13.08.21

13.08.21

Well, technically the 14th since I got up at 2am. Pictured above are Cassiopeia, Perseus, probably part of Andromeda, Triangulum, and part of Auriga. Listened to Claire de Lune; Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement); Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act 2: Scene (Moderato); Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Major; Near Light; Gymnopédie No. 1; and the episode entitled Capacity for Wonder in John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed. In the hour that I was out, I saw at least 42 meteors: a number obtained through a bit of selective counting. At one point I just stopped to take it all in.

“That, then, is loveliness, we said,/ Children in wonder watching the stars,/ Is the aim at the end.” —Dylan Thomas, Being But Men

02.09.21

First day back! Packing! Moving! Painting? Chaos!

23.08.21

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.” —The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger

I love CrashCourse and Vlogbrothers, but—as I’m not a fan of non-sci-fi-fantasy-adventure fiction—this is the first novel of John Green’s I’ve read. It may end up being the only one, but it holds a special place in my heart. “Sycamore Trees” and “Capacity for Wonder” are my favourites, but it’s beyond that. This book bleeds humanity. It keeps me afloat on bad days. It reminds me that we’re not alone. This book means everything to me. I give John Green, as a human being, 5 stars.

Ok… 6 stars.

22.09.21

I’m My place is still a mess, so meet my houseplants. At the top we have Ivy and Pearl, my two old girls. Next up is Peter Planter, my spider plant. Phil—short not for Philodendron, but Philoctetes. Lastly, my snake plant Loki. Practical as Loki was a shapeshifter in mythology, hilarious because “mbleurgh it’s me!” Also, Loki currently has four children on the way: Jörmungandr, Fenrir, Sleipnir, and Hel.

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” —Annie Dillard

Another productive day, but not so much as it could have been. I’ve been thinking about things.

“You will always struggle with not feeling productive until you accept that your own joy can be something you produce.” —Hank Green

I have a lot to do, but not so much so that I feel I couldn’t do more. I want to study for my French quiz and write my essay outline. I want to make flashcards for Spanish and French and rewrite all my notes then type them too. I want to do all my readings twice over and take detailed notes and stay up late and wake up early. I want to be the best I could be, given infinite time and space to learn and grow because I feel the weight of human imperfection and mortality. I want too much. And I know this. And it doesn’t make me want any less.

“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.” —Stephen Chbosky

03.09.21

How am I only a day in and already behind?

*squints at the chaos of yesterday and this morning*

Guess I’m just an inadequate failure of a human being.

12.08.21

And another one gone. Finished last night, so I’m onto the next one. I love reading science fiction, but reading about our past when it was the future is… wow. Definitely an interesting book. The pretentious side of me wants to look into the deeper meaning behind each story and educate myself so I can feel cultured and superior. The feral half wants whatever drugs Bradbury had.

Do I have eclectic taste? Perhaps. Did I actually start Crooked Kingdom before I finished this one? Yes. Did I also start 3 others, not including the one I have checked out from the library? Will I be getting up at 2am to watch the Perseids? Do I shout too many rhetorical questions into the void?

P.S. Hello void, nice to meet you :)