I said “Happy New Year” to the crotchety man down the block while walking my dog and he smiled while returning the sentiment. This is good work ❤️. Happy New Year, Jesse!
I am so happy to be on your Substack and so happy that you decided to pursue this project. I’ve been a fan of your mom’s for years++ (I’m 73). I wish I could have attended one of the Steel concerts in December, as I’ve been to so many of her shows, including several end-of-years. Alas, it didn’t work out this year, but being part of her Substack since the beginning, and now yours, is wonderful. I especially love your selection of those particular passages from Thoreau! He is one of my “masters,” one of my all-time loves. The passages you selected are, I think, perfect praise of and gratitude for all the simplicity and majesty (what a miraculous paradox) of Nature. You asked about other writers. Another of my all-time loves in American lit, one whose writings are a virtual Bible for me, is Walt Whitman. I will never stop reading from LEAVES OF GRASS. I have a facsimile copy of the 1855 first edition, which I treasure. I try to remember to say, every day, as part of my “prayers,” Walt’s lines “Nature without check, with original energy,” and “Urge and urge and urge, Always the procreant urge of the world.” One more thought, and I’ll stop: it’s January 5, Eve of the Epiohany/the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child/“Little Christmas.” As such, it’s time for me to reread the incomparable short story by James Joyce, “The Dead.” (I’m a “Joycean” … a retired Professor of English. I specialize in aspects of Irish and American literature.)
Happy New Year, Jessie and our community. I really love "You are never to old to set another goal or dream a new dream." C S Lewis "And suddenly you know...it's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings." Meister Eckhart
It's good to stop. Take a moment (which is the only thing we really have) feel our breath and be grateful for that miracle... our breath.
I was born on New Year’s Day, 40 minutes later my twin sister arrived, my brother celebrated his first birthday on January 15, and my husband celebrated his first birthday on January 31. We officially celebrate birthday month where everything counts (snow, ice forming lace on the car windows, the back lighting of flowers on the window sills, on and on). Now we will add Happy New Year greetings as well. For so many reasons on so many levels, we celebrate with gratitude our circling round the sun once again.
hey! i really thought your piano playing on Song of Nature is so beautiful, thank you. (i think i might be in the wrong thread but, that's ok.) love to all xo
My favorite of the quotes is from my favorite of the group: Louise May Alcott, “...and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end.” But all of the quotes you shared are wonderful! Thank you, and Happy New Year.:-)
we live in an age of reckonings over who gets to tell stories and how and why....you are a welcome breath of honesty, insight, and kindness. happy new year - xoxoxo
“Every moment instructs, and every object: for wisdom is infused into every form. It has been poured into us as blood; it convulsed us as pain; it slid into us as pleasure; it enveloped us in dull, melancholy days, or in days of cheerful labor; we did not guess its essence until after a long time.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
"the voice of nature is always encouraging." true that Henry...the beach images are so evocative...before reading your Mom i barely knew where Rockaway was and i'm a damn New Englander ha
Happy New Year Jesse! I love your message. I feel we are all navigating a tidal wave of collective trauma and grief. Yes, transforming these painful memories, tied to beautiful things--- finding something new to comfort and empower us!
"There can be associations, sounds, scents, images in nature that remind us of a time that makes us sad, that remind us of someone we are missing, of a time we are longing for. Nature in essence is always healing and therapeutic, brings us back to ourselves, clears our minds of chitter chatter, and reminds us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. It reminds us how interconnected we are, with animals, trees, with the systems of the earth. It is our most valuable and irreplaceable tool of ‘reset.’ We are only human though, and we have painful memories often tied to beautiful things. We can (as we know) however, transform these associations with specific elements of nature into something new, something to comfort and empower us. It definitely can take great effort and time, though."
Late to this post - enjoyed the quotes all of which offer such a meaningful approach to living each day! Thank you
I said “Happy New Year” to the crotchety man down the block while walking my dog and he smiled while returning the sentiment. This is good work ❤️. Happy New Year, Jesse!
Happy New Year Jesse! So happy to have you here!
Happy New Year, Jesse!
I am so happy to be on your Substack and so happy that you decided to pursue this project. I’ve been a fan of your mom’s for years++ (I’m 73). I wish I could have attended one of the Steel concerts in December, as I’ve been to so many of her shows, including several end-of-years. Alas, it didn’t work out this year, but being part of her Substack since the beginning, and now yours, is wonderful. I especially love your selection of those particular passages from Thoreau! He is one of my “masters,” one of my all-time loves. The passages you selected are, I think, perfect praise of and gratitude for all the simplicity and majesty (what a miraculous paradox) of Nature. You asked about other writers. Another of my all-time loves in American lit, one whose writings are a virtual Bible for me, is Walt Whitman. I will never stop reading from LEAVES OF GRASS. I have a facsimile copy of the 1855 first edition, which I treasure. I try to remember to say, every day, as part of my “prayers,” Walt’s lines “Nature without check, with original energy,” and “Urge and urge and urge, Always the procreant urge of the world.” One more thought, and I’ll stop: it’s January 5, Eve of the Epiohany/the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child/“Little Christmas.” As such, it’s time for me to reread the incomparable short story by James Joyce, “The Dead.” (I’m a “Joycean” … a retired Professor of English. I specialize in aspects of Irish and American literature.)
Happy New Year, Jessie and our community. I really love "You are never to old to set another goal or dream a new dream." C S Lewis "And suddenly you know...it's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings." Meister Eckhart
It's good to stop. Take a moment (which is the only thing we really have) feel our breath and be grateful for that miracle... our breath.
I was born on New Year’s Day, 40 minutes later my twin sister arrived, my brother celebrated his first birthday on January 15, and my husband celebrated his first birthday on January 31. We officially celebrate birthday month where everything counts (snow, ice forming lace on the car windows, the back lighting of flowers on the window sills, on and on). Now we will add Happy New Year greetings as well. For so many reasons on so many levels, we celebrate with gratitude our circling round the sun once again.
Happy New Year
hey! i really thought your piano playing on Song of Nature is so beautiful, thank you. (i think i might be in the wrong thread but, that's ok.) love to all xo
Totally agree re Jesse at the piano on the Michael Stipes piece. Outstanding!
My favorite of the quotes is from my favorite of the group: Louise May Alcott, “...and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end.” But all of the quotes you shared are wonderful! Thank you, and Happy New Year.:-)
I LOVE the Eliot quote.
we live in an age of reckonings over who gets to tell stories and how and why....you are a welcome breath of honesty, insight, and kindness. happy new year - xoxoxo
“Every moment instructs, and every object: for wisdom is infused into every form. It has been poured into us as blood; it convulsed us as pain; it slid into us as pleasure; it enveloped us in dull, melancholy days, or in days of cheerful labor; we did not guess its essence until after a long time.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
"the voice of nature is always encouraging." true that Henry...the beach images are so evocative...before reading your Mom i barely knew where Rockaway was and i'm a damn New Englander ha
Happy New Year! Great idea about the quotes. I’ll have to grab my journal.
I suggest we just start saying Happy New Week on Mondays because I need a good restart to everything about every week as it is.
I love this idea!!
Throwing you all of my coins reserved for fountains of blessings
Happy New Year Jesse! I love your message. I feel we are all navigating a tidal wave of collective trauma and grief. Yes, transforming these painful memories, tied to beautiful things--- finding something new to comfort and empower us!
"There can be associations, sounds, scents, images in nature that remind us of a time that makes us sad, that remind us of someone we are missing, of a time we are longing for. Nature in essence is always healing and therapeutic, brings us back to ourselves, clears our minds of chitter chatter, and reminds us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. It reminds us how interconnected we are, with animals, trees, with the systems of the earth. It is our most valuable and irreplaceable tool of ‘reset.’ We are only human though, and we have painful memories often tied to beautiful things. We can (as we know) however, transform these associations with specific elements of nature into something new, something to comfort and empower us. It definitely can take great effort and time, though."