I’m once again writing a monthly update during a heatwave. Climate change sure is doing its thing this summer. My writing is still in a slump too – I was just starting to get into the editing swing again when my beloved puppy caused so much chaos in the space of a week that my body said Sit Your Butt Down Or Else. I’m not a fan of the else, so I’ve been dutifully sitting around doing very little at all. On the bright side, I’ve finally had time to watch Abbott Elementary, which has been on my to watch list since the first season came out, and has been as delightful as promised. Highly recommend.
From the Bookshelf
My library hold on We Can Do Better Than This came in, and I guzzled it at lightspeed. A collection of essays by queer writers, entertainers and activists, edited by Amelia Abraham, it was predictably angering and saddening, but also energising – there’s so much we still need to do for LGBTQIA+ equality, in the UK and around the globe. I was especially glad to see the inclusion of ace and intersex contributors, as people who are often left out of these kinds of conversations.
My favourite bit of fiction for the month was The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison. I loved Addison’s The Goblin Emperor, and while this book didn’t have the same heft, in terms of world building or sheer size of the volume, it was still a great read. A supernatural Sherlock Holmes retelling, it was faithful in tone and character to ACD’s works, while still bringing a wholly original spin. Angels, hellhounds and spirit-wounds abound.
From the Garden
Though they’re a little late in gaining height, the sweat peas continue to trundle upwards. The ox-eyes daisies and mallows have reached the end of their time, and the annuals have taken centre stage. Each year I like to try out new bedding plants, and this year I got my hands on a mix of dahlia ‘Figaro’ plants in a wonderful variety of colours and configurations.
Efforts to transform much of the garden into a wildlife haven continue, and we’re finally in the part of the year when I can start letting the plants take care of themselves. Previous years of infrequent mowing allowed an interesting variety of species to establish in the lawn (doing it this way means I don’t have to research and test to find species that will tolerate dry, alkaline conditions; the plants that like this specific habitat are ready and waiting to grow), and now we reap the benefits. The clumps of wild marjoram that have sprung up are much visited by pollinators.
From the Yoga Mat
Meditation has been the main focus of my practice while I dial back my energy expenditure to recover from doing too much. I’ve never been a natural meditator: my brain is a very noisy place, not easily convinced to shut up and focus on the breath. In fact, I first learned to meditate by simply tiring myself out during asana practice; lying, exhausted, in Savasana taught me (slowly, incrementally) to hang out in stillness and silence. It’s an old friend now, albeit one I still get irritated with when our plans don’t align. The noise is no less noisy just because I’ve learned to ignore it sometimes.
As I’ve been relishing my meditation practice so much, I finally did what I’ve wanted to for months and applied to be a teacher on Insight Timer, my favourite meditation app. I was accepted, and my first guided meditation, “Gentle Curiosity,” is available to practice with! It’s been a bit of a learning curve, working out how to record and edit audio, and I’ve still got a ways to go, but I’m happy with how this turned out. You can find the track here (you don’t need to download the app or make an account to listen).
Thanks for reading!
Beatrice Morgan 