A New Month, A New Me
It has been a very busy but very rewarding month since the last installment of ANM. I've been hard at work making this blog even better, kicking work's butt, and spending as much time as possible with the people I love doing fun things that make us happy. I know, being a born and raised New Englander, that I'm not supposed to feel this way, but as much as I do love fall I feel like I'm not ready for it yet. I miss summer! I'm a solar-powered human and I'm sad to not be able to spend all my lunch breaks basking in the warm sun. That said, fall is the time of year I like to spend doing ALL THE THINGS because I feel like I have enough energy for everything (most of the time). I'm preparing to hibernate and get my hygge on in earnest this winter, so I'm cramming as many fun outdoor activities in as I can.
Let's get to some fun indoor activities for all the other times though.
Series I didn't expect would grip me: Sorry for your loss on Facebook Watch
I briefly mentioned this show in my last post, but it's more than worthy of its place here. In addition to well-developed characters and just the right amount of mood and nuance, this show strikes the perfect balance of poignance and humor. I've been fortunate not to experience the death of a spouse, but grief is a universally relatable feeling. Regardless of who you are, you've lost something meaningful to you and felt it deeply and this show does a really wonderful job of illustrating that hollow agony while preserving the beauty found in any challenging time in one's life. It juxtaposes the isolation of the main character with the family dynamics surrounding her: her sister's struggle with sobriety, her mother's support of them both amidst her own difficulties being true to herself and keeping her small business afloat, and her brother-in-law's own explosive pain of loss. It feels honest and authentic and raw and I'm pretty much head over heels in love with it. It's only on Facebook Watch at the moment, but I hope it becomes available elsewhere so you don't need Facebook to experience it.
Unfair tease of the year award: Nina Cried Power by Hozier
I've been impatiently awaiting new music from Hozier and it finally came, but it's only four songs! Rest assured, they are exactly as good as the tracks on his first album, and now I want more (fortunately there is supposed to be a forthcoming full-length album in 2019). The songs span the same incredible range as his previous album: roaring rage to whispering defeat. There's no doubt that he's talented vocally and his strengths really come across in these short four tracks. Claiming the title track of the EP to be a "thank you note to the spirit of protest", one can really feel the power behind the words especially at such a seemingly endlessly tumultuous time in global human culture. I can say from experience that it properly fuels the rage women and their allies are feeling in this country right now.
What I'm watching to lighten the mood: Big Mouth on Netflix
The first season of Big Mouth was uproariously funny and I watched it all in a few days, so it's no surprise that I watched all of season 2 in two back-to-back nights. Fair warning: this show is raunchy AF. It's like Family Guy and South Park had a super gross baby, but I can't get enough of it. It has some disarmingly honest moments and it feels so topical even knowing that it was created before the current wave of "woman rage". It also happens to have the uncanny ability to perfectly describe that awkwardness and shame and anguish of going through puberty which is such a universally relatable topic that for some reason we never talk about. If you're worn out from being angry all the time (because there's good reason to be) then consider this your free pass to side-splitting laughs for a short break.
Speaking of rage, REGISTER TO VOTE RIGHT NOW: How to Be an Informed Voter
This thoughtful and straightforward article sums up just how easy it is to be a responsible adult this upcoming November. In the past I have been notorious for sticking my head in the sand when it comes to politics outside of a Presidential election. That ends this year. Midterm elections are arguably even more important than deciding who gets to send the whole country a text whenever they feel like pressing a button other than "Send Tweet". Cue the eye rolls. Ballot questions can be confusingly worded and knowing who's running for what and what that means is certainly a fair amount of homework. But I feel I owe it personally to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to step up my game so that an outburst of entitled white male temper tantrum never gets anyone else elevated to the supreme court. This doesn't mean that you have to talk about politics with anyone, by the way, especially not with anyone who is antagonizing you for your beliefs. I for one will not be discussing any of it in-depth here because I don't believe it's my place to tell anyone HOW to vote, only to encourage that you go vote however you feel is right.
The mood in my apartment this month: Decorative gourds and candles
It's fall and it's the beginning of seasonal decorations! I'll admit that I go a bit overboard decorating the office suite at work for Halloween (seriously, we have a fog machine and it's awesome) but inside my apartment it is strictly Decorative Gourd Season (language warning for that link...I love it but there are some pretty strongly worded sentiments). I've said before that the best way to get in the mood for all the best holidays of the year is to just dive in. Nothing gets me ready for fall like a vanilla pumpkin scented candle and sweet little mini pumpkins from the farm, and if you don't have adorable locally-owned farms nearby, Amazon has you covered this year. Get festive!
I hope my recommendations this month bring exactly what you were looking for. If not, let me know!! I'd love to hear what you love or what you hate. Happy fall, y'all!