Hello and welcome to Wondering and Wandering! These newsletters, which I plan to send out on (maybe not every but hopefully many) Wednesdays, are an invitation to join me as I wonder about the joys and concerns of the world in and around me and chart my wandering path. The opinions are my own and subject to change. We’re all learning! Growing! So fun! Feel free to comment, share feedback, send to a friend, ask questions, etc.
My background: I grew up in the Midwest, where I cultivated the ambition of feeding the world. The more I've invested in my food and political science studies and work, however, the more interested I've become in the value of the non-food items that fill us up. These range from the first try of a new favorite thing to environments like supportive and inclusive communities to experiences that challenge us in just the right ways.
So! At this point, I am envisioning a three-part periodical starting with something I’ve been loving lately (SO good); moving on to one of my adventures, impressions, or encounters and their greater cultural implications and societal suggestions (Free Space); and ending on some wild thing I’ve witnessed while living in New York City (Once upon a time in NY). In this first edition, I’m playing with a kind of chaotic/rambling poem format for Free Space. In other weeks, that section could be a more traditional essay, a script, a short story, etc. We shall see! Thanks for reading along.
SO good
Fancy Butter. Not all butter is created equal! I am not a picky eater, but I do have strong preferences and I will splurge on a select few items. For me, the benefit-cost ratio is strongest in the dairy aisle. Le Meunier’s Beurre de Baratte Sel is my current favorite and makes me feel like quite the bon vivant in the apartment I rent with two roommates I met through Craigslist.
Free Space
Wordle World
Six tries. Five letters each. Hints along the way. One game per day. Those are the parameters of Wordle. It connects Facebook friends Unites coworkers Stimulates minds of all ages. It nearly drove me mad. But not because I couldn’t win. In the 20ish days I played I never lost. In fact, the day I began this poem months after I stopped playing I tried again wanting a refresher and using my standard start word: DREAM. That day, November 5th, 2022 DREAM happened to be THE word. And I got it on my first attempt. Anyway. To succeed in Wordle is simply to be good at abiding by the laws of Wordle World and selecting someone else’s word du jour. In a Wordle World there can only be one right answer. That right answer may change daily and it is attainable but to arrive at it you must follow another’s lead. The only way to guess “correctly” is to first try things your way. Some players start off with words that include common consonants several vowels or avoid repetition. The strategy is to take stock of the times you: aligned a letter are a bit out of place miss it altogether. "Winning" requires a series of concessions breaking down your first instinct to get you ever closer to the answer that was chosen before you even started playing.
Once upon a time in New York
Earlier this year, I had been experiencing an unfortunate mouse problem in my apartment—a common occurrence in this city and NOT a reflection of poor housekeeping abilities!! For the most part, I see evidence of mice having been around rather than actually seeing their little bodies scampering about.
One night, however, I went into the kitchen, switched on the light, and noticed the lid to a previously closed box of donuts was open. A few seconds later, out popped a mouse before it scuttled away to some untraceable location. Gross, yes, but such wasteful form! If it was going to happen, I’m truly disappointed in the mouse for leaving the rest of the donut behind. A message for Pizza Rat: Donut Mouse could use a lesson in your delivery methods.
Ta-da! That’s all for now. I will regularly share this or that and will try not to ruin things (sorry Wordle) for you along the way. However this goes, I’m delighted you’re now part of it.
My best,
Christine
If you haven’t already, you’re welcome to subscribe using the button below! (it may prompt you to pledge—feel free to or not to)