skblog

2 March 2026

Today is Monday. It's 3:29pm as I write this. "Erasure. A Little Respect" B states, when I ask him what the song he's playing is called. He answers, and then he goes back to singing. At the end of this writing (post? Is that what I'll call it?) there is a list. A list much like the lists I've kept for much of my life. I make these lists so that I don't forget the things, hobbies, and ideas that are of importance to my life. So, I made this updated list, I wrote it on an orange sticky note for myself, and then figured... oh why not as well make a 'blog post' to go with it.

I've just returned (48 hours ago now) from San Diego, where I hugged my grandma for the last time. While she seems to have accepted the fact that she will soon pass away, I have not wrapped my mind around it. She is ever so real and here and herself. The trip, however painful and sad, was an immensely meaningful and even joyous week. A week I will cherish for the rest of my years.

The week was a golden week, a blue sky sunshine week. Perched on that hill, loquats in the back yard, picking up the littlest one so he could reach the fruits. Running up those stone steps, up the steps to a home with my grandmother in it. I imagined my grandma in the 70s, when she was just a handful of years older than me, walking up those steps for the first time. I imagined how she'll soon be walking up those steps for the last time. I walked up these steps as a baby, as did so many others in my family. The stories and generations and laughter and tears and 'growing up' all housed within those warm wooden walls... it feels too immense to comprehend.

Life there, in that one week, Saturday to Saturday, felt simple. I felt grief up-close like never before, and yet, it felt the essence of life was distilled before my very eyes. A love of one's partner, family, friends, a love of nature -- and a desire to protect and conserve it, a love of one's neighbors, an intention to build community, that is a life well lived. The Pacific Ocean, the Jade plants, the loquat tree... the wooden walls, the stone steps.

And so, here is my current List. My routines, things that I strive to do often in 2026, things I want to often think of and often remember...

...morning meditation and stretch and fish oil

...stitching, wood working, block printing

...keeping a journal, writing some autofiction, reading, and drawing

...library, gym, farmers market, gingers

...french, hindi, spanish, norwegian

...multitool, jade plants, wood-walled house, digital camera, books from grandma, ginny's cat

...av at the met

...syma, tim, terri, riley davenport, mark

...adrianne lenker, cat stevens, james taylor, indigo girls, simon and garfunkel

...nightly vitamin D and allergy pill

"...And make it a great day!" -Grandma Sue

Thanks for reading,

SK