Welcome to Moer Notes, Hannah’s monthly recap post, where I tell you about things that happened in March, halfway through April.
Buckle up, buddies - we’re recapping March. I named it Minimal March - minimal plans, minimal commitments, minimal spending, but very high on vibes.
These monthly recaps feel especially exciting and tender, as I continue my time away from social media - I finally get to update you on what’s happening in my life behind the screen, but I also lose the air of mystery I believe I have around myself1. And yet, I love the peek in my life they provide: both for me to reflect and for you to be nosy
There are standardized categories you can count on (but I’m always finding new ways to make them just fit what I want to yap about) and it’s just my cute lil standardized recap series - for us buddies.
Let’s dive in!
A category to capture what I’m proud of in my journal, or what I made in the kitchen, or what I have taken time to create lately.
It only happened once in March, but it still happened.
I sat down at my dining room table, with my large, gridded Moleskine and a 0.5 Pentel Energel Clena. And… I wrote fiction.
I set the timer for ten minutes, and to be completely transparent, I used Taylor Swift songs as my re-entry prompts to writing fiction. They were short writing sprints, and they were awkward and clunky, but they were done, and I loved doing it.
(Then I got stuck because I wanted to write a small fiction vignette with Champagne Problems but I could only think about the song applying to Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe, as portrayed in the Kevin Sullivan movies, and then I tried to find TikTok edits that captured that, but I couldn’t because I’m not logged into TikTok and that makes it hard to search what I’m looking for. -breathes- Anyways.)
If it’s been a minute since you’ve written fiction, join me in making this a regular practice! Maybe weekly? It was fun and I want to do more fun writing.
Also, I made a lasagna in March.
A category to explore what is unclear and difficult to understand; what’s been a thing or two that is keeping me from seeing clearly and moving forward?
This was the undercurrent of March: now that I have space and my rhythms and routines haven’t magically changed to be what I want them to be… something else had to change beyond just having time and space.
My path to routine this year seems to be like a Survivor challenge - an obstacle course of roadblocks. I say with the clarity of April that I think I’m starting to get there… but in March, I started wondering: if having enough time isn’t the road block, what is?
A category to look at what I’m trying; what habit, rhythm, routine did I try in my day to day life?
March was made for Saturday long runs, which are so back, baby.
Last summer, I started training for a half and then the vibes were low when my running partner and I both got injured and couldn’t do it. This year, we’re experimenting with running an earlier-in-the-running-season half-marathon, so training is underway.
We’re taking training really seriously, and also, I went to preventative physio - as in, physio before my back is shooting sharp pangs down my left leg. I am also experimenting by doing this novel thing called “the physio stretches I am assigned” (because if I don’t, I can’t run, and that is incredibly irritating when you are training.)
A category to be a (maybe) brief look at what I’m reading, what I’m liking, and what I’m screaming about from the rooftops.
In my draft of this, I wrote ,”DO I EVEN LIKE READING ANYMORE?” I finally finished watching Grey’s Anatomy (the real ones know) so I had all the time in the world to read. And yet! Still! I had to force myself to do the reading.
This is something I want to change, but loosely. My idea for how to overcome the roadblock: a readathon weekend, but maybe after I finish my half training.
Anyways, enough yapping. Here’s what I read in March:
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // It took me forever to get this book from the library, and it finally came in while I was on vacation. And once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I have a vague memory of my sisters coming to talk to me in the pool when it was getting good and thinking, “Why are they here? Don’t they know I’m reading a good book?” I digress. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the reading experience and I hated being in the main character’s mind. Wow wow wow.
The Getaway List by Emma Lord // ⭐️⭐️⭐️ // I will read everything Emma Lord writes. That said, the pattern I’m noticing is every other Emma Lord book seems to be a hit or miss for me, and this was a miss for me. Not bad, and it could be the malaise of “DO i EVen LIke reAdiNG” Hannah but it wasn’t a super stand out for me.
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // What is it about the British Sophies (Kinsella, Counsens) and the powers they have to put together a fun and tenderly heartwarming book set in London? I guess it’s only two but it’s weird that it happened twice. This was such a fun read that had some depth and tenderness I appreciated. I really liked this one.
Come & Get It by Kiley Reid// ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // If there’s one thing I’m going to love, it’s a story set in residence life. I wish I could be not who I am, but this is who I am. I pictured the whole setting not at the University of Arkansas, but as Pitman Hall. I could SEE the residence advisor dorms. Besides the point: Reid wrote a character driven book that reminded me why I like literary fiction — and I couldn’t put it down.
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn // 🎧 // In January, I decided that I would listen to a Bridgerton book while I did chores, and I just kind of slowly picked away at this over the months. I told myself my reward would be watching Bridgerton (which you can hear about in my April recap). The problem with listening to this on audio was that I did start to think like I was a regency era Bridgerton, which I am not.
A category to clock what I’m noting from my life; what are the notes from my journal and the things in my life that I’m taking note of?
It was Maximalist March in my journal. I reached the finish line of my time in my lovely yellow Stalogy I got back in July 2023, but I felt like we went out with a bang.
I set goals! I took notes on what I was wearing! I took notes on what was in my make up bag and in my skincare routine, and what was on the wishlist! I did brain dump lists and lists to get me out of my head.
One such list? Titled, “I’m Engaging in Fake Rest and It Ends Here!”
Lots of weekly plans lists and half baked attempts at a day in the life notes, and side quests, and lists to chronicle what I could do in 60 minutes.
On the last day of March, I moved back into a Hobonichi (I am so excited to talk about this with you in April!), but this journal will really go down as one of my favourites.
A category to look at my spending habits; what did I buy, if anything? (And maybe, what did I wish I bought?)
It was an intentional low-spend month, but I did have a few discretionary days.
I went to Noah Kahan at the end of March and got some merch (and was treated to some merch) that I aggressively and immediately started wearing so I would get the cost-per-wear down. Also, because it’s so cozy and I just LOVE IT!
Work has had an abundant amount of meetings lately, so I’ve been working at my house more. However, I did have one perfect spring work day where I bopped around to work in different downtown coffee shops. (Just so we’re clear, my favourite Edmonton coffee shop is The Colombian. All locations. And then Transcend. Thanks for asking.)
A category to do a little self-reflection; how did I show myself a little self care?
Minimal plans March was the self-care.
After a very full January and February, it felt so good to take a step back from constantly feeling like every moment had to be optimized for work or memorization. I loved having weekly friend plans, getting back into loving my home and my journal, and having time for maintenance like a massage and physio appointments.
A category for gratitude; literally answering the simplest and also maybe hardest question of what am I grateful for?
Finally getting the plate wall up. Related: when the disco ball I keep on the dining room hits the plate wall with that afternoon light. L’amour lattes at Duchess. Saturday long runs. Saturday long runs with a post-it encouragement for every kilometre. Chats over chai. Having the gift of time. Longer light. Coffee shop sits. Watching The Mummy for the first time. Big Post-Its. Game nights and Sunday dinner. Making a lasagna. A perfect ponytail and a perfect spring day. Scream signing Northern Attitude with Noah Kahan and many of my close, personal 19,000 Edmonton buddies. Writing, “Do I need a Hobonichi?” on paper and in a text thread, putting the phone on do not disturb, stepping into a meeting, and coming out to a crowd-funded Hobonichi.2 More film developed. Moves made at work. The “I’m Just Ken” Oscar performance. Finishing the Lego flowers.
All this to say - I guess there was a lot of good, a lot I enjoyed.
A category to name what stood out to me; what’s a quote that I just had to write down this month, or a post I saved I absolutely want to include?
“And I’ll take the heartache and the horror and the losses too, the fear of not knowing how it will all come to be, because that is life, in all its glorious, messy Technicolor. And I know I am so lucky to be here, and that every breath I take is the good part.” — Sophie Cousens, The Good Part
And that’s it for March! You can expect April’s recap in May, maybe. Now tell me - what have you been enjoying, noticing, and are grateful for lately? I want to hear!
My old hairstylist today did tell me she feels like she has no idea what’s going on with me, and then I really felt like I was the most mysterious.
One day, I’ll be able to talk about it without weeping, maybe.
Going to see Noah Kahan this summer and I CAN’T WAIT!
Literally fist-pumped the air when I read you made time for writing fiction!! 🎉