Pictures Of Things + Le Love List :: 6/52

February 12th, 2017 - filed under: Furthermore » Feedback

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♥ My man, in his natural habitat. ♥

This week was awesome, because this week Jeremy started his new job! And it’s a super exciting job (running the retail wine program at Les Merchands Wine Bar and Merchant) with a really exciting company. It’s a wonderful move for his career, and I’m so happy for him!

Les Merchands was founded by Master Sommelier Brian McClintic. Have you seen the movie Somm? It’s a really great documentary, super fun and lighthearted and an awesome introduction to the wine world.

Well, Brian was sort of the breakout star of that movie, and right after Somm debuted, he opened Les Merchands in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. It was fun having a rockstar Master Sommelier in our city, and Brian is a super nice guy. Jeremy and I used to go on dates at Les Merchands, and Brian would always be there, sitting at that giant desk in the middle of the room.

And now, a few years later, Brian has moved on to other projects. And now my Jeremy is sitting there, at that giant desk in the middle of the room. And I’m so proud of him. ♥

Here’s what else happened this week:


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Sunday was the Super Bowl! And we had a Super Bowl party, and we watched the game and there were Patriots fans and Falcons fans and it was all very official and sporty. And also, Jeremy busted out the deep fryer and we made ALL THE VEGAN FINGER FOODS, like those sriracha barbecue meatballs and buffalo chik’n wings up there, and also loaded sweet potato skins, and onion rings and tater tots, and amazing soyrizo 7-Layer Dip, and jalapeño poppers, and omg it was all so delicious.


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Tiny sports fans, watching the game.


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A long, lovely, 2 hour walk in the drizzle with a dear friend. From my house, 2 miles all the way down to the beach, out to the end of the pier, then along the waterfront and into the harbor, then all the way back 2 miles to my house. By the time I got home I was soaked through, and so, so happy. ♥


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Stormy seas are enchanting me this winter.


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Winter gifts from my garden, which I shared with the kids at my newest school: curly kale and purple kale and frisée, lemons and mint, borage and calendula.


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Loose tooth + green juice.

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♥ ♥ ♥

~~~

And now, it’s time for the one, the only, Le Love List!

Hearing Jeremy singing in the other room. // Spending a super lazy Monday (my day off) laying on the couch marathon-watching this amazing 8-part docu series about the 1980s I LEARNED SO MUCH WOW, there is so much historical context for this mess we’re in now, and I didn’t see it because I was a kiddo, and it all makes much more sense now. WOW. // Blood oranges. // Pad see ew. // When I open my purse and seed packets fall out. // Muddy garden shoes. // Wines that were made in qvevri, mmmmm my current obsession. // Black lace corsets. // Being challenged and standing my ground. Knowing that I am on the right side of history. Not being afraid to stand up and speak out. Not being intimidated. Staying strong and fighting hard. Never normalizing. Never giving up!

~~~

Alright guys, now it’s your turn! I really love reading your own Le Love Lists, so please leave them down in the comments below. What are the little things in your life that make you smile this week?

Happy Sunday, I hope you have a most wonderful week!

  • Laurie

    Started reading the book “Rad Women Worldwide” // Went for Thai food with family // Had fun chats with several library patrons at my library // Emailed and called my representatives about issues important to me // Had the soup I’d made on Sunday night for lunch all week

  • Alanna

    Hi Sayward,

    I enjoy reading your “Le Love List” each week, and really appreciate your ability to find gratitude for the little things in life as well as the big.

    I have a question for you that doesn’t really relate to your list this week, but I’m curious all the same. Please note that I’m not trying to be critical here; I truly am curious and interested in your explanation. I was surprised when you mentioned watching the Super Bowl. I know you hold incredibly strong feminist values and do not support big capitalism — not violence, either. To me, pro sports are hugely problematic in that they are often violent, they are all about big money, and they’re all about men, both as players and as figures who often get away with horrible acts of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. In short, professional sports scream “patriarchy” to me. Among the pro sports most commonly viewed in North America, NFL football seems to me to be just about the worst in terms of all of the above. However, I know lots of people who would identify as peaceful feminists but still watch pro sports, including the Super Bowl. I’m interested in how people reconcile these stances that, to me, seem to oppose each other.

    Thanks and wishing you a great week to come. :)

  • lysette

    Ooo I have a lot of posts to catch up on. It’s great you are making time to blog again! Congratulations to Jeremy on the new job, it looks like a library of wine. Even though we are still deep in winter up north the thought of a long walk in the rain is refreshing and appealing. <3 coming home from work to the scuttle of quail in the lilac bush/booksbooksbooks/noel fielding's imagination/dogsdogsdogs/banana soft serve on hot oatmeal & the weather finally being warm enough to appreciate colder foods/spring on the horizon!

  • Alex McPeanut

    Hey Sayward, I’m curious to know the name of the documentary you watched…?

  • Sarah Zimmerman

    Me too please :)

  • Katrina

    My online store is starting to make sales and every time it does, my phone app literally goes cha-ching! BEST SOUND. I’ve been playing around with some of my favorite pens and markers, which work like a dream. My post-snowstorm, deep blue-grey that almost looks like you’ve got tinted sunglasses on. Podcasts that help me see things differently. Finding ikea Poang chairs on craigslist. My husband is leaving his desk job to walk dogs and go back to teaching music and he already looks years younger — it’s going to be tight financially, but he will be SO much happier! My dogs playing in the snow make me laugh out loud on every walk. The post-it notes on my desk are in rainbow order. My cozy little studio which makes me sooo happy and creative. I just got a prescription for glasses and I’m so excited because I’d been noticing my sight getting worse this year. When they did the eye exam on me and did that “better 1 or better 2?” thing and I could SEE again, I was squealing! My husband — the best thing that has every happened to me.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    CHA-CHING! Ha, that’s awesome! Great Love List Katrina, thank you so much for sharing!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    It’s on Netflix streaming and it’s just called “The Eighties” (there’s also a “The Seventies” and a “The Sixties”). Originally on CNN.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    It’s on Netflix streaming and it’s just called “The Eighties” (there’s also a “The Seventies” and a “The Sixties”). It was originally on CNN.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Love it, thank you for sharing Lysette! Banana soft serve on hot oatmeal sounds amaaaazing. ♥

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Awesome, thanks for sharing Laurie! Hope you’re having a great week.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Interesting points, and if I’m being honest, I’d say that I don’t actually have a great answer for any of them. I basically agree with what you say (at least about Football, I feel differently about Soccer, Baseball, etc. The less violent ones feel different to me).

    I have never been a sports fan and have never cared at all about the Super Bowl. But over the last year, I have become very close to two different people who love Football, so for me, it was more a way to participate in my community and expand my own experiences to meet my friends in places I don’t normally go. It was fun, and that’s what it really came down to for me. I got to throw a party that people I care about, cared about. I got to feed them (one of my new friends exclaimed “I don’t understand the food at this Super Bowl party!” because he is decidedly *not* vegan, but he gobbled it down and really enjoyed it). It was almost exactly the same group of friends that I had over on election night, and having a fun and celebrating together definitely felt healing.

    It’s not a good answer. I agree with you that Football is so problematic in SO many ways. It’s not something I’ll pursue as a past time in the future, but it made for a fun party on that day.

  • http://angieeatspeace.com/ Angie

    Congrats to Jeremy! I have seen that documentary and it’s pretty amazing he gets to be apart of such a cool legacy.

  • vegyogini

    Congratulations to Jeremy!

  • Alanna

    Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Sayward. Lots of food for thought. :)

  • Sarah C.

    Major congrats to Jeremy! I loved Somm and that is SO COOL that Jeremy gets to be part of such a neat history!! I hope he feels really wonderful about this!

    My love list:
    I put 6 chickpeas (from Rancho Gordo, my bean supplier 4EVA) into peat pots and 4 of them are sprouting up little chickpea plants!!! // beer // yoga // a new baby in the family (even though it’s a little weird – my brother and a woman who is NOT my SIL had a baby today; I’m a little unsettled by it all, but my parents are being so awesome and I”m so proud of them) // waiting for resolution on big issues (ok, I hate that, but I’m trying to be grateful for everything that comes my way, even if it’s yucky) // my massive seed order from Baker Seeds arrived in the mail – can’t wait to get sowing! // organizing meetings for trying to form an employees union at work — this would be a tangible way of leading resistance for my colleagues and myself

  • Sarah C.

    YES to booksbooksbooks! Any in particular you’re loving lately? Books are like *my thing* but I’m actually in a bit of a reading slump lately.

  • Rebeca

    Sayward, I’ve been reading your blog for quite some time but this is my first comment ever! I want to thank you for your honesty, for your dedication and for standing up for yourself and for those in need. You inspire me and I’m so grateful for this ❤️
    I’m also grateful for all the friends I met this week, getting my community garden ready for seeds and the new habit of daily méditation.
    Love!

  • lysette

    Do you like transgressive weird literature, cause then I’m your person, lol!

  • lysette

    I got the inspiration from Lacy Davis on her awesome podcast Rise and Resist!

  • Sarah C.

    YES. I mean YES!!!

  • lysette

    Hahaha, awesome. I’m reading Livia Llewellyn’s Furnace right now and it’s stunning. Any thing you can find by Kathe Koja and I recently enjoyed Rios de la Luz’s The Pulse Between Dimensions and the Desert by Lady Box Books which is a great publisher to look into, excellent collection of authors.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thank you so much Rebecca! Somehow this comment got lost in the shuffle, and I wanted to make sure I responded (albeit late) to say *thank you*!! It means so much to me. ♥

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thanks Sarah!!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thanks lady!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thanks Angie!

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