Farfalle
We’ve been out in Jersey for a year now.
Our first mowing season is behind us, we’ve entered our second leaf-blowing season. By ours, I mean: around us. We did mow a few times this summer, with a relatively quiet electric mower, but we haven’t tried to make the outdoors feel like indoors. We just ordered a “Leave the Leaves” sign to jam into the packed soil of the front garden, it feels more powerful and more political than any election-related sign.
We’ve got to climb a ladder and clean out the gutters and knock loose some dead branches from the ornamental pear tree. If only Sybil Fawlty were here to supervise that effort!
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Lately when I take the train to the city, I pull out my laptop and write the whole way.
The train ride is a wonderful container, better than a coffeeshop, better bang for buck, because I am literally transported somewhere, with pages to show for it.
The ticket is $8.50, isn’t that what coffee costs these days anyway?
Cocooned in the seat by the myopic window, I do not have to keep track of where I am in space and time, Penn is the “last stop, last stop, everybody off the train.”
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Over on Golf Road, a buck takes the lane, takes his time. He pauses by a “Congratulations, Kieran” lawn sign from last graduation season, that’s where we spot him, we name him Kieran.
He’s got some Halloween decorations caught in his antlers, the women of the neighborhood are texting each other in alarm.
Some kids live close to their schools, but they get up early and ride their bikes an extra three miles to the beginning of the bike bus route so as to ride to school with their friends.
In the cavatappi one night, we find two farfalle.
This is my first Divinity School letter since I left Substack and moved the whole project here to my own domain – kasianikhamina.com – Huzzah!
Why the change?
I started Divinity School in 2020, as a TinyLetter titled, “Extraordinary Time.”
In July 2023, I moved to Substack. Over time, Substack began to feel more and more like a social media platform. I didn’t like that. And I didn’t like giving Substack 10% of my subscription revenue in perpetuity.
So I’ve moved to Ghost, which handles the “newsletter” aspect of this project (i.e. sending emails). I pay Ghost $35/month, they do not take a cut of my subscription revenue. Stripe continues to process subscription payments (for a fee). Thank you, Nick + team at Ghost for fielding my many questions and help with the move.
Readers: you needn't do anything differently. Just keep reading and sharing! Reply to this email to ask me anything, XO
