My Sunday List
February 25, 2024
Words
Even lovers, even twins, are strangers who will love and die alone. —Annie Dillard
Song
Moon in the Morning, Adam Melchior.
So beautiful, smart, lovely, melancholy, and joyous. I’ve never heard an Adam Melchior song before, but it’s clear he likes the chords that like each other. Investigating further…
I watched
Started New Look on AppleTV. I’m hooked. And that inspired a viewing of Coco Before Chanel on our mountain trip, which is such a gorgeous film — every single frame. I’ve watched it countless times and I‘ll watch it countless more. Chanel is the ultimate for me when it comes to style. No one has understood better how to showcase what is beautiful about a woman since she deemed that the corsets that limited her ability to breathe and move and the veiled meringues women were wearing on their heads had to GO. Then we were led to Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky which is based on a novel about their supposed affair. It is a beautiful film, though much too sexually graphic in my opinion. However, I do realize that’s what torrid affairs are all about — lust and the insanity it creates in the mind and body. And artists, in all their tortured fits and paroxysms and shrouded bids to be understood, are good at it. Not that I’d forgotten that, but it was good to be reminded about what happens when the feet of lovers hover above the ground.
Then Sister got me watching some Jason Momoa series (SEE) about a future (dystopian) generation that is blind because this one (ours I presume) worshipped beauty — the level of implausibility is completely over the top and kinda ridiculous, but Momoa has changed my opinion of the man bun. In fact, I think he might’ve put the man in man bun.
Book
My favorite passage from Seven Thousand Ways to Listen this week:
In trying to understand what it means to live on earth, we’ve seen that experience for humans can be what erosion is for the elements. Try as we do to fight it, we are worn to our beauty, a season at a time. Being human, we get hurt and lose our trust in life and therefore need to understand the practice of restoring that trust. This requires a crucial effort not to prematurely name or define what we encounter, not to form our opinions or beliefs hastily. Instead, we are asked to allow time to surround us with the Wholeness of life, so the paradox of truth can show itself.
In the margin of the page I wrote: Let me be surrounded by the Wholeness of life — let me not reject any part of it — if I do, I reject a vital element of what is wearing me to my essential beauty and being.
Favorite moments
Finding a sweet little pottery shop on a two-lane road in Brevard, NC and plundering through their flaws and tireds pile.
Stargazing with John Henry.
Hearing two great tracks Hayes recorded with The Band of Heathens last week.
What I’m wearing
I wore my usuals, nothing new really except I scored two amazing shirts on sale at The Gap. Seriously — for great shirts I usually head to the men’s department. The button placement is right, the quality is often better than you find in women’s, and I like a bit (just a bit) of an oversized fit when I’m wearing a button up for every day. I buy a lot of John Henry’s clothes at The Gap, and though I can’t wear his hand-me-downs for the most part anymore, I usually look out for things I like while I’m shopping for him. Hence, two $19.99 completely perfect oxford cloth (my favorite fabric for an everyday shirt because it has such good body yet it’s still soft) shirts I’ll probably have for the rest of my life. Y’all know I don’t hold my nose at sales or any amazing find from anywhere. Something wonderful can be custom made, a thrift store find, or a hand-me-down.
Great style has nothing to do with snobbery or labels. Just as knowledge and intelligence have nothing to do with education.
What I’m cooking
I can’t even really remember past making John Henry his favorite pasta and meat sauce Friday evening. I might just take a cooking break this week and see how much time I can spend in my studio and also Kenny’s. Projects and songs are waiting.
Favorite Photo I Took This Week
Where I went
To the mountains of North Carolina and back. Sister drove there and back because she’s a great driver. I always say, if I needed someone to back up a spaceship I’d call her and she’d have it in reverse and us out of wherever in less than 30 seconds.
I’m grateful for:
My health — flexibility, endurance, all systems working properly at the moment to my knowledge.
My family.
My dogs.
All of the arts, the pursuit of making art, and the way it shows me to myself.
What I made
Sissy’s elephants are coming together. I hope to get them completed to go up in the shop this week. Just a reminder that paid subscribers get first dibs and 20% off everything in the shop for 24 hours when I put new things up for sale.
A portion of these elephants’ proceeds will go to the Howenwald Elephant Sanctuary.
Something wonderful I noticed
I had the most wonderful realization while we were on the way home from North Carolina: I do love to travel and experience new places and things, but there really isn’t any place better than home. Not one place on the planet soothes my soul the way my nest does. That was a hint to fly from it less often. Noted.
What brought me joy
Having my sister with John Henry and me on our winter break trip. Sipping tea and watching movies with her was nourishment for my soul.
Painting elephants!
Laughing with my boy.
Reading, reading, reading.
Prayer
Thank you, Great Spirit, for giving me the strength to let go of everything I cannot control, which is everything outside of myself.
Intention for the week to come
May I be present before I am concerned with being anything else.
May I breathe peace in, and breathe love out.
May I meet others with kindness and acceptance and still keep my boundaries.
May I feel confident enough in those boundaries to be flexible in my actions.
May I use my words for good.
May I be grateful.
May I trust.
May I have CLARITY.
May I be patient.
May I be open to what the Great Spirit knows is for me, and may I walk my path accordingly by remembering I can only take it one step at the time.
Something I’m thinking about
The difference in lonely and lonesome. Grammarist says this:
A lonely person desires companionship. A lonesome person is lonely in a profound, long-lasting, philosophical, or especially forlorn way.
Lonely is at home and wishes someone would stop by.
Lonesome is out by the railroad track, kicking dirt, smoking cigarettes, and knowing no one will, and if they do, they’ll be back on the road directly.
Sometimes, I’m just lonesome. And it feels like walking in a desert. But the desert is beautiful if you look at it from the right angle. And I know I’ll always make it out to the green again.
Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. — Buddha
Habit
One of the best habits I’ve ever developed is catching myself when I’m thinking about someone else and how their actions might affect me. It’s a new one. I say to myself: Wait, Allison, what are YOU doing?
That sets me right.
Best Word or Term
Ultracrepidarian: Someone who speaks or offers opinions on matters beyond their knowledge or expertise.
Wishes
That I recognize every opportunity to feel joy, and that I take each one.
That my fellow creatures do that too.
That you all are content and well.
That you will forward this to one person you think might like it.
Have a wonderful, peaceful, joyous week. And thank you for supporting my work here at The Autotelic.
Peace. Love.
Allison
There are first edition copies of I Dream He Talks to Me and Blood in the shop. I will sign each copy that is ordered. If you would like it personalized, please send an email with your order number and the name you would like on the signature page to allisonmoorercontact@gmail.com.
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Access to the chat feature on the Substack app.
Paid subscriber only Saturday posts.
A discount code to use in the shop for 24 hours when I put new paintings up.
Surprises from time to time — free merch, access to things in the shop before free subscribers.
I thought I had already seen your Sunday list for this week that should show you where my head is at
I just wanted to let you know that your Sunday lists always lift my spirits and start my week off on the right road
Straight to the heart Alison. As always.
I’m behind in my Nepo reading, but love the anticipation in these “ here’s what’s coming” signs.
Your North Carolina trip brings up memories of lovely childhood days spent on road trips. It was accessible to my parents when they were young without much to spend, much like the Florida panhandle. I’m so fortunate that they piled us in the car with potted meat sandwiches and some Cokes, and called it vacation ❤️