I was going to write a real post today but I ran out of time and it’s late so instead I’m going to just share the substack letter I just mailed out in case you don’t subscribe but want to know why I’ve disappeared for a few days:
Hello, love!
I know I just sent you a letter but I’m sending another one because next week I’ll be in Quebec for a couple of days and I don’t know how to schedule a future post and I don’t know if I’ll have access to substack there. Honestly, how am I decades into publishing online and am still so bad at this?
BUT! Pretend that this is next Monday because my drawing for the week is a reminder of exactly why I’ll be in Quebec…because life is short and fragile and I’ve never seen the sort of snow that you can do things in and I want to sled down a hill or build a snowman once in my life before it’s too late. Of course, now that I’ve written this I expect that all the snow in Canada will melt but I’ve heard they also have excellent cheeses so we’ll make do no matter what.
“Our lives are fleeting and fragile and beautiful…like butterfly wings that turn to dust at a touch.”
And let this be a tiny reminder to you that (if you can) you should go out and do something fun and whimsical and ridiculous as often as possible because that is what life is made of. Bundle into a quilt and watch an old black and white movie. Attach a swing to your tree and have fun. Make plans to see snow and then remember that in addition to many other diseases you also have severe rheumatoid arthritis and then say, “FUCK IT. I’LL BRING EXTRA DRUGS” and get on the plane even though you feel kind of stupid and might end up in a cramped ball of pain at the end of this.
Hugs, sweet friend.
~ Jenny
PS. I have been doing duolingo for 333 days straight because I heard that learning languages can help keep dementia away and so I will be using my french for the first time ever in real life and do I just apologize in advance for fucking it up? Is it rude to speak French if I can speak English since I think much of Quebec also speaks English? Am I just making it harder on everyone else or is it a charming thing to show them that I’m really trying and am just very stupid? I don’t know the answer here.