It’s been a while. A year or more, I think. I’ve started a few posts – on topics as varying as what I’ve cooked lately, how I’m feeling about loss, the podcasts that most interest me, and the wonders of watching your baby in their first incredible year of existence. Nothing felt quite right for publishing, though the readership of these words is primarily a small group of family and friends.

Perhaps the issue is simply this: there’s too much to say. Too much to write. Too much on my mind. My father passed away last spring, and the loss is one that is hard to put into words. My baby was born 14 months ago, and the miracle of her life is perhaps equally difficult to articulate. I recently started writing down, once a day, the meals I’ve eaten and the moments I’ve appreciated, just to get some thoughts on paper. It’s as though my creative gears had frozen up a little, and having a reason to write something, small and insignificant, loosened things up slightly. The days are longer, too. And the magnolia we planted in our front yard last year is in bud. There’s much to celebrate.

Here are a few things worth sharing:

This particular episode of the Better Off podcast, a surprisingly relatable personal finance resource that I generally enjoy and find to be informative. In this case, a young man calls in looking for an opinion about his potential plan to buy his recently deceased grandmother’s house from his mother, so that his brother can continue to live there. While he hikes the Pacific Crest Trail. As his story gets increasingly complicated, the host, Jill Schlesinger, simply says, “You know why I don’t like this idea? Because it doesn’t solve anyone’s problems.” Or something to that effect. It made me laugh out loud, because sometimes a person facing a decision just needs an honest assessment of their situation.

This amazing essay about modern arctic exploration. Apparently, the author, David Grann, has quite a cult following – and now I can see why. If you can cobble together two hours or so for a truly outstanding read about courage and obsession and family and history, regardless of your previous interest (or lack thereof) in icy adventures, make a point of reading this article in The New Yorker. I’m sure the print edition from February 12 & 19 is floating around in the world, but if you don’t have a copy handy, the online version is visually pleasing, with lots of well placed photos and maps.

This intriguing and accessible book about the history of flavors in American cooking. From the surprisingly exotic origins of black pepper to the enterprising immigrant tale of Sriracha, there’s much to consider from chapter to chapter. I wasn’t really in the mood for a crime solving plot or a romantic entanglement of any kind, and this was a nice way to enjoy a book without becoming emotionally engaged with a novel.

And finally, a single inexpensive handful of carnations from Trader Joe’s (see above), because a delightful photo essay in Better Homes & Gardens a few years ago alerted me to the simple beauty in loosely bundling a few dollars worth of carnations (which is a surprising lot of flowers) in a rubber band towards the base of the stems, and sliding them into a vase. The miniature ones edged in a contrasting shade are ideal, and are currently brightening our kitchen.

Photo credit: mine.