What can we say about January 2026? Maybe the less, the better. In any case, here’s some of what I’ve been up to…

Reading: Finished Wuthering Heights, even darker and rougher than I’d remembered. Now, on to an advance copy of the novel The Fountain by Casey Scieszka. This is a good one.

Art: Sixties Surreal at the Whitney. Joan Semmel: In the Flesh at The Jewish Museum. Ruben Toledo drawings at the National Arts Club.

Video: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Fun cast (Josh O’Connor!), semi-ridiculous but entertaining story line.

Drinks: The last of my Fortnum & Mason strawberry tea, purchased two years (!) ago. I was hoping to replenish it on another trip back to London, but…

(Tr)eats: Sour gummy-fish in elderflower and blackberry flavors, from a very tasty “white elephant” box won at a holiday party.

Beauty Products: A gwp Quince hand lotion from C.O. Bigelow, which is fine, but my hands need something more intense for the rest of the winter. I really should make a trip to LUSH if possible. Also, just realized that Giovanni 50/50 Smooth as Silk hair conditioner is effective and cheap.

Fragrances: Lots of ambers from my sample stash, like Les Indémodables Musc des Sables, and spicy-smoky roses, like Ormonde Jayne Ta’if and Phoenix Botanicals Phantom Rose.

Garb: Thank goodness for my machine-washable puffy coat and ancient L.L. Bean boots. Underneath, my favorite black-on-black star dress, my black wool zip-up cardigans from COS, the Cure Faith sweatshirt I bought as a semi-joke at H&M and ended up loving. Nothing new.

Pleasures: Posing for Julia Gorton’s portrait project again. Booking a couple of scent talks for February-April. Sleeping more than I should, but I’m blaming the snowstorm for that behavior.

Up Next: Looking for non-museum employment. That avenue seems closed to me at this point, after rejections following final interview rounds at several different institutions. It’s a shame, given my many years of experience. I’m also just really tired from a year of trying so hard to get back on that track. Maybe I’ll write a whole post about the experience someday. In the meantime, feel free to send along any other great work ideas! 😉

Let us know what’s been keeping you afloat lately, or feel free to vent about your own ongoing frustrations with work or life!

Image: Bernard Sleigh, January from The Faery Calendar, 1920. Victoria & Albert Museum, London.