What better way to dive back into more regular blogging than to start a new series?! The days are so long and short of late, it might feel good to pause and make a wee list of where things are at?
Here I go …
Life and loss
It’s been a week of emotional turmoil as the reality of different approaches to grief plays out in our family. Cam (my boys’ dad) has advanced Motor Neurone Disease so the boys and I are trying to make plans and process what happens next. Although Cam and I are not together anymore, we had a 25+ year (tumultuous) history and the boys are deep in what it means to have a gravely ill parent. They have experienced loss before, of course, but the loss of a parent is a big one. It’s fair to say that we are all struggling and things are a bit tied up in knots. We’re gathering our strength and taking things day by day. Talking about it helps a bit. Connecting to others who understand helps a bit too. This was great.
Bookish things
I just started reading Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos. It’s really great. I loved this:
“The risk of honest self-appraisal requires bravery. To place our flawed selves in the context of this magnificent, broken world is the opposite of narcissism, which is building a self-image that pleases you.”
and this:
“We are discouraged from writing about [trauma] because it makes people uncomfortable. Because a patriarchal society wants its victims to be silent. Because shame is an effective method of silencing.”
I’m also reading Spring Clean for the Peach Queen via audiobook from the library. I’m really liking it so I bought a copy of the book too! It’s by Sasha Wasley.
Story Time
Fridays is Story Time at my local library and it’s my favourite day to return and borrow books. There’s nothing sweeter than starting the weekend off by listening to little kids get excited about books as their exhausted parents/carers encourage them to sing and dance and do various actions with their pudgy little limbs. The librarians are so brilliant. I love the way they speak to their little attendees. They’re so kind and they really listen to the kiddos, replying with such positivity and respect. Highly recommend.
Creative First-Aid
Dear gosh. I listened to the best podcast episode I’ve heard in ages. It was under the umbrella of Zak Foster’s Seamside and featured the amazing embroideress Lou Gardiner. You can listen to it here. I really encourage you to do so. You must. It turned a tough week into something special for me. Perhaps it will do that for you too? I sent it straight to my friend Sue and she ADORED it as well. ADORED!
Quote taken from this podcast:
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” – Iain Thomas
Making
I’ve been making granny squares to stitch together into a BIG blanket for a cute family member that I love very much. I’ve got 50 so far. I’m going for 80, I think. Wish me luck!!
Uni work
I’ve almost finished a study period involving a research project of my choosing. It had to be about writing so I chose to research the role of landscape in ‘the crisis memoir’ and how it can help women express themselves and their lives. Sounds a bit of a mouthful, to be sure, but it’s been fascinating to dig into. I also had to write a creative work that reflected the research topic, so I have been writing a landscape-focused mini ‘crisis memoir’! Hard and great. Going to uni has been the most expensive very best thing for me!
Soup for you!
I’ve been making chicken soup every week, trying to lift my energy levels and look after myself as best I can. A bowl of chicken soup for breakfast is a pretty nice way to start the day. I use this recipe.
Lillies for life!
Gosh. These smell so good. Put your nose to the screen and you MIGHT just catch a whiff. That’s how fragrant they are!
Thanks for checking in with me, pals.
What are you up to? What did your week look like?
x Pip
PS: SO NERVOUS about the election. Gah. Are you?
Find me at Hungry Hungry Pippo, too!
If you fancy, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/piplincolne
7 Comments
Just found your blog. Sending my love to you and your boys. Xx
I came to read this post because of your granny squares! I have just taken up knitting and learning how to crochet! It’s addictive! I have also been in a blogging lull and am wanting to get back to it.
This was a lovely post to read. I’m sad for you and your boys. Thanks for sharing your story about Cam with us. It’s a tough time for you all. If writing helps, do more of it! I will love to read what you have to say. It’s encouraging me to write!
We dressed up in vintage style and went down to Ballarat on Saturday for the Ballarat Tweed Ride event. It was a lovely day spent with my daughter. We were awarded the Most Elegant Spectator and the Most Magnificent Millinery at the event. Will do a blog post about that!
All the best
Souri xx
Enjoyed the post Pip. Can recommend Surrender: the call of the American West by Joanna Pocock as an excellent landscape focussed memoir. Thanks for the link to the podcast. Zak is an amazing artist and I forgot about the podcast!
Pip, I’m so sorry to hear about Cam. You and the boys do have a lot to process at the moment. My mum died when I was in my early 20s – she and her dad (my grandpa) died of the same cancer with 24 hours of each other. A brilliant new book about coping with family death and grief, which I wish had been around at that time is Clover Stroud’s ‘The Red of My Blood’. She lost her mum at a young age and recently her sister to cancer aged only 46 and really understands about life, love and grief. It’s well worth checking out. Sending love and strength to you x
I’m so sorry to hear about Cam.
I really enjoyed Spring Clean when I read it last year. Last month I read Sasha’s tandem new book, A Caravan Like a Canary. Her writing feels very Australian & I like the at very much.
As for the election, what a shitshow hey? I’ll be glad when it’s all done & dusted.
Oh, one last thing, I bought a book this week I think you might like. It’s a bread book called The Dusty Knuckle & yes the bread recipes are great but it has a sandwich section I think you would LOVE! Big focaccia vibes Pip!
Take care. So happy to have you back writing again xx
Gosh pip you do have a lot to deal with right now.
You have included some lovely things in this post and for that I thank you. I enjoyed the podcast link, think I will need to listen again.
I love granny squares, there is so much beautiful crochet out there but grannies will always have my heart. And they are the best when thinking is too much, just enough distraction from those rumination loops but not so much that your head hurts.
Take care
Kate
Thank you for this post. I’m 38 and my brothers are 34 and 40. We lost our dad unexpectedly on 19 January this year and the pain and loss is horrible, especially since we hadn’t been able to see each other in 2 years due to covid travel restrictions between Canada and Europe. My parents had been divorced but my mother feels the sadness and loss as well. I miss him terribly and still loose it completely every week. The thing that helps is talking about it with my brothers and mother. Sending you a lot of courage.