Water Cooler Talk
And my favorite Crosby, Stills & Nash song.
Being self-employed is so strange, I talk to clients here and there but mostly during the days, it’s me and my thoughts. What could go wrong?!
In all seriousness, I love my setup, projects, and clients. I wouldn’t trade it for the world and the jokes are always amusing. Whenever someone complains about their place of employment I get to say “Zoe Vossen, LLC is always hiring” then Jordan always chimes in “But it doesn’t pay!” It always gets a good laugh. But during my annual Parks and Rec rewatch, a little piece of my heart aches for that playful office banter.
Talking to people who don’t know every intimate detail about me, like my friends and family do, and being able to present myself however I want, was always fun. It is certainly not something I would have ever noticed when I was living it. But you know what they say:
Alas, I’m here and committed. I will say, 2024 (all 1 month of it) hasn’t catapulted me into undeniable success like I delusionely hoped for. As I was switching my calendar, I saw the one goal I wrote down for January was to work on my website. Well, I did just that.
I recreated my website to more accurately outline the work I hope to attract. I was tickled with how many published pieces I got to add since I last worked on it. It was the perfect sliver of success I needed.
Without further ado, here is the new www.zoeduellman.com
Please spread it like wildfire. Any small business who wants to update their website copy, product descriptions, publications, anything! I’m your gal.
As for my February goal, I hope to get 5 new subscribers here. If you feel so inclined:
Really, thank you! Your continued support fills my cup. It gets me one step closer to my ultimate goal, Jordan becoming a stay-at-home dad within the next 10 years.
Enough about me. Over some drinks with my family, we came up with a fun idea, Subscriber Showcase! Once a month(?), I will ask a subscriber to write a little something. I’m still figuring out what that could look like but if you’d be interested in getting on the schedule, reply to this email and I will be in touch! This will serve as my much-needed water cooler talk.
Weekly Report -
R: Reading -
Joni Mitchell winning the Grammy for Best Folk Album on Sunday and making her Grammy stage debut was all I didn’t know I needed. I spent my Monday Morning reading session brushing up on her legendary career and thought maybe, you’d like to do the same. To get started:
Joni contracted polio when she was 9 years old and during her recovery in the hospital, she began performing and singing to patients. After teaching herself how to play the guitar, she went off to art college and quickly emerged as one of the leading folk performers of the late 1960s and ’70s.
She lived and worked in Canada until the mid-1960s, then she moved to the States in 1968. She recorded her first album, Joni Mitchell, produced by David Crosby (yes, of Crosby, Stills & Nash) that year. Fun fact, she dated him the year prior. Then from 1968-1970, she dated Graham Nash (yes, of Crosby, Stills & Nash). Their breakup resulted in my favorite Crosby, Stills & Nash song “Our House”. She broke up with him with a telegram that said “If you hold sand too tightly in your hands, it will run through our fingers”.
Mitchell won her first Grammy Award in 1969; her sophomore album, Clouds, won Best Folk Performance. Her third album, Ladies of the Canyon, was a mainstream success for the folk singer, becoming her first gold album, which included the hits “The Circle Game” and “Big Yellow Taxi.” It was during this time she was already starting to experiment with pop and rock genres.
Her album Blue (1971) is “the purest emotional record that I will ever make." The album is written after giving her daughter for adoption, multiple heartbreaks, and feeling like she is lost. But the album really showed off Mitchell's independence, musically and otherwise.
Her album Court and Spark (1974) signaled her foray into jazz and jazz fusion and was lauded by critics. It ended up becoming her most commercially successful project to date and was nominated for four Grammy Awards, of which Mitchell won for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).
Mitchell’s later albums include Taming the Tiger (1998), Both Sides Now (2000), and the compilation albums Dreamland (2004) and Songs of a Prairie Girl (2005). In addition to her own extensive body of work, she has been an enormous influence on several other artists with her unique guitar styling and expressive lyrics.
Mitchell was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.
Her personal life is fascinating as well. She gave birth to her daughter in 1965 and the father refused to marry her. Then, 3 weeks after giving birth, she met Chuck Mitchell and married him 36 hours later. Like, come on.
Sources: Joni Mitchell: Biography, Joni Mitchell: The Heartbreak and Vulnerability Behind Her Iconic 'Blue' Album
E: Eating -
I’ve been under the weather this past week so the cooking has been in the name of healing. Lots of fruits, vegetables, soups, you know. But my lemon, ginger, & manuka honey tea has been working overtime.
But last night I was feeling a bit better and found myself back in the kitchen. I made some very lazy tostadas and an even lazier street corn salad and acted as if it was fine dining. I forgot to take a final photo, but here is a progress picture!
Becasue I hope to do more of this, I am going to format what I made like a recipe.
P: Playing with -
This section was hard this week as I’ve been in my bed all day, every day. So I just have to be honest…NYT Games app. There is one in particular, Connections. You only get 1 puzzle a day and you have to find the connections between the words on the grid. Also, Jordan and I play a different game called Contexto (you can play on your phone, just go to the website contexto.me) and there is a hidden word. You have unlimited guesses and AI ranks how similar your guesses are to the hidden word. We play these every day.
O: Obsessing -
I don’t know how many times I’m going to mention this, but since I’ve been sick, I’ve been glued to my phone so I clung to my comfort content creators hard. My main girl (I should say, OUR main girl *Katelyn*) is a fashion writer based in Manchester, UK. Her name is Megan Ellaby and she has the most wonderful style. She was in Copenhagen Fashion Week this past week so with all of my devoted time, felt like I was there as well. Her TikTok is also an amazing resource. She has a way of feeling inspirational, aspirational, and relatable. She empowers me to get more creative with the clothes I already have and made me more mindful of the clothes I hope to purchase.
R: Recommending -
Find things you’re interested in and see where it goes. It could be as simple as finding someone on the internet and following them. Also, take vitamin C.
T: Trying -
I am trying to take care of myself! This week knocked me on my butt and am intentionally taking my time getting back up. Chores can wait. I need this time.
Original Words -
I heard you all loud and clear. You like Original Words. Since I left it off last week’s newsletter, I will do my best to make it up to you!
Around the House
I borrowed my mother's garland to hang in my house this Christmas. I wasn't home when she dropped it off and when I pulled it out of the bag, it was still twisted from the years we used to wind it around the stair railings. I grew up running my hand along it as I went up and down countless times in a day. When we were painting, we laid down and old drop cloth my father left after he came to help us with house projects last year. In sparkly blue paint, I found "LG" in the corner, the initials of my childhood friend. I remember the afternoon my dad gave us an old piece of scrap wood so we could paint it. The tarp we used ended up with me but the wood stayed with them, still hung up in the garage. They have given me so much, I can see it everywhere. They gave me a home that helped me build my own.
Journal Prompt
Write yourself a weekly report. It’s been so helpful for me to bring attention to things that could otherwise go unnoticed. Even the most unremarkable things could be interesting to someone else (at least I hope). I have some friends who send me their weekly reports each week in response to this email and feel free to do the same. Otherwise, keep it for yourself to look back on or share it with someone around you. This serves as a good default journal prompt if you just feel like getting something on paper.
MPLS+STP PEOPLE! My wonderful friend, OJ, is showcasing his art in public for the first time. The Board Room is a pop-up exhibit for the month of February at the Casket Arts Building, studio #217. He wrote:
“Skateboards & backboards. Why? I'm starting my art practice in a space that's super comfortable to me. I love basketball, and I've been a part of skate culture all of my life. Starting from a place of comfort makes it easier for me to navigate this new endeavor.
Come and see for yourself. Especially mark your calendars for Saturday, February 10th from 11am-4pm for Second Saturdays, where all studios will be open to the public.”
Here is his Instagram post about his work.
Get outside and enjoy this very alarmingly warm weather! Pet a dog. Eat an orange. Talk to you soon.
Missed last week’s newsletter? Read it here.
Really looking forward to more And So On in the Kitchen!!