A glimpse into the engine room
A look under the hood
Looking back at this year, it has sometimes been a struggle to stay motivated and keep sending out fresh material. I feel that if you spend a few minutes reading it, it may as well be worth your while. And so I have gone through long phases of being intimidated by the blank page before me and then deleting what I’ve written and not being able to post at all especially in winter where the bleak landscape often mirrors what I feel like inside. But your feedback has kept me motivated to carry on and keep writing new stories and I do get a tingle of excitement when words start swimming in front of me and burst upon the page just from what goes on in my heart and my head. The danger of course, it that sometimes I live inside my head for days on end as a story develops and I sometimes switch off from my immediate environment, trying to coax it out ever so slowly and gently in case it takes fright and disappears. But, I carry on writing because sometimes what I write resonates with you.
Together we have grown this humble publication from 89 readers in our first post in March to 564 subscribers as of today. Of the 564, around 350 people regularly open the emails and of those 350, less than 2% are Paid up subscribers.
I would like to invite you today to become part of this magical 2% inner circle. If you’ve enjoyed some of the stories this year, consider a once-off contribution of only 1 month which normally amounts to €5,- But this month I’m reducing it to 3 bucks! Think of it as lost in the couch money and - just as it surprises you to find a lost coin - I hope to surprise you each time in your inbox with something unique. Click the Subscribe button again and choose an option to suit you for as little as a once off contribution of €3,- You can unsubscribe at any time.
Hit the button:
If you would prefer not to contribute at this stage, that’s also fine. Consider sharing some of the stories you find interesting. The Substack platform doesn’t work on search engine optimisation so this publication cannot easily be found searching the web. I’m reliant on you to spread the love. You can forward, tweet, post, linkedIn the stories you like, whichever way you are comfortable doing.
Here’s a recap of some of the stories you loved most this past year. Interestingly, they both have a connection to food. If you missed it, or are a new subscriber, click on the headline to have a read.
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Why not share these with a friend or gift someone a subscription?
In the meantime here’s a little bonus video of a young band you most likely haven’t heard of - I hadn’t either!
I was happily surprised when they showed up on my YouTube algorithm.
The lead singers deep voice seems to land with a thud before rolling towards you like a thunderclap and reverberating through your chest. The catchy guitar riff, poetic lyrics and hauntingly nostalgic voice of a new generation make it worth listening to.
Let me know what you think.
AnnenMayKantereit - Pocahontas
Thanks for joining me and being part of my story this year.
I do enjoy receiving your comments and emails.
I look forward to having you along for the ride next year. Lets make it a great year.