The Cabinet of Prof. Kitty: December 2024

With American Thanksgiving coming on the third-to-last day of the month, November seemed to last forever. And it was action-packed! Here's a look at some things I did last month.

First Ice Skating of the Season

After getting into roller skating in the late summer and early fall, ice skating felt difficult! Teetering on one narrow blade is terrifying compared to cruising on four softish wheels. But my muscle memory came back eventually.

Vowing to Be More Involved Locally

I don't know what is going on with our country, but I can't believe that tens of millions of my fellow Americans are idiots and fueled by hate. And also, isn't hating people because they hate people the same as hating people? I don't get it. I want to interact with others and see what they're up to. And I want to be a more active part of the small, sweet community that is my home. To start with, I'm trying to go out more often and talk to people. I downloaded an app with local events and announcements. One of the first things I did was go to a pop-up of Green Mountain Ramen. I had a delicious bowl of mostly homemade, mostly local ramen with pork belly and organic noodles. We talked about how food is a kind of health-care and how ramen came about because of people in Japan helping each other after the devastations of nuclear bombing. It was an amazing conversation and the ramen was tasty.

Popup shop on a rainy evening

For takeout, broth comes in a separate container

Trip to Burlington

I was invited to a work event in the Vermont city of Burlington, over 2 hours away from where I live. We stayed at a hotel with a view of Lake Champlain. We also volunteered at a local community farm called Intervale. My team's project was to clear overgrown grass away from a field of tiny balsam poplar trees.

Teamwork at Intervale Community Farm

Trauma Class

My community college class kind of peaked in November as we learned about the 6 ways to befriend the emotional brain, according to Bessel van der Kolk's book The Body Keeps the Score. If I were to summarize, the ways to befriend the emotional brain include going through the physical body (such as with yoga, movement, therapeutic massage) and also learning to recognize and name emotions that you're experiencing. Finding community also helps, like joining with others in singing or dancing or theatre. It's a fascinating class and I'm learning a lot about my own brain and emotions.

Fine Dining in Brattleboro

We got a gift certificate to one of the best restaurants in town, so the family went out on an ordinary Thursday to be amazed by the yummy food at Peter Havens. I had a butter-soft beef tenderloin with truffled mashed potatoes, and a companion had seared scallops with risotto and asparagus. I also splurged on some oysters, because why not!