October love list

Joy = resistance & pumpkins

Hello, friends, and welcome, new subscribers! My ADHD brain is a bit scattered and prone to change things, but here in The Purple Vale you can count on reflections on folklore, fairy tales, and the seasons from my little corner of East Tennessee.

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I think many of us are struggling to find the good in life right now.

I wrote those words Wednesday morning and thought, well that’s a bit dramatic.

And then I thought, is it?

spotted on a walk. Old well or portal to faerie?

There are plenty of people writing about politics. I am not one of them. That doesn’t mean that life is dissected into neat, separate little boxes, either. I’ve never been good at compartmentalizing when my brain is constantly finding connections.

Today, I am carrying on with my monthly love lists as an act of joy. There is grief, (so much) anger at injustice, joy, rest, and work, and so many things in between. I refuse despair. If you are anywhere on that spectrum, you’re not alone.

If you are struggling today, I hope this list can bring you a little joy, too.

October 2024 love list

~reading some good spooky books

~listening to As the Seasons Turn with Lia Leendertz and 31 Days of Terror on Real Life Ghost Stories (podcasts)

~enjoying cups of gingerbread Teechino, a seasonal favorite

~watching the leaves change

~the first frost of the season

~going to the coast to see family we haven’t seen in years

~spending a day at the beach

~meeting up with Jess Lynn in person!

~2 author events where I enjoyed talking with folks and even sold some books

~watching the last neighborhood pumpkin grow

~our house on Halloween night (spot the four tiny ghosts)

The Maiden’s Arc workbook & Follow the Deer

In case you missed it, next week my new Maiden’s Arc workbook will be available for purchase as a PDF right here in the Purple Vale. I shared a freebie you can download in the above link. The upcoming, 15-page PDF is full-color but prints just fine in grayscale, too. The cost until the end of the year will be $7. I may raise the price to $10 after that, we’ll see.¹

You’ll also be able to register for the cozy, low-demand writing (or any project of your choosing) email course, Follow the Deer, by the end of this month. The dates for this are December 2nd-6th. The price is a sliding scale at $25-$35. I will send personalized snail mail and a daily, personalized email for participants. On the last day, the 6th, we will meet for a live, silent video writing (or project) session.

Spaces are limited to 6 for this course. I want to make sure I can show up for everyone to the best of my capacity & intentions. It’s going to be a wonderful time to show up to a project that means a lot to us, and for making space to settle into the season.

Thanks for reading, friends. Is there something beautiful about October that really sparked your interest or imagination? Let me know in the comments.

Meet you over the orchard wall.*

P.S. if you’re a paid subscriber, this month’s bonus is snail mail! Hit reply to this email and let me know your mailing address.

*One of my wonderful early readers for my book started signing her emails like this. I like it.

1. I’ve recently been told to raise my prices, but I’m being stubborn and taking my time about it.