Hearth & Heather Kathy & Kateri

We’re still very much in conversation with time this spring. On this episode of Hearth & Heather, we’re looking at time through the lens of our hobbies. We talk about the living nature of the spoken word, and the way that boating on a river can shift a small slice of landscape into a big, slow, and contemplative world. Kathy shares what she’s been experiencing recently in her experiments with art; Kateri gives an update on her #AnnWoodStitchBook 100 Day sewing project. And we talk about the hobbies that we share, and how feeding your joy can spread joy to other people. 
Mentioned in this episode:
 Underland: A Deep Time Journey and Landmarks, both by Robert Macfarlane The People of the Sea by David ThomsonPoetry readings by Anis Mojgani, the current Poet Laureate of Oregon Normal Gossip podcast @farmandfolk on Instagram Negative Painting with watercolor tutorial from Harinder SahotaKateri’s birding binoculars: Vortex 8x42 Diamondback HD Binoculars Kathy’s birding camera and telephoto lens: Canon EOS Rebel SL3 DSLR + Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens The Narrowboat Summer by Anne Youngson @folk_hattie on Instagram Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit Getting to Center by Marlee Grace Murder She Drank and the  Murder Buddies Book Club  Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St James“The Watering” by Sameen Affaf 

Small moments of fables, stories, and poems with Kathy and Kateri, sprinkled among our quarterly podcast episodes. In this mini-episode, Kathy tells her variation of the folk tale of Baba Yaga and Vasilisa, mainly based on how her grandmother told it to her, with a few dashes of the feminist re-tellings she read as an adult.

This story does not tell a neat tale of bending all things to our will just by trying hard enough. It is more a tale of trusting yourself and knowing that some seemingly impossible tasks may just need faith and thought around them. With this trust, the unknown does not have to be walked into with fear; it can become an ally. Approach with a willingness to embrace mystery.

As we’re in the year-long month of January, it seems like the perfect opportunity to dig into the subjective nature of time. We talk about how time has slowed for both of us recently, and we reflect on some of the ways we’re experiencing that and what it means for us. We also explore creative projects we’ve encountered about how to mark time. There’s also some casual chat about perfectionism and how we’re letting arbitrary expectations slip away from us, so look out for that. And Kathy has some really, really good tips on kid stuff that is super fun for the self-parenting grownup.

Mentioned in episode:
Ezra Klein Show,“ Time is Way Weirder Than You Think ” Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience  by Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiCyanotypes and phenology wheels 6 of Pentacles/Diamonds  Sleep Baseball  podcast “How black pepper sedates marijuana paranoia,” Chicago Tribune Sophie Wood Brinker  (heron bumper sticker) adrienne maree brown’s Instagram  Bella Luna Toys  Ann Wood 100 day stitch project  Fair Folk podcast 

Small moments of fables, stories, and poems with Kathy and Kateri, sprinkled among our quarterly podcast episodes. In this mini-episode, Kateri reads two poems for Winter Solstice: "Burning the Old Year" by Naomi Shihab Nye and "To Know the Dark" by Wendell Berry.

Our favorite season is beckoning, and we’re talking about the slow-down of the year. As we get excited about tea, sweaters, golden light, and liminal spaces, we also dig into the ways that social media can create a false sense of urgency, preventing us from integrating our experiences in deeper ways. Of course, no episode of Hearth & Heather is complete without a lot of laughing, so we also talk about our squash preferences, and a book that was so good we got mad.

Bonus Download: Along with this episode, we’re posting a PDF of a Winter Solstice Spell Jar ritual that we mentioned in Episode 5.
Mentioned in episode:
The Art of Simple Food by Alice WatersHow to Cook Everything by Mark BittmanAcorn Squash Lasagna by Martha StewartHow to do Nothing by Jenny OdellLalah Delia and sacred experiences“on being off social media,” Emily McDowell’s newsletter“Take a step back: Notes from a social media break,” Lisa Olivera’s newsletterWe Were Made for These Times by Kaira Jewel LingoSacred Harp SingingCocaine and Rhinestones podcastMirrors in the Earth by Asia SulerPatton Oswalt, The Birthday Clown From HellDigital Minimalism by Cal NewportHow a photo and video-sharing social networking service gave me my best friends, true love, a beautiful career, and made me want to die by Marlee GraceDigital Wellbeing app for AndroidA Deadly Education by Naomi NovikWinter Solstice candle ritual (PDF), by Shanalee Hampton

It turns out, murder plays a very large role in our relaxing times. Not committing it, of course; we would never…We compare favorite series, scoff at silly titles, and ponder the origins of the genre known as “cozy.” We take a breath to acknowledge the heavy forces that are threatening us and demanding our attention at this moment in time, and we talk about some ways that we rest and refresh our energies. Sweetly soothed by mayhem, we also find our way into talking about some more purposeful reading and the habits that sustain our hearts. 
Mentioned in episode:
“It’s Time to Stop Living the American Scam” by Tim KreiderThe Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters Tender by Nigel SlaterWartime and ration cookingThe Secret, Book and Scone Society series by Ellery AdamsThe Maine Clambake Mysteries by Barbara RossTrauma Stewardship by Laura Van Dernoot LipskyHow We Show Up by Mia BirdsongOriginal Plum Torte recipe from NYTimes CookingWindowSwapWalking in the Rain, Tokyo on YouTube