Theme Songs, Slowing Down, Contentment, and Cake

Do you have a theme song? I usually have a few. Right now, I’m liking David Ruffin’s “My Whole World Ended” (which I heard while driving to the cemetery where my parents are buried — nothing compares to hearing Motown music when I’m in Detroit), Bob Dylan’s “Jokerman,” Lenny Kravitz’s “Honey,” and Nicolette Larson’s “Lotta Love.”

As with me and most things, it’s not the what but the how: that is, not the songs’ storylines but their sound, their feel —— and how I feel: most myself. When I lose my way (especially during this ridiculously hard semester and year), these touchstones help.

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Stumbling upon a truly good poem also helps. Though it’s March, Robert Hass’ “The Beginning of September” made me feel better when I read it for the first time in years. The link will take you to the poem, but it looks better in his book Praise with its simple cover and, in my copy at least, almost sepi-colorerd paper. There’s nothing quite like a good single volume of poetry, is there? Do you have a favorite book of poems not only for the work inside but also because of the cover, the feel of the paper, the overall aesthetic?

Hass’ poem —- full of things (“In the summer / peaches the color of sunrise”) and mystery (“He didn’t think she ought to / and she thought she should”) —- is the real deal: a poem that shows us what we might otherwise miss and speaks clearly while leaving the unknown/unknowable in tact.

It felt good to come across this poem again, to read it slowly, to feel the white space as part of the poem (which it surely is in the best poems).

My job keeps me reading all day long. It’s usually a combo of deep but efficient reading of student work and skillful (I hope) skimming of most everything else. Often, I don’t enjoy reading the way I would like to. I prefer to read much more slowly, to look things up, to stop reading and just stare into space for a few minutes. I like to have feelings while reading, too, and that takes time.

Speaking of books... I recently had a book / WVU pottery / framed art giveaway at my house. A bunch of my grad students came over and took whatever they wanted. I still have too many books, too much of everything, really, but I was happy to send these things out into the world, to their new (slow) readers and appreciators, for their next lives.

Now, about the weaving at the beginning of this post: that’s #41, “Let Me Tell You about My Mom.” I’ve taken some time away from weaving partly because, well, I’m busy with teaching but also because I need to think (by which I really mean feel) what’s next. Writing is like this for me too: seemingly dormant periods are essential.

Is this weaving a clue of what’s to come? Maybe. I’ve tried to finish this one, weaving to the edges of the loom, but every time, it just feels wrong.

The open loom, the beauty of the structure itself, the supposed unfinished-ness... all of that feels more true to who my mom was (and is, still and always, for me).

I think I’ll leave it be.

Ever have that feeling? Something in you backs up, or sets something down, or closes the lid, turns the page, nods and is done.

A kind of agreement.

“Good enough” is not what I mean.

Rather: Yes! Good! Just right. Enough.

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This kind of satisfaction just might be the mood of early spring, too. Small signs here and there. And even amidst the impatience for more green, more life, buds on the trees, clumps of daffodils popping up, warm sun... there’s also, at least for me, a strong desire to slow down and allow contentment to happen. Just as with reading: I want to take my time and savor everything.

Snowdrops and pansies have definitely caught my eye these last couple of weeks and I always say hi to them. Yes, really! You too?

And in keeping with the season, I’ve done some cooking that looks very Spring-y.

I adapted this recipe for my spring minestrone. I used cannellini beans, Swiss chard and kale, asparagus and carrots, and the cutest ditalini pasta.

Oven-roasted potatoes are a go-to, and adding dates, as shown here, is also something I often do. But this basil-dill-lemon-garlic-red wine vinegar-olive oil salsa verde-type of thing (what should I call it?) took these potatoes to the next level. How much of everything? I don’t know! Can you just eyeball it? That’s what I do! Stuff it all in a food processor and add salt and pepper until it tastes the way you like. I’ve seen recipes that add parsley or mint, but I don't love parsley or mint, so none for me, thanks! That’s part of the pleasure of cooking at home: you can suit yourself. Talk about contentment.

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Of course I have been baking too, including this peanut butter cake, which my niece Laura requested for her birthday.

I had never made a cake like this, but I said, Ok! — and then quickly went looking for a good recipe. The peanut butter frosting was delicious! Tasted just like the inside of a peanut butter cup, and I ate more than a little straight from the bowl. Nothing wrong that.

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I also returned to a favorite small batch cupcake recipe to make these cuties for St. Patrick’s Day.

The cupcakes were so pretty even without frosting (and yummy too, which I know because of course I had one), but I do love sprinkles and my go-to cream cheese buttercream. Plus, it’s fun to use food coloring. I highly recommend this recipe if you need to make six (or seven) cupcakes quickly. So easy.

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I mentioned this last time and want to share again that I have quite a few spring, summer, and fall workshops lined up. All of these will take place in Glen Arbor, Michigan.

• Friday, May 16, 2-4 pm: Ekphrastic Poetry: Writing Under the Influence of Art! —— “Walking Exhibition”

• Friday, June 13, 2-4 pm: Ekphrastic Poetry: Writing Under the Influence of Art! —— “Members Create Exhibition”

• Thursday, July 24, 10 am- 12 pm: Plein Air Poetry: Nature as a Companion

• 3 September Saturdays: 13, 20, 27, 1-3 pm: Creativity Bootcamp: Re-energizing Your Creative Practice

For more info about these workshops, please visit the Glen Arbor Art Center website or reach out to me.

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I’m also setting up readings for October and beyond in conjunction with the publication of my new book, The Return from Calvary. If you run a reading series or etc and want me to visit, please reach out!

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As always, thank you for reading! More to come, as this pussy willow might say.

Whether this post was a slow read or a fast one, I hope you found something you needed... and I hope you have a theme song or two playing just for you.