Is it too soon to "circle back after the holidays"?
Looking at the last eight weeks of the year
This might be my favorite leaf of the fall. It stopped me in my tracks in a parking lot on the way to my daughter’s soccer field. The transition from fall into winter always goes by fast—especially with the start of a new school year—but moments like these stay with me. Falling, as a seasonal verb, feels much more intense than Katherine May’s restful and renewing description of wintering.
There can be dramatic momentum in falling.
“We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again.”
A Japanese maple? I didn’t pause long enough to identify the source tree. Is it the fierceness of red? The uneven, sharp edges? Either way, it wins the award.
I am trying to embrace November and its blustery blows. There is much beauty to observe in this month of darkness, of late-stage decay. The Trumpeter and Tundra swans have returned. Last month, I had a piece on contemporary Native artist, Jay Bowen, published in the Cascadia Daily. I also contributed a review of Chris La Tray’s Becoming Little Shell in Terrain.org. Take some time with their important work, especially as we approach the complicated holiday of Thanksgiving.
So, is it too soon to “circle back after the holidays?”
Maybe. We are just under eight weeks until we usher in a new year and it feels like a good time to prioritize the things that matter. I am at a point with current writing projects where I just need to WRITE. So, that will be my priority over the rest of 2024. Also, it does feel like a good time to lay off the social media and focus on in-person interactions.
Staying engaged, but in shorter spurts. Staying connected to readers and relatives, but in more direct, meaningful ways.
So, yes, I am burrowing. Let’s call it that—something in between falling and wintering. Getting words on the page. Also, I will release Season 2 of Her Deepest Ecologies-The Podcast before year’s end and look forward to sharing these inspiring conversations with you.
P.S. When I emerge fully, this newsletter may have a different form. I am a little peeved with Substack right now and apologize if you have been getting nagging emails to get a paid subscription—those are not from me.
Will I see you in January?
I am excited to be offering this online workshop through FISHTRAP on two, consecutive Saturday mornings. Consider it a little new year’s retreat for yourself or sign-up a love one that may need the space and time to write and process some things related to mothering.
Write with Me!
The transition from fall-to-winter can be rough in terms of losing daylight, experiencing grief, and feeling isolated. I truly believe that “poetry and writing are powerful tools for creating presence, transformation, and growth.” I am offering some coaching sessions designed specifically for non-writers or folks that feel an inkling to get a story on the page for their own well-being.
No experience necessary.
For future events and additional information: www.jessicagigot.com