete, a tree in a sign pole, a weed in a parking lot crack) ☐ Appreciate water – from your faucets; visit a river, pond, fountain, or lake.  ☐ Do a no tech evening ☐ Go outside and say goodnight to the moon
Challenge: ☐ Create Relic Art - Create a relic by transforming a found, forgotten object into a symbol of resilience using only materials you already have.

☕ JUNE — SUNWEAVE TERRACE (Cozy Fantasy/Mystery Realm)
Vibe: Summer cafés + comfy clothes + low-stake activities. A warm terrace realm woven with sunlight, soft breezes, and gentleness. Quote: “The little joys are the biggest treasures.” - Unknown
Activities: ☐ Read a cozy mystery/fantasy – nothing too intense ☐ Walk a familiar path but note 3 new things  ☐ Visit a café, silently observe a stranger, write a one paragraph meet-cute. ☐ Watch a beachy movie – bonus you catch someone in the show reading! ☐ Visit a farmer’s market 
Challenge: ☐ Create or update a cozy reading corner in your home!

💫JULY — TIDEWHISPER COVE (Sci-Fi Realm)
Vibe: Summer nights + stars + futuristic fun. A glowing coastal realm where the ocean hums with future energy. Quote: “For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” - Vincent van Gogh
Activities: ☐ Read a sci-fi story ☐ Visit a planetarium ☐ Try a new gadget ☐ Go to the website https://www.futureme.org/ and send a note to your future self ☐ Decide on a signature summer beverage for the month 
Challenge: ☐ Watch the stars for 20 minutes. Bonus if you do some barefoot grounding!

🔥 AUGUST — ASHEFALL CITY (Thriller Realm)
Vibe: Hot nights + slow burn suspense. A city where cicadas buzz, shadows stretch long, and every quiet moment feels like it’s hiding a story. Quote: Some nights feel like they’re holding their breath.” - Unknown
Activities: ☐ Read a psychological thriller ☐ Have a breakfast picnic ☐ Wear/make a summer anklet in your favorite style ☐ Pamper yourself with a cooling facial mask on extra hot days. ☐ Take a sunset photo
Challenge: ☐ Camp, but inside! Set up a tent or make a pillow fort in your space to enjoy

📜 SEPTEMBER — HARVESTMERE COURT (Historical Fiction Realm)
Vibe: Back to school + history. A warm autumn court filled with markets, old stories, and golden harvest light. Quote: “The past beats inside me like a second heart.” - John Banville
Activities: ☐ Read a historical fiction novel ☐ Watch a period drama ☐ Learn about a historical figure that interests you or visit a museum ☐ Watch a documentary 
Challenge: ☐ Reflect and write down what you never want to forget about yourself or your life right now

When Music Finds Us & Makes Us Feel

Music can be magical. The right artists find me exactly when I need them. One of those artists is Qveen Herby. On my birthday, my daughter surprised me with concert tickets to see her in Austin, and I’m absolutely buzzing. I’ve been listening to Qveen Herby since 2020. Fair warning that her lyrics are explicit, however the message throughout them is all confidence, growth, and self‑worth. Which is exactly the energy I want more of in my life each year.

Qveen Herby isn’t a "radio artist." She’s independent, experimental, and witty. Her sound is bass‑heavy beats, sharp lyricism, and her vocals combine silky singing and rapid‑fire rap. My playlists are full of musicians who don’t fit neatly into mainstream boxes, like her. There’s something refreshing about artists who make music with intention instead of apple-polishing their sound for the mass market. Anyway, her self‑loving style makes my day lighter. 

I've been working on my concert outfit. It's been an interesting process because I want to experiment and be playful. In this though, I realized that I still need to be me. An outfit can't be so outside myself that I'm uncomfortable. It'll likely be some version of this photo. So, the experiment continues!

Overall, music is art, and art is supposed to make us feel something. I’m looking forward to being in the crowd with my daughter, feeling the beat, and singing our hearts out while soaking up every drop of that empowerment.

In July, I'm walking into that concert like it’s my whole new SZN. 

My jams: 

* Vitamins                * MY SZN                * Violence

* Sensational            * The Fool                * Abracadabra 

* Who is She            * Beautiful                * Lucky

* High Priestess        * Wifey                    * Chakras 

* Juice                      * Good Morning       * Stretch Marks 

* Lavish                    * Dragons                 * Aura Poppins