October

Dear friends,

There’s something strange about seasonal change this year. Maybe because we’re indoors so much of the day, without the ritual procession from work to home and back or the ceremonial midday walk to lunch and afternoon walk to coffee. Or maybe it’s because late last winter our world changed so dramatically, and the onset of another cold season is a new reminder of just how long we’ve been in this thing. If there’s one thing we can do to preserve our strength (mental and physical) it’s getting outdoors and basking in the last warmth of summer, or drinking in the first cool breezes of fall. In this month’s Miscellaneous — Athletics’ no-frills round-up of the cultural items that inspire our team each month — we spotlight the music to accompany you on long walks, the mindlessly enjoyable content to sink into at the end of a long day, and the recipes to warm the body and soul on these first cool evenings. From all of us at Athletics, stay well, stay smart, stay strong!

Stay tuned for more editions of Miscellaneous in the coming months.

Interested in contributing? Send us an email!

Spinach-Potato Pie — a dish that feels like a hug

Cauliflower Soup Recipe — a soup that feels like a blanket

Honey Bunny Hot Toddy — a drink that feels like a bath

The Ascension — Sufjan Stevens — because crying is wellness

Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room — includes two hours of meditative chanting

Tension Tamer — don’t sleep on this tea shelf essential

Palo Alto — Thelonious Monk — 52-year-old live show finally emerges

Drive by Danile Pink — explore what drives you

Hundred Rabbits — get lost in this chronicle of a very long journey by sailboat

Fantastic Fungi — as interesting as watching shrooms grow

Chiropractor Tik Tok — let’s get aligned

Season 2 of Pen15 — look back and laugh

“All afternoon his tractor pulls a flat wagon

with bales to the barn, then back to the waiting

chopped field. It trails a feather of smoke.”

— From “Neighbors in October” by David Baker (1998)

In solidarity,

Athletics

Cover Image by Charles O’Rear, 1973