Mate

I stopped drinking coffee in the middle of July of this year, because it kept making me anxious and sweaty. Lately, I find myself sympathizing with the conviction of evangelically religious people and people who are adamant about their extreme diets-- because clearly I have found the way. Not drinking coffee has been *low-key life-changing* for  me, primarily because as a chronic worrier, it's helped with anxiety more than anything else. Needless to say, I highly recommend it. 

Of course, I'm neither a purist, nor a saint, and so I just replaced on addiction with another. I drink cold-brewed yerba mate now. To make mate, you take a liter jar and fill the bottom with 1/3 to 1/2 cup dry mate leaves, then fill with water to the brim and refrigerate. Let the mate soak for at least three hours, or even overnight. When you are ready to drink it, strain the leaves from the liquid with a fine mesh strainer. Mate is energizing, but doesn't make me excessively tired later in the day. Sometimes, when Miles makes it, he adds dried mint leaves for an extra punch of freshness, which I really like. 

In other news, have you listened to the new Solange album? She is a queen. What an inspiration. In an interview with the Fader, she talked about "the real reality in the process of album making," something I've dealt with a lot with both of the bands I'm in. It's so hard to make things, and push them to get out there, and it's expensive and time consuming. And worth it. But that's been getting me through today. Solange, and the ever-present realization that nothing worth doing is easy, and mate. A lot of mate. 

 October 03, 2016