Jonathan Whitsett

This post has been a long time coming! Jack (@jackalopelope) and I have been going to the farmers market pretty much every weekend and doing a lot of our food shopping there. One of my favorite finds has been @localmillers, who offer fresh-milled flours, most of which are heirloom grain varieties grown by local farmers. I've been baking bread with these most weekends and the flavor is AMAZING!!! The freshness of the flour makes a huge difference, and it's wild how much the flavor changes between different wheat varieties! These pictures are from one of my earliest efforts. The recipe is a 50% whole wheat loaf with biga, from Ken Forkish's book "Flour, Salt, Water, Yeast." The bread didn't poof in the oven as well for this one as it did in later batches, but I haven't had the presence of mind to take photos for those, so this one will have to do. And even though this loaf wasn't as fluffy as I wanted, it still tasted *wonderful.* Home-baked bread blows store-bought bread out of the water every. Single. Time. Even when it's nowhere close to perfect. So far my favorite wheat varieties from Local Millers are Rouge de Bordeaux and Turkey Red, and I'm gradually increasing the percentage of whole wheat (now up to 70%) in my recipes to get the maximum flavor while still getting a good rise & texture. I've also been cooking and cocktail-mixing up a storm. I'll try to post more updates in the future! #breadbaking #homebaking #farmersmarket #clintonvillefarmersmarket #worthingtonfarmersmarket #fromscratch #heirloomgrains #columbusohiobaking

Yo fellow Ohioans. The United States' health system has terrible outcomes for childbirth (maternal and infant mortality rates) compared to countries of similar economic status. In an attempt to address these issues, a new birth center has opened up in Columbus offering expecting parents an alternative to the conventional hospital system. However, by Ohio law, that birth center needs a transfer agreement with a hospital in order for mothers to legally give birth to children there. In other words, they require approval *from* the very system that has overseen these terrible outcomes, and which views the birth center as it's competitor, in order to gain licensure for delivering babies. Unsurprisingly, so far every single hospital in the Columbus area has refused to sign a transfer agreement, despite data indicating that birth centers like this may well provide better outcomes than the conventional hospital system. In other words, they are attempting to prevent the birth center from gaining licensure because they view it as a competitor, thus blocking prospective parents from being able to seek out professional birthing care outside the established, deeply broken system. The Ohio Birth Center is appealing to the government at this time to waive the transfer agreement requirement, since it effectively allows hospitals to block competitors from offering birth care. If you believe parents should have the right to explore other options for birthing than the system that has put so many mothers and children at risk for the past few decades, please write the governor's office and make your voice heard. There are plenty of things to appreciate about our conventional healthcare system, but when something is so broken that it has regularly and for decades allowed people to die and suffer because of its brokenness, we need to be free to explore other options to find out what might work better.

Getting caught in the middle of a tornado-producing thunderstorm on a mountain with @jackalopelope ranks pretty high on my list of awe-inspiring life experiences. No real choice but to soak it up and surrender yourself to whatever fate has in store for you. #newrivergorge #thunderstorm #awe #lettinggo

For the past couple months, partly inspired by Peter Attia's book "Outlive," (thank you, @sprocketplug !)I've been refocusing on taking care of my body. It's the perfect time of year to do so, since I much prefer outdoor to indoor workouts. Plus, "shirtless season" being just around the corner provides an additional motivation boost. 😁🩳🥵 I've been bicycling a few times a week and going to the gym a few more. Today, for the first time, I commuted the 13 miles to work on my bike. I've also been doubling down on eating fresh whole foods in moderation. I've been amazed at how much my quality of life has improved over the course of my getting into better shape. I feel so much physical energy, my emotions are positive and easy to regulate, and my mind is clear and active. I'd like too inspire other people to feel that way, too, so I'm going to try to start sharing the journey on here. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like some tips on how to work out effectively or eat healthily. And please, share your journey too. I could always use the extra inspiration 🤍🏃‍♂️💪 #fitlife #healthspan #outlive #columbusfitness #health #cycling

For the past couple months, partly inspired by Peter Attia's book "Outlive," (thank you, @sprocketplug !)I've been refocusing on taking care of my body. It's the perfect time of year to do so, since I much prefer outdoor to indoor workouts. Plus, "shirtless season" being just around the corner provides an additional motivation boost. 😁🩳🥵 I've been bicycling a few times a week and going to the gym a few more. Today, for the first time, I commuted the 13 miles to work on my bike. I've also been doubling down on eating fresh whole foods in moderation. I've been amazed at how much my quality of life has improved over the course of my getting into better shape. I feel so much physical energy, my emotions are positive and easy to regulate, and my mind is clear and active. I'd like too inspire other people to feel that way, too, so I'm going to try to start sharing the journey on here. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like some tips on how to work out effectively or eat healthily. And please, share your journey too. I could always use the extra inspiration 🤍🏃‍♂️💪 #fitlife #healthspan #outlive #columbusfitness #health #cycling

Welp, I definitely found the best spot on campus today. Now to figure out how to move my office desk our here...

On the verge. 🌸🌱🌤

Lost Lands (Day 1 of 4): On Thursday, September 21st, I walked out of work, got in my car, and immediately drove out to Legend Valley for my second major EDM festival in a month and my first-ever solo fest. Upon arrival, I set up camp quickly (pics 2 & 3) and introduced myself to my sweet and adorable camp neighbor, Crystal (pic 5), who enthusiastically took glamour photos of my Day 1 outfit (pic 4). Then, it was onto the shuttle to get into the actual festival grounds. The festival grounds were so massive and incredible that it's really impossible to encapsulate in words. Lost Lands is dinosaur-themed and really felt megalithic in its size and vibe. I felt like I had already run out of my weekly quota of "oohs" and "aahs" by the time I reached the entrance, but as I rounded the corner and saw the Prehistoric Stage (pic 6, both videos) rising ahead of me I was stopped in my tracks. I had never imagined such an enormous stage could exist. And this was just *one* of at last *six* stages in total! 😲🦖🦕 I met several notable companions on this, technically the "pre-party" Day. One was Lava (pic 6, far right), whom I had met at Secret Dreams and would become one of my festie besties here 💜 Another was the unpictured but unmistakable @maverick_relentless, whose presence is as massive as he claims mine to be 🖤 And the last (also unpictured) was @jessthekrobot, who I met later in the evening and danced the night away with 💚 It wouldn't be the last time. This was, after all, "just" the pre-party 🦕😲🦖

First attempt at making li'l birds' nest acorn hat (or whatever) clips! Li'l birds were ordered pre-made (but I want eventually to make some myself from all-natural and biodegradable materials.). Nests are the "hats" of a shaggy type of acorn I have fallen in love with this year (I fell in love with all acorns this year, but especially these), partly filled with shredded bean pods. Eggs are 2 varieties of dried beans from my garden (pods used for nests and foliage). Accented with other li'l acorns and bean pod shreds. Still figuring out little design tricks and want to experiment with other hats (preferably with firmer brims), but I love them. 🐦🪺🎩🧡

First-ever tattoo. It's the Fiji Islands. The coconut is where I lived on a 2-square-mile outer island (population 20) for a month. The onion is where I lived the other 6 months and helped my boneya @iftikarjunior build a farm, earning the nickname "Varasa" (Onion) in the process. The colors are perfect and I could not be happier. So thankful to have the opportunity to have such a beautiful symbol of the most powerful 7 months of my life imprinted on my body. Vinaka Fiji. Vinaka Junior. I love you always 💙🏝👨‍🌾

The day after my birthday party, I enjoyed the pleasure of celebrating the birth of the inimitable Andrew Alec (pic 7), whose shared home with the equally inimitable Madison White was a haven of art, adventure and hilarity. The party included an actual duck (pic 4), a spontaneous nerf war (see Andrew's weapon of choice, pic 7, and the aftermath of the war zone in the video), and a shrine to Santa Claus on top of a locked safe which had been left in an obviously haunted shed by the previous owners (pics 5 & 8). It also produced my current favorite picture of me, taken by Madison (pic 1), including the lunar moth on my shoulder produced at the party itself by the talented Crystal Edelman, who was also responsible for the presence of the duck. It was SUCH a fun evening and I got to meet numerous unique, wonderful, creative people. It was so inspiring to see the art strewn about Andrew's and Madison's house and the prodigious artistic talents of their friends. By the time the party ended it was only the evening of September 3rd and already the month was completely magical. It would only grow more so.

A *very* belated birthday post: For my birthday this year @jackalopelope and I hosted a combination open mic night + rave. The night was SOOOOO full of love, magic and warmth that I couldn't figure out a way to communicate it digitally, hence the delay. But it's been long enough that I'll have to content myself with this post. A few (by no means all) highlights: - @emilyhanlon (artist behind @_dollmily)gifting me a hand-made doll of me, complete with dance floor, color-changing lights and an *actual live plant* growing out of its head (pic 2). I love it soooooooooooooooo much! 💙🩵🧡❤️💚💜💛🩷🤍 - Jackie making me cry on the spot and every time I think about it after with a poem/interpretive dance about our journey together (pic 9). 💙😭😭😭🧡 I love you, Gadfly. - Performing as animatronic robots singing a love song with @sprocketplug , with a brilliant cameo by Lord Dagron aka Laird Kelson Heermans (pic 4). - Peter's Dave Face animated mask, complete with outrageous dance moves to go with it (pic 10) To everyone who came, THANK YOU for making it SUCH a beautiful, magical, unforgettable night. Here's to many more special nights together yet to come 🩵🦄👽💜

Lost Lands here I come. #lostlands #lostlandsfestival

*Secret Dreams Post 4 of 4:* As usual, my body woke my unwilling mind up around 8:30 and, after whimpering in the tent a bit, I decided to start packing up. On my way to my car, the wagon I had borrowed from @mandekinsss and @wwatersteve broke down so I parked it halfway and walked to my car with the intention of driving it to the wagon and loading it there. This plan ultimately worked, but only after I spent 2 hours in the car behind the looooong line of fellow ravers making their departure. All this time, I tried to keep from hoping I'd see John & Cole again. I knew the festival was HUGE, so chances of running into them slim, and anyway they would either be busy packing or have already left. So I waited in my car as patiently as I could, finally reached the wagon, loaded up, and started walking back to camp to help Mande & Steve pack their things. And suddenly there they were - John reclining in the shade by a half-packed camp and Cole alternating between packing gear into the car and swinging her hula hoop around her waist wildly. When I was about halfway to them, they saw me. I will never forget the spectacle of Cole squeeling, sprinting and hurling herself on me in a ferocious jump-hug. We all hugged a while and said goodbye, taking a selfie to commemmorate the magic (pic 1). After returning and helping Steve and Mande pack up, I headed toward the exit. As I approached, I yelled out a compliment of the hat of a passerby. Shortly after, I felt a knock on the car window. It was the hat-wearer (Scout) and her companion Cody (pic 4), who needed a ride into Columbus. I said, "Hell yeah. Hop in!" And so we all rode together and I gained another set of festie friends even as I left. Thus ended one of the most magical three days of my life. Thanks to everyone who made it so - Mande, Steve, Anna, Cole, John, @egoicsuicide, @ghostofnovak, and all the others. I can't wait to see you all again. 👽🧡💛🤍💙💜💚🦄

*Secret Dreams Post 3 of 4:* Having obtained a luxurious 6 hours of sleep, I awoke Saturday morning to bright sunshine and rapidly warming August air. I decided to give thanks for the sun by playing guitar amongst the hammocks where I met Anna the previous day. On my way, I met Sean (pic 2), whose eyes I noticed lighting up upon seeing my guitar and invited to join me. He turned out to be an excellent guitarist and to fancy my playing as well, so we traded songs for a while. Eventually Sean headed out to get some sleep, having stayed up all night, and we wished each other well. I had come to the conclusion that my outifts were not bizarre or dazzling enough and set out to address the deficiency. After perusing the shops a while, I purchased some outrageously perfect glasses from the lovely Justin and Esmeralda at @stonegroovegoods and a fan + case from Liquid Dreams Art (tagged in comments). I then covered every exposed inch of the upper half of my body with glitter from @mandekinsss (pic 8) and watched the fabulous fashion show (video) together. After more than 12 hours' absence, I was going through severe Cole (pics 1 & 8) and John (pics 1 & 5) withdrawal and sought them out. We shared hugs, then danced, then watched the charismatic Novak (pic 2) win a king's ransom at Frick Frack, then set up shop for the headliner, Tipper, where I also met the excellent Gabe (pic 2) and several other warm souls. Mande and Steve joined us and we all danced like mad, then stayed up until the wee hours of the morning together. It was indescribably beautiful. Love you all 🤎🧡🤍💚💙💜❤️

*Secret Dreams 2023 Post 2 of 4:* Day One of Secret Dreams was sprinkled with magic, but somewhere in the dreams pace I occupied during my scant 4 hours of sleep between 3:30-7:30am Friday morning I must have drunk an entire vial of some benevolent wizard's potion because I was awash in magic the entire day. It started with my morning stroll. As I walked by a group of hammocks a mischievous voice called out to me complimenting my hoodie. That voice belonged to Anna (pics 1 & 8), the extraordinary part-tornado, part-terrifyingly competent adult who became my first Festy Besty. I spent the rest of the morning, then together with the fabulous @mandekinsss (pics 3, 6, 8, 9) and @wwatersteve (pics 7-9), most of the evening, swept up in her whirlwind, equal parts fun and mayhem littering our path. Part of the fracas involved our buying matching robes (pic 1) to commemorate the occasion. In-between Anna Whirlwinds, as Mande, Steve and I approached the mysterious door that stood in the middle of nowhere, we heard a knock. On the other side was a wide-eyed, soft-voiced, playful creature named Cole (pics 5 & 6). After trading a few jokes about finding our destiny on the other side of that door, we proceeded to do just that, spending the next few hours together in the incredible, glowing shelf mushroom-lined treehouse that served as the festival's zen space. It was *entirely* magical. But eventually Cole, who by now had thoroughly earned her status as Festy Besty 2, needed to return to some mysterious figure named "John," so we parted ways. Mande, Steve and I roamed the festival together and I somehow managed *not* to spend my entire life savings on clothes. Then came Anna Round 2 as we got down to some amazing music by @dailybreadmusic and @detoxunit. When the show ended, Anna careened off with her fella and Mande asked, "What should we do now?" I looked up at her sadly and said, "I wish I could manifest a Cole." That very moment, I picked up my phone and found a message from Cole herself expressing a wish to meet back up with us, where we met the mysterious and wonderful John and proceeded to dance the rest of the night away with them. More magic to come 💚🦄

(Secret Dreams post 1 of 4) I cannot possibly convey the magic I experienced at @secretdreamsfest this year. I was expecting a lot, but the reality absolutely shattered my expectations. The music was amazing and I danced like I've never danced before (which, for those of you who have known me during the last couple months, is saying something), but for me the real magic was in the people I encountered and the love, affection and joy I got to share with them. These pictures are from Thursday, my first day at the festival. I arrived around 5 and faced a 2-hour wait in my car (pic 6). Was it awful? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Instead, I got out my guitar and immediately made friends with my line neighbors, who showered me with praise, told me I sang like Tyler Childers, and shared their own gorgeous music. Reuben, I know I'll see you at a future festival. When I do, you'll be able to look back at this post with me and bask in the sweet memory of sharing songs and a Coors in the Ohio August heat. Keep making your beautiful music, brother 🤎 I was then met by the marvelous @mandekinsss (pics 1 & 5) and @wwatersteve (pic 1), who toted all my stuff for me and spoiled me all weekend by sharing their campsite, which included all their cooking and prep equipment on top of my own personal tent, which they set up before I even came. We then got dressed (pics 2 & 5), went out to watch some music and dance to @papadosio (pic 4, video 7), and then danced the night (and much of the morning) away (no pictures - too lost in the dance). It was a BEAUTIFUL first day of the festival and it was by far the LEAST magical day there. More posts to come soon 💙🦄💚💛🤍👽💜🧡🤎🩵🌈❤️

Home. Grown. Organic. Motherfucking. APPLES for breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got to get decked out and go dancing to the music of @spaceship.earth_music and @joshteedmusic at @thesummitmusichall with @audralp last night! Getting to see the performers integrate live electric guitar and violin(?!?!) with EDM was incredible, as were the vibes on the whole, and especially Audra's dance moves 🔥💃💋 (though I'm still shit at remembering to take pictures of things so you're all robbed of the chance to see her sexy outfit.) Also want to shoutout @subsyrupmusic, who crushed it the night before. I would DEFINITELY recommend going out to see him if you ever have the chance. Photo credit for #1 = @audralp

Green, at various levels of magnification.

I voted! Also, I bought a new car. It's been a fairly momentous last 12 hours.

Mint julep. This is, in my opinion, the quintessential "OMG it's finally sunny and 70+ degrees" cocktail. There's nothing like it after a long spring day in the sun. Recipe: 3 oz whiskey 0.5 to 1 oz simple syrup (depending on your taste) 10-15 mint leaves Crushed ice Mint sprig (garnish) Dirty fingernails from a spring day's work in the garden (garnish - optional, but improves flavor) Pluck your 10-15 mint leaves from the bottom of your mint springs, leaving the top leaves on for future garnish. Put the leaves directly in your glass along with the simple syrup. Gently press and twist the mint leaves into the syrup with a muddler, wooden spoon, or any other sturdy flat utensil for 20-30 seconds, until you can smell the mint aroma. It's important to be gentle here because mint is a diva and gives off undesirable grassy flavors if squished too aggressivley. Add the whiskey and give a little stir. Fill glass to slightly above brim with crushed ice. Add mint sprig and straw. Sigh in ecstasy. #cocktails #springcocktails #spring #springinohio #homebar #mixology

Dewdrops. #urbanfarming #spring #springinohio #springflowers #morningdew #frontyardgarden #gardening

Plant Paradise in early spring. #plantparadise #spring #springflowers #springinohio #growyourown #frontyardgarden #urbangarden #urbangardening