Vol. 2

Listening To:

Where The Light Is by Surfaces

Imagine that you’re taking a mindful flow yoga class with Janie at Soulside in Peoria, IL. Then imagine that this song begins to play as you start a new set of movements since that is exactly how I first heard the cheerful pop/reggae beats of Surfaces. My personal favorite moment of the song is around the 2 minute mark when we are taken through a fairly long instrumental bridge that builds much like a vinyasa flow. But yoga isn’t all this song is good for - I’ve been playing it in my car to keep the winter blues at bay.




Eating:

Vegan/GF Donuts from Radish Kitchen

While many cities across the US have had access to vegan and/or gluten free donuts for quite some time, Peoria has been a bit slow on the uptick. Radish Kitchen, formerly known as Up Beet Jams, isn’t the first in town to offer baked goods that are geared towards those of us who have dietary restrictions. Nor is it the first local business to lean towards more of a plant-based diet, however, the owner has experimented with flavors in a super enjoyable and tasty way! I recently ordered a blueberry batch of donuts to enjoy with my family on Christmas morning and they did not disappoint. I can confidently say that you’ll probably see more RK goods featured on Currently in the coming installments.




Watching:

Kylie Ross / Lindsey Rem / Hannah Elise / Channel 07

I’ve never been one for reality tv. I’ve tried various shows but the feeling that events were actually scripted, or at a minimum the characters were being prompted by producers, always bothered me. Then a few years ago when I was laying in bed with chemo side-effects, I started to get into YouTube vloggers whose authenticity stood in contrast to what I described above. One of the things I love most about YouTube is the variety! Kylie Ross is a former D1 soccer player developing her own fitness app with vlogs that often guest star her collies. Lindsey Rem is in her mid-20s living and working in LA whereas Hannah Elise is a new college grad living in NYC. Lastly Channel 07 features a college student in Canada who shares book reviews or cinematic recaps of her week. Their audiences vary widely as do their life experiences and I’m here for it.




Wearing: 

Dr. Marten Boots

Back when the first stimulus check was announced, my mind immediately went to shoes - is that weird? More specifically Doc Marten boots. I wasn’t sure how much stimulating their business needed, but it was a shoe I had been thinking of buying for awhile and was even able to find locally (I’m very intentional with my sales tax money going to my own city whenever possible). You might be thinking these boots are uncomfortable, hot, and can’t be worn with many outfits - you would only be right about two of the three. They are hot, however, the new AirWair versions are quite comfortable and I’ve walked miles around Chicago in them just to test this theory. I’ve also found that they can work with jeans, trousers, skirts, shorts etc. - the only limit to outfits is your imagination.



Loving:

Peoria Public Library

Ever since I switched to primarily consuming books via Audible, I haven’t had as many reasons to go into my local library. I’m happy to report that they’ve gotten me through the doors recently with a few fun events and offerings. The first time was to pick up a gift card that I won (humble brag) in their still-life photo contest. The second time was to participate in a small canvas art show which I did not win. And the third time was to pursue their cookbooks while I was on a mission to find Italian coast themed food offerings. If you take away anything from this post I hope it is a thankfulness to Benjamin Franklin for inventing the library and an appreciation for your own local book lenders and community event planners.

Thanks for joining along for the second Currently post! I hope your winter has its own bright spots of delight and that you find yourself at a library sooner rather than later. 

Until next time,
Kelsie