december

December and all its implied festivity caught me by surprise.
Still biking to brunch and to work in a fall season that dragged its feet.
One blanket sufficed, hands remained ungloved. The holidays left unconsidered.
....And then things quickly became boozy, festive, twinkly, magical.
Memories simultaneously becoming hazier as one night blurred into the next.
Parties and openings and dinners and drinks.
My stomach as full as my social calendar.
Some downs but more ups.
Some reunions unanticipated.
Winks across the room. Arms brushed, legs touched.
Timing would be off, timing would be lost. Life full of circles, always.
A month of letting go and letting things happen. One day, then night, and then the next.
Staying awake, staying jolly. Trying to remember what we said.
And the happiest of memories became dominant. Within a blur of food, friends, drinking, and dancing.
A bar, a restaurant, a taco truck. My living room, their living room. My kitchen. Someone else's kitchen.
Talking and walking and watching and doing.

Endless.


The strangest of holiday seasons.

november contd. : kinderhook farm


Cold, frosty mornings waking up to pink light. A Thanksgiving meal beyond delicious description. Farm chores I couldn't be happier to resume, even for the briefest of time.
Friendship, family, back amongst the sheep.
Bagging chickens, taking walks. Riding backseat on the ATV.
Everything here felt like coming home again.
Thankful couldn't even sum it up.

november

November brought an uplift of both spirit and mood.
New friends and old friends and suddenly way too much to do.
Snow stayed away and Wall Street stayed occupied (until it didn't).
Work continued.
Hinterlands near and far three out of four weekends. More trees, more waves, more fresh air.
Pink sunsets and gray skies. Jackets and tights and sweaters and cold hands. The sun setting early, the days passing quickly.
Mallomars, morning tea. Cider donuts and ice cream sundaes. Bourbon, red wine, fires inside and out.
A fall season that seems to go on forever.

Slowly inching towards noticeable routine in this newfound reality. With a home that's feeling cozier than ever, totally mine.
At times I'll be overwhelmed by how good everything feels. A November I might remember as being (one of) the best ever.

october

And so I jumped back into the deep end.
A return to work and structured life. Reunited with inspiration and old friends. Things were feeling familiar, cozy, dreamlike. My brain switched back on, my days becoming (overly) productive.
Leaves began to fall. Run-ins with old friends and flames continued. Feeling a half step behind almost everything happening to and around me.
And there were espressos and bike rides and red wine and meatballs. Twice upstate for a reminder of what the forest feels like. The snow unexpectedly fell and stuck. With it, a few times, along with my mood. Halloween came and went without acknowledgment or fanfare.
The month would roll out like a swift and drafty breeze.