Symbols & Cymbals: Letter from Nerissa

Symbols & Cymbals: Letter from Nerissa

Do It On Purpose

Recipes, Favorite finds, Time Management and more

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Nerissa Nields
Sep 13, 2024
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“Find out who you are, and do it on purpose.”––Dolly Parton

Photo by Katryna. Me just after surgery under my favorite tree.

Dearest readers and writers,

I can’t thank you enough for all the cards, texts, emails, suggestions, and connections you all sent me after my last newsletter. SPOILER: I survived my surgery! And the best part of all is that the hopeful outcome—that removing the diseased parathyroid glands would improve my “quality of life” is already proving true. My energy and focus are both already remarkably improved.* I have a bad-ass scar, so I’m sporting lots of scarves. (And yes, those two words are connected etymologically from Proto-Indo-European sker meaning “to cut.” A scarf, after all, is a cut off piece of fabric.)

The doctors were so nice, and the intake nurse even told me she was a fan of The Nields, and that the surgeon had made everyone in the room extra careful to protect my voice.

Right before they wheeled me away, my nice anesthesiologist said to Tom, “I’m about to give her something that’ll make her loopy, so say your goodbyes now.” We did, and then I said, “I don’t feel loopy.”

But then, according to Tom, about two seconds later, I began narrating everything that was happening, and announcing that I wanted to film the operation and put it on my social medias. The last words he heard me say as they wheeled me away were, “I love Kamala! She’s gonna be our president!”

Shown; me wearing the lovely silk scarf my parents gave me for my birthday in 2022. Not shown: my neck scar.

Because this is a paid subscriber newsletter, read on for some recipes that were extremely popular this week:

-Lila’s Favorite Oatmeal Cookies (and how to pack them in a care package to ensure freshness and no breakage).

-Johnny’s Favorite Babyback Ribs c/o Mark Hillman.

-Easy Delicious Slow Cooker Ratatouille.

Also, I made you a video called “Confessions of a Paper Journal Addict,” see below, and two plugs for great things to watch on TV. One is Wild Nights with Emily, recommended to me by our own Anna Baker Smith. If you didn’t think you liked Emily Dickinson, watch this comedy starring Molly Shannon as Emily. It’s HOT! And the poetry is woven throughout so beautifully.

My other TV recommendation contains wise life advice and segues into my own TRIED AND TRUE TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES!

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