Category Archives: doing it wrong

If everything goes as planned I will be on today’s Fated Mates podcast. Actually Pen Name is on the podcast. I talk about my romance books and writing as a Native author.

I really love this podcast and I was so thrilled to be asked. I enjoyed talking to Sarah and Jen. But also I’m paranoid that I’m not very interesting. I did my best!

I harvested my first figs yesterday. Four more today. And we’ve harvested 2 tomatoes.

Everything is delicious.

What do you think is going on here?

Bob and I went to see the new Wes Anderson movie, The Phoenician Scheme, a week or two ago and afterward had some dinner. This was outside the restaurant.

Potatoes escaping? A potato sack incident? A potato fight?

We’ll never know.

I had grand plans to write an actual post tonight but my administrivia took too long and I had a technical snafu and I need to get off the computer and off to do other things.

I did do a bunch of writing this weekend. More information when I get further in.

We love Wes Anderson and loved the gift of this book. We also love Project 562 which was photography project that that photographed all federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Natives villages although when we got it, we thought our niece’s photo would be in it. I think she was in the Instagram feed and that’s how we got that idea. She’s not in the book but it’s still a really awesome collection.

Then I went to the Portland Art Museum to see the art of Oscar Howe, a Yanktonai Dakota artist from South Dakota and I loved his art. I loved it so much I went to the exhibit twice.

I normally would not buy a book from an art exhibit but I couldn’t help myself and I distinctly remember saying to my husband: I don’t want to become a household with a giant stack of coffee table books.

You can see how that’s going. No more coffee table books.

This was in the sculpture garden during our New Orleans trip. It reminded me of our book stack.

Tennessee Williams wrote Streetcar named Desire here.

After two full days of conference, we had one last day. Our flight was later so we had time in the morning to do a few last things.

We went to the Cabildo which was built under Spanish Rule and served as the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer ceremony.

There was an extensive exhibit about Marquis de Lafayette who is an important historical figure that I feel like I don’t know much about. I put a note in my “to be read” list to track down a book about him. Also, I went through the exhibit backwards so I was trying to piece together the significance without context.

We also went to the Louisiana State Museum, Presbeytère where there was a great exhibit about Hurricane Katrina and lots of interesting Mardi Gras info. (That all is made out of Lego.)

As we made our last walk through the French Quarter, we stopped in to the French Quarter Visitor Center for a little bit of music and looking at plants.

Then it was back to the airport. I like that the cabs have a flat rate but man, those drivers didn’t want to chat or do anything except get back and forth from the airport as quickly as circumstances allowed.

I hope to go back but not sure I’d want to see the French Quarter again. I was a huge Anne Rice fan so I’d like to see the Garden District next time.

Big tragedy — the trailcam died. It’s been sitting here until I had time to troubleshoot and I have now troubleshat and: it’s dead. I will buy a new one one of these days.

In an ongoing theme, there has been a lot going on. I took today off to see if I can get my act together. I always do this thing where I made a list of 15 chores and errands I will get done and then either

(1) I am overwhelmed and end up back in bed reading; or

(2) I only do 7, a perfectly reasonable number of things to get done, but still feel like a failure.

Today I am trying to pick 3 things and then relax and putter around the yard and walk around the neighborhood giving away lettuce.

Giving away lettuce?

I need to go out and get pictures. I have brand new raised beds and I thought I was planting a conservative amount but everything came up, healthy! The slugs haven’t found it yet. Beautiful pretty lettuce.

If you need to make a salad for 30 and you live near me. CALL! I will deliver.

Also: Bob and I had the opportunity to go to New Orleans. I went to a conference. Bob found all kinds of music and historical related things to do. I tacked on an extra day for us to have fun together and we did. Photos and details to come.

Remember this giant bag of tea?

I finally finished it.

Well, it’s not completely done.

I keep a pint canning jar in the kitchen and use the tea from that and I just refilled the last amount. I did like this tea but not sure if I will buy again. I need to do some sourcing research.

It took about a year and a month to go through it which actually seems fast for such a giant bag. I don’t drink it every day. But almost every day. I have also been able to find the tea bags again and it’s easier to use those at the office.

(I forgot to add to my I’m so busy post –NCAA Gymnastics. Finals were last weekend so that’s mostly off my list although there are a few semi-final meets I hope to still get to. With streaming there is access to almost everything including the smaller schools so it’s a lot but I love it.)

Seriously: watch this beam routine. Mute the sound. Because of the way the meet went, she was the last performer and got a standing ovation and a 9.9625 for this amazing, amazing routine:

I have loved Kinder chocolate since my first visit to Germany as a little girl and that hasn’t changed. I bought this bag of cookies because I thought it was funny that they were advertised as crunchy and fun.

They were.

Likewise these mini ice cream sandwiches described as “always irresistible.”

I love all the mini ice cream treats available now. I love something sweet after dinner but often just a bite or two is enough. These are perfect.