Pancakes, human insights, through the ash we ride, and the year starts now.
What up, Traipsters,
Small victory: A blissful week sans-smoke here (for now) and I'm savoring writing this newsletter outside! Fresh air is not overrated.
Our garden loves the hot fall weather - a final growth spurt opportunity - and zucchini is our new currency. Meanwhile, my exhausted legs ache from overdoing it in a typical late-season rush to explore high places before the snow hits. #worthit
This Week's Newsletter:
Pancakes 'cuz we can, love and relationships, riding through the ash, and starting your year when you want to.
Six years ago on October 1 during our U.S. bike tour. We pedaled out of Burlington, VT with fall colors popping.
Pancakes: Because We Can
Recently we returned hungry and exhausted after a long day in the mountains. Sadly, no leftovers or personal chef presented themselves. There was only one solution: pancakes!
Yep, that's a fantastic thing about being an adult. When you want pancakes for dinner, you can have them. Even better, this "blender pancakes" recipe is delicious, oh-so-fast (10 minutes to pancakes), and healthy to boot! The key ingredients: bananas, oats, vanilla, baking powder and water. Actually, that's about it... Enjoy!
Podcast: The True Hard Work Of Love
Do you have love and relationships 100% figured out? Me too, so let's move on.
Riiiight. Always work to be done! This Design Matters podcast interview with philosopher Alain De Botton discusses "love, sex, and the labyrinthine romantic landscape in between" and is brimming with insights.
Two quotes I enjoyed:
"My view of human nature is that all of us are just holding it together in various ways — and that’s okay, and we just need to go easy with one another, knowing that we’re all these incredibly fragile beings."
"My view of what one should talk about on a first date is not showing off and not putting forward one’s accomplishments, but almost quite the opposite. One should say, “Well, how are you crazy? I’m crazy like this.”
Another lovely day for a ride! (Source: From The Ash)
Video: From The Ash
This Vimeo video is primarily visual candy. Given the still-burning fires in Oregon and smoke's imminent return, I also like the underlying message that it's a "visual metaphor for pushing forward as the world seemingly crumbles around you." 2020 is the year for pushing forward...or staying home!
Gotta say I wondered what stratospheric levels the air quality numbers hit during the film shoot. Make sure to read the description for the shoot details also. He isn't an antifa looter (sigh) riding through an active forest fire to raid abandoned homes! (<--not.a.thing.)
Your Year Starts When You Want
Is there anything you're putting off until the New Year? (Other than perhaps applying for foreign citizenship, of course.)
In this quick blog, Derek Sivers says why bother with those arbitrary dates? He reminds me to to flip the bird at the calendar and start my year when I'm fired up and ready!
He writes:
"Shouldn’t our personal markers and celebrations happen at personally meaningful times?" Your year really begins when you move to a new home, start school, quit a job, have a big breakup, have a baby, quit a bad habit, start a new project, or whatever else.
Those are the real memorable turning points — where one day is very different than the day before. Those are the meaningful markers of time. That’s your “new year”.
That's it for this edition. Forward to a friend, tell me if you liked the pancakes, and here's to a fantastic fall!
