Words are important, but I'm tired of them today.

Instead, I want to look at things; I want to make things.

I want to study this endlessly (and admire its inspiration, too). I want to assemble my own colorful cairns and gold-leaf a whole pile of oyster shells (and then leave them for others to happen upon and delight in). I want to measure the blueness of the sky like it's my job. I want to teach myself how to paint the clouds I'm so often appreciating. I want to make magic for someone, lots of it. I want to demand things, beautifully.

What's your relationship to words these days? Would you rather make something than say something? If so, what? Hit 'reply' and share with me.

With love,
Helen xx

Fieldnotes

Said good-bye to Mom and Dad (then missed Mom and Dad); said good-bye to Kitty (then missed Kitty); said good-bye to Kathy (then missed Kathy); packed up the Corolla once again; drove from New York, through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and into Wisconsin; hugged Mike

Links

Though I've seen at least a handful of them in my life, I never knew someone had named them: the Hyperart Thomasson. Scrolling examples here and here.

"The office gets about 700 letters a day, Reeves says. The team reads and sorts each by subject and picks out those they think the president should read. Obama gets 10 letters at the end of each weekday he's at the White House, and each week a few of those are from children."

On not saving the world: "that's okay, because that's not the work I'm here to do—I'm here to save what I can."

Curios

We spotted this sign today, outside of our favorite house in Appleton, Wisconsin. In case you can't quite make out the words, I'll share them here: No matter where you are from, we're glad you're our neighbor. It's written in Spanish, English, and Arabic. Inclusivity is everything.