"Toward the summer isle"
After the Winter - Claude McKay | Espresso martinis | D.S. & Durga I Don't Know What
Poem
After the Winter - Claude McKay
Some day, when trees have shed their leaves
And against the morning’s white
The shivering birds beneath the eaves
Have sheltered for the night,
We’ll turn our faces southward, love,
Toward the summer isle
Where bamboos spire the shafted grove
And wide-mouthed orchids smile.
And we will seek the quiet hill
Where towers the cotton tree,
And leaps the laughing crystal rill,
And works the droning bee.
And we will build a cottage there
Beside an open glade,
With black-ribbed blue-bells blowing near,
And ferns that never fade.
Beverage
Espresso martinis — at home only
Embarrassing to order out, let's be honest. But they're so good! And easy to make! Three ingredients! Coffee, coffee liqueur and vodka. Shake and done and enjoy.
Made them on Saturday night for my dad, brother and sister-in-law (and me), and we really enjoyed them.
Scent
D.S. & Durga I Don't Know What
Fresh, subtle, layerable. Wore it to have dinner at a dive bar, and my friend said, "You smell so good! What is that?"
Explaining the name took a minute.
Now playing via Spotify "daylist"
Other things
I keep driving all around on Sundays
I really didn't anticipate how much I need to have a day of being basically useless to effectively write this newsletter. It's really not a good effort to do this after a day in the car. "A day." It is usually like a couple hours. Today was like four, though, so whatever. And I won't do these in advance because that really ruins the vibe.
Carts online (and in person!)
Update: None of the Gap x Dôen stuff worked for me. Bought some other stuff from Madewell instead, including the denim dress I wrote about in April. I thought I was kind of done with Madewell after the last year of being meh about most of their new things, but a handful of options really won me back for the summer. And that's probably about all the shopping I will do this summer, except for maybe a new Muji sweatshirt since mine is grease-stained from eating takeout while wearing it.