Liz Cultivates | L.M. Fern

Writing: Illusions cracked 140,000 words, still chugging

I am, as ever, still working on the novel. Slow and steady or whatever, right? (Slow and unsteady is more like it, to be honest.) November is coming up, so maybe I’ll create some goals around the project to align with that time frame. I’m still not trying to be forceful with myself about it, because when I am, I tend to burn myself out really quickly. We’ll get there. It just takes time.

Joyful living: Travel with friends and family

In August and September, I took a couple of trips that refilled my cup in so many ways. The first was the CGRH Retreat at Lake Hope — an escape to the mountains of Ohio with my fellow “retirees” from the Cool Gamer Retirement Home. We laughed, we played games, we hiked.

Not only was this a meaningful trip for me in the context of my participation in the CGRH. We chose this location at my suggestion because it was the nearest middle point any of us could gather (and I had experience coming here). I’ve spoken about Lake Hope in this blog before. It’s where I go to get away, to recharge, to write, to read, to see and not be seen. It’s as close as I can get to sacred ground, for me. And so I booked a cabin and looked forward to introducing my friends to a place that held deep, intimate meaning for me.

When we first arrived for the retreat, I realized that I had done something incredible on accident: I had booked the same cabin I had stayed in the very first time I visited Lake Hope. My late friend, CP, had gone on this trip. It was the exact cabin where we and some of our college friends made so many silly, lovely memories. When I realized what I had done, by pure accident, I had to catch my breath a little. Maybe it meant something and maybe it didn’t — but to me, it felt like the old me (post-college, married, before life kicked me around a bit) had intersected with the new me (older, face a bit more lined, softer in some ways and stronger in others) and was telling me I was going to be alright. The ghosts of old friends met the laughter of my new friends in that cabin, and the memory is something I’m going to cherish for a long time.

The ghosts of old friends met the laughter of my new friends in that cabin, and the memory is something I’m going to cherish for a long time.

And for something completely different . . .

At the end of September, I then turned around and did the opposite of relaxing: I went to the Oceans Calling music festival in Ocean City, Maryland, to hang out with friends and, most importantly, see Fall Out Boy live.

Yes, that’s right. Live FOB. Something I had barely ever even dreamed of happening. When they were in my city last year, tickets were $600. This festival was much more accessible, price-wise (although when factoring in travel and lodging, maybe not, but that’s not how girl math works), and I also got to go to a new place and spend time with new friends.

Truly, both of these events were cup-refilling. I’m grateful I went and I’m grateful for the groups of people I have had the luck of meeting and spending time with. I’m also of course grateful for my partner, who has been supportive and encouraging throughout all of the travel and group activities. It’s so nice to feel seen and cherished by friends and family alike.

Gardening

The summer garden is winding down, and it’s been another great year. The tomatoes took a long while to get started, but once they did, they covered my yard with red and purple fruits. Unbeknownst to me, I had three different kinds of cherry tomatoes this season, as well as some beefsteak and roma varieties, some of which were volunteers — ones that came up thanks to the plants I had last year.

This year, I had some newcomers to the garden as well: pole beans, watermelon, pumpkin, and corn! Truly I am in my “three sisters” era. And these pumpkins . . . y’all. Y’all.

They’re like the most pumpkin-ass pumpkins you’ve ever seen. I grew those! With my hands and some dirt!!! Here are some pumpkin progress pics, because I truly am still in awe that this is how they grow:

As another summer gardening season wanes, it makes me introspective about the reasons for picking up this hobby in the first place. It started out as something to fill my time during the COVID quarantines. That first year, my one little banana pepper plant gave me a handful of peppers — and I was so giddy. I decided to chase that high the next year by breaking ground on my first garden plot, and now I’ve branched out into the rest of the backyard as well. What started with something so small and unassuming has become a big part of my identity. It’s even part of the reason this website is “Liz Cultivates.” I grow things — including myself — but also including real plants and foods that fill my belly with joy.

Charity work with the CGRH

And of course who can forget Souptember! We raised over $400 for World Central Kitchen even though it was a super chill, not-very-promotion-heavy charity month. We are putting out another incredible zine (thanks to the beautiful nahtagain‘s graphic design prowess) centered around soup recipes, and the community is growing even stronger with regard to our values and how we’re trying to create a welcoming environment for all. The common space is important; the charity work is also huge.

I spent some time transcribing and then lovingly making the Hungarian goulash I remember my gramma making when I was younger. It was so fulfilling, and so exciting to be able to recreate a family recipe that I had never done by myself. It was so worth it.