Stephen’s Sanctuary: February 2024

Hey friends!

If you reside in the states that may or may not feel very united these days, these last few months have had some literal stormy weather. Whether you were checking your phone for Nor’easter, atmospheric river, cold wave or blizzard updates – we found ourselves indoors yet again relying on some creature comforts. Here’s a few that helped get me through the rain:

• Blue – Joni Mitchell 

This album isn’t on Spotify anymore. Selfishly, that’s a shame because it means that “River” isn’t on my December holiday playlist anymore, but I don’t begrudge Joni that decision. Hey, we’ll always have YouTube. If you have a turntable handy, you have the warmth of a vinyl copy as an option. Her performance at the Grammys making me well up probably spurred my brain to move this one up on the Rainy Day Rotation recently, but it’s always a good one to come back to. 

• The Goonies

Something else I found myself coming back to and enjoying yet again recently. Putting the childhood nostalgia aside, the filming locations for this being (mostly) in the Pacific Northwest really give this movie such a  rainy day feeling. It’s cinematic petrichor for me. Have you ever seen the deleted scene where Data fends off a giant octopus by playing some ’80s jam on a walkman? Here’s a fun detail if you don’t already know it: you can hear the director laugh/wheeze off-camera after Chunk’s “I told ya so! You never believe me!”  Just a helpful reminder that even some of the best movies and songs of all-time left some mistakes in there. 

• Hot toddies