Newsletter 16: Slippery September Redux

"September" 2024

Felt leaves I strung into a garland for a book fair I helped organize. It was very calming. :)

For some reason September slides by so quickly. And sometimes I wonder why the month that is one of the most beautiful refuses to meander. But perhaps therein lies her beauty. I wrote this newsletter toward the end of September, but I’m just getting it to you now. :)

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In a month that has been full of book re-release details, book fair planning, and some everyday life uncertainty, I hadn’t stopped to notice the beauty of this month until today. Driving home from getting groceries I looked around and actually noticed. The autumn rain wetting the windshield in large plops, the dampened golden grass deeper, richer, the evergreens dark and bold, gems against the twenty-four carat hills.

Upon actually noticing this beauty I laughed, my eyes teared up, and I took a deep breath. Because I am blessed. Blessed to be busy with things I enjoy. Blessed to live somewhere so beautiful. Blessed to have people who care about me. And blessed to be alive.

Alua Arthur, a death doula who founded Going with Grace, mentioned on her Instagram that so often we feel like we are running out of time, but perhaps this isn’t the best way to look at our lives. While I listened to her short video, the first words that came to my mind were ‘I’m swimming in time. And one day, time will be swimming in me.’ Esoteric and odd? Maybe. Heavy? I don’t think so. I’m growing more and more okay with accepting my impermanence, reveling in the impermanence of my feelings, and creating stories and art that may or may not last longer than me.

And inside of this acceptance, the idea which becomes clearer and stronger is that what matters most while I swim through time is who I’m swimming with. My loves, my friends, my intimates, my chosen family, my community. Currently the world can feel very lonely and splintered. But I refuse to be part of that. In fact, I’m going to ignore that. As I swim through time, I want to build community, with all its bumps and bruises, with all its beauty and richness. I want to embrace and be embraced. I want to leave behind a group of souls who will miss me, but who will keep swimming and inviting others into the community. And I want to tell stories that bring a bit of joy into the lives of those that read them, maybe just for today, or maybe someday long after I am gone.

Are We There Yet?

Have I made a lot of progress on our books this month? Nope. 😂 But we’re getting there. More on all this next month.

Honey For The Soul

I’m adding a new section to this newsletter. A place to share with you the music, art, streaming shows, and movies I’ve been newly loving or happily returning to. I often think of art as my church. It’s the place I go to feel filled up again. To feel whole. To embrace my imperfections, humanity, possibility, and experience. Which is why when I saw the Theodore Dreiser quote

“Art is the stored honey of the human soul.”

I knew I wanted to call this section Honey For The Soul. (I’m choosing to ignore his slightly darker ending to the quote.) I also opted for this section title because I love tea. And the only thing that can make tea any better, is a little honey. Okay, and some cashew milk, but I digress.

So onto the musical portion of our service. These songs may not be new to you. They’re definitely not new to me. They are old musical friends I revisit often. Especially as the sun retires earlier and the night sky blankets us sooner. (They’re a little on the melancholy side. But in that really good way.)

“Sinking Ship” - Wild Child

“If We Were Vampires” - Noah Kahan and Wesley Schultz

“Be Here Now” - Ray LaMontagne

“My Ego Dies At The End” - Jensen McRae

“Home” - Edith Whiskers

“Wolf” - First Aid Kit

Adam and I have different daily schedules, and often, when we both have time together, we’re writing our book. But sometimes we actually watch something together. One of the shows we’ve made a point of watching only when we’re with each other is The Crown. And we just finished it this month. So many of the episodes are art and the final episode doesn’t disappoint. Being a bit of a royal-o-phile I wondered how they were going to end it, and was so satisfied and touched by the completion. A perfect wrap up. If you haven’t watched it yet I highly recommend it. 

I’d love if you popped into the comments and shared what you’re watching or listening to right now that you’re loving.

Bye For Now

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: thank you for the art you bring to the world — though your words, your kindness, your support, your daily actions, your creations, and by living the beauty that is you. Thank you for being part of this community with me.

Love you, Petra ❤️ 

P.S. Keep a look out for a short story I’ll be posting here in the next week. :) It’s a bit dystopian. But it feels right for October. :)

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Thanks for reading! As an indie author, I really appreciate your support. :)

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I love hearing your thoughts and comments on these posts. As always, this means I’m trusting you the reader to give me the benefit of the doubt if I say something weird, or create space for something which doesn’t align with what you think or where you are in your journey, just as I’ll do for you. And please extend the same courtesy to fellow commenters. This is a space to respect each other and the fact that being human is both amazingly beautiful and fucking complicated. Thank you for your respect.