Life has slowed down a lot here lately & not only in terms of the frequency of posts over here at 'The Beet Generation' (previously 'Paisley & Peeptoes') Considerably fewer seven thirty starts & miserable commutes, considerably more cups of tea & pages of reading at my desk until gone eight o'clock. While I'm still in a period of transition between a five & two day week, I'm being sure to take the time to appreciate just how lucky I am to be able to read Proust for three full days & feel the same invigoration as I write sheets & sheets of A4 notes on secondary sources (a method I can wholeheartedly recommend if you too have been banging your head against Nietzsche's 'Birth of Tragedy' for the best part of the week) All the same, I've been trying not to succumb to cabin fever too much & have had a few outings in the last couple of weeks. Here're some highlights (alongside mandatory Instagram mugshots) when I've managed to leave my pyjamas neatly tucked at the end of my bed & thumb on some shoes other than my furry moccasins.
Eating:
Emboldened by adventures in making my own pesto from scratch & regular batches of granola, as I admitted that the weather was finally turning towards autumn, there was only one thing on my mind...SOUP! A fortuitous encounter with my very favourite 'readers' recipe swap' in the weekly 'Guardian Cook' involving ever-faithful tinned tomatoes seemed to conspire in my first foray into some very messy hand blending last week during a leisurely lunchtime. I followed this super simple recipe for sun-dried tomato & walnut soup with plenty of texture from chopped walnuts & just the right amount of kick from the mustard & coriander seeds, absolutely 11/10. This was followed by Kitsunetsuki's milder curried cauliflower & coconut soup that made up for in flavour what it lacked in the former's particularly decadent appearance.
Reading:
While I've been really enjoying having the time to sit & read for concentrated periods at home (ordinarily under several blankets & with a half empty packet of raw cashews somewhere nearby) my lifelong habit of always having a bookish companion while journeying prevails. Some course reading such as the adjacent (& brilliant) 'The Immoralist' by Andre Gide have proved absorbing enough for me to almost miss my overground stop for although I must admit that most Walter Benjamin/heavy literary criticism doesn't always make the transition. Often I've been plugging the gaps with the short story volumes that have been languishing of late alongside old favourites, Lydia Davis' 'Can't & Won't for one & 'Binocular Vision' by Edith Pearlman for another. What women.
Wandering:
I've been spending a lot more time with the boy (couple library trips, yay!) & while that's always a good thing, it also adds to the temptation to watch 'Have I Got News For You' reruns all day & eat pasta all night every night. We decided on some more outdoors-y plans on the windy Sunday just gone, swinging by one of our many local coffee shops for the very-very-last of the iced coffees (have you weaned yourself off of iced espresso yet? if so, what's your secret?) to accompany us on a winding route to Clapton & our new favourite pub, 'The Clapton Hart', of course, to flip through the papers & indulge in yet more nut roasts. I can tell that they won't be able to keep me away come mulled wine season, oh man, sorry (not sorry) bank balance...!
Watching:
While it's been difficult parting company with our newly acquired boxset of 'The Trip' & 'The Trip to Italy' ('I will not bury you, Batman', kudos if you get that reference & extra points if you can give me the next line), I was very keen to watch this film of Miranda July's having been unbelievably lucky to root it out in a charity shop for a mere two pounds. I've always been a fan of her & all of the amazing creatives she's been associated with (namely Sheila Heti, Lena Dunham, Leanne Shapton & the like, swoon) but hadn't seen any of the films through which she made her name. I would encourage you all to watch this sweet, kind, funny & wise film as soon as possible, Andrew & I just adored it - we were both sobbing & laughing at each other sobbing by the end of it & were quite a sight, I'm sure.
Gee, that's just about all that's happening in my corner of the internet.
Otherwise I'm just enjoying being back in education, being able to talk earnestly about interesting books & having access to the intricate minds of my university tutors.
Oh & anticipating the beetroot almost done roasting in red wine vinegar for the last hour to be shortly accompanied by puy lentils. They're always something to look forward to.
What've you been up to lately?
Do you similarly worship at the altar of Miranda July?
Speak soon - O.
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