Introduction

Interests, Hobbies, Contemplations

Original audio, piano by Kristen. Easy listening music while you read.
Devinere, by Ludivico Einaudi, a current favorite composer.

Hi all, I am excited to join this community of writers, dreamers, interested and curious folks who are seeking inclusive space for all.

Interests include:

-Keeping up with the inner workings of the political sphere, especially now as things have been, yet again, turned upside down, as I know it affects us all. I rely on others’ expertise and you’ll see here I follow quite a few voices in that realm.

-Native plants - I am interested in bringing the community of people back in touch with community of the environment that they live in. I have gathered and purchased mostly locally sourced seed, and on my 3rd year of experimenting with starting and growing my own plants. This year I have winter sown 40+ varieties for the north-eastern Kansas region with the intention of selling them for people to introduce back into their landscapes. I will dedicate many of my longer posts in the future to passing along knowledge, trusted resources, and native plant advice, and encourage discussion in this area.

Canada Wild Rye sprout <3

-Music - I have played piano since I was 5 (end of Kindergarten, oh wow!!), which accumulates to now more than 25 years of intimacy with music. Music has always been a part of my soul, and I am excited to share it in this way with others through lessons of my own. I have a small in-home studio that includes my grandmother’s Baldwin baby grand piano, a Clavinova, and an extensive IKEA built-in bookshelf full of books, as well as a window seat. If someone told me growing up that I’d one day use my talent to teach and have this kind of amazing set up, I would’ve been absolutely shocked. Currently accepting beginner students of all ages in the Manhattan, KS and surrounding areas.

-The outdoors. Get Outside! Hiking (aka walking for Kristen, I am not hard-core), kayaking and canoeing, romping with the dog in the snow, camping, picture-taking, getting my hands dirty, exploring, insect and bird-watching. I love it all.

-Humor. Give me your funnies, I love to laugh. Laughing keeps you young and also creates community. When I forget to laugh, I realize I am more susceptible to depression and, though I have a tendency toward that feature of mental health, I know that laughing helps me not take life so seriously.

-Animals - I have two cats and a dog. Sylvie came to me as an exclamation from a customer at my register as I was working at Johnson’s Garden Centers in Wichita. The registers were having an awful day and I was also holding on to any shred of patience… when we were given a full minute (the computer told us so as it was rebooting!) and that’s when this lady checking out said, “You need a kitten.” I replied, “Do I have it stamped on my forehead?” It was just that week after moving into my first apartment alone that I’d started thinking about finding a cat to keep me company. She invited me to her house after work, gave me her contact info, and what was a slow, struggle of a day at work turned out to give me one of my best friends - Sylvie. She was just starting to eat dry food and no bigger than a potato. She’s a tortoise-shell with lots of spunk and softer than anything you can imagine. Also a great snuggler. By the time I met Ryan then, he had a cat (Sophie), and a dog (Eleanor). We all live and coexist as well as we could’ve hoped, which has been quite the blessing and keeps us on our toes.

-Community - I have always been interested in making connections, introducing people to each other, and getting know people closely. I believe everything and everyone is intertwined, that we all have responsibilities to each other and to our surroundings - Earth - whomever calls this space “home”. Though far from perfect, I try to remember this and fall back to this core belief, especially when I lose hope. I think this is one of the biggest reasons why this community speaks to me almost immediately once I logged in, and what I’ve read on countless notes thus far.

Leaving FB was a difficult thing to do, as it felt as though I was abandoning a very important community of people I had carefully cultivated over nearly two decades from all the various seasons of my life. There was something lonely about that thought. I stepped back and reflected and as I thought about it, even though I knew all of my friends, what I was using FB for was not connection with those friendships in a meaningful way, but as entertainment. I was sad at the idea of losing those connections, but realized the meaningful connections I have will be there wherever I go, and FB was not the provider of those.

Thank you to those of you who have already blindly subscribed, friends who want to stay in touch, and new folks who happen to have some of the same interests I do.

I may post some general thoughts, but my posts will likely be specifically sharing native plant content as that is one area I still have not found a community of here in Substack and if it’s missing, I have the time and interest and the desire to help encourage some visibility for! Please connect me if there are other interested persons/groups to native plants here! I do know the interest to incorporate natives and divest from the traditional grass yard is GROWING.

I am excited to grow with you.