Weekly Zephyr #30: December 21st, 2017

o unattributed photo of mystery origin, thank you for being here

DISPATCH FROM WEEK PRECEDING CHRISTMAS STOP FURNACE BROKE LAST SUNDAY NO HOT WATER, NO HEAT IN HOUSE* STOP BATHING IN THE COLD DARK MORNING BEFORE WORK WITH A POT OF WATER HEATED ON THE STOVE + A LADLE STOP EVERYONE IS COUGHING YOUNGEST SON CURRENTLY VISITING URGENT CARE ABOUT IT**  *fixed as of four hours ago **okay! (whew) + home soon JUST WALKED IN DOOR, FINE

​AND THEN THE STUFF WE'RE ALL SHARING LIKE WE LOOK AT OUR PHONES WHEN WE WAKE UP AND EZRA KLEIN IS THERE RIGHT AWAY IN THAT GLOWING RECTANGLE IN THE DARK MAKING US THINK ABOUT NUCLEAR WAR FIRST THING BEFORE COFFEE OR EVEN PEEING OR EVEN EYES READY TO BE ALL THE WAY OPEN, EYES STILL TRYING TO FORCE THEMSELVES SHUT FOR MORE SLEEP WHILE WE HAVE TO GET READY FOR NUCLEAR WAR STOP

THE POINT: CHRISTMAS SPIRIT ELUSIVE THIS YEAR

BUT NOT COMPLETELY AWOL

For example, driving from store to store this evening listening to The Nutcracker Dance of the Merlitons, specifically and realizing out of the blue that one Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky SAT THERE and CAME UP WITH ALL OF THIS ! thinking of him sitting there in a lamplit room working this whole thing out, maybe waving his arms

   AND THEN VOILA, NOT JUST DRIVING BUT FLOAT-DRIVING ALL LUCK, ALL FORTUNE, WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE NOT DRIVING    music astonishment    street light    peace traffic light     music + intense fascination/charm/affectionate feelings for Tchaikovsky in his little room       dark sky     Tchaikovsky's imagined lamplight       Toyota ahead with Seahawks license plate and red & white sticker that reads "Happiness is being Zooey's grandmother"     left turn onto Northgate Way     lingering uplift      new moon over Macy's     

You should have seen the whole cookbook from his class. I would put the whole 3rd grade/4th grade family special meals cookbook here for you if I could but you can go ahead and picture it. It's a hot one.

Listen, though, if you make this riisipuuro then you're ready to make karjalanpiirakka

(KAR-yah-lon-PEE-rock-kah) aka riisipiirakoitta (REE-see-PEE-rah-KOY-tah) aka rye pastries with savory rice porridge filling that you then spread munavoi (MOON-ah-voy) (egg butter --> hard-boiled eggs smushed into butter) on and eat.

              It's fussy but it's worth it. They're soporifically comforting. Food for the frazzled nerves of Earth.  This recipe is legit because it asks you to baste the piirakka while they're cooking with hot milk and butter. Some recipes don't make you do that but that's not how my mom does it so BZZZZT.   

                 yes, sunrise from a Finnish cave, photograph by Peter Huu? what is it?

you're a herald of good news? we can use it. tell us.

IT'S THIS:

WILD WRITING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES WITH SONYA LEA ​JUNE 21-JUNE 24, 2018 NEXT SOLSTICE

(contact her by clicking the screenshot just like you wanted to on the turquoise bit)

17 HOURS OF SUNLIGHT + WRITING IN THE MOTHERLOVING CANADIAN ROCKIES FLIPPING BANFF SONYA LEA I WILL BE THERE AND MAYBE YOU WILL TOO

maa on niin kaunis traditional Finnish christmas carol in mall flash mob maa (earth) on (is) niin (so) kaunis (beautiful)

(love and joy come to you and to you your wassail too and god bless you and send you a happy new year and god send you a happy new year)

xox