Unlike a lot of people, I’m not mermaid-obsessed (though the Hans Christian Andersen story haunts me still, and I can’t watch the Disney adaptation because I consider it an abomination and an insult to the master…LOL!), but this past year, I somehow made two paintings of mermaids, which is definitely a record for me.
One is cutesy. The other is a mash-up of two HCA stories…guess which two? 
Which one do you like better?
Some years, vine borers kill our squash plants before they can produce anything, but other years, I am lucky to get some yummy acorn squash! Hubby likes growing these and often makes a fabulous bisque with the pulp…it’s a perfect winter meal.
Occasionally we roast the seeds to eat, but most of the time, we just give them to the chickens who have fewer fresh foods by late October.
I am, of course, thankful I married someone who is an amazing cook (and gardener) but I am even more thankful for the actual food he provides me with. Here’s a recent sampling:
homemade dumplings and choisum
coleslaw with cabbage and radicchio
veggie farfalle with spinach and radicchio salad
anchovy capellini with braised kale
There was that time 7 years ago when I went to a conference (ICFA – the International Conference for Fantastic in the Arts, a perfect combination of academics and writers giving talks) and met the incomparable Terry Bisson. There’s photographic proof!
I actually went to the conference to fan-girl over Connie Willis (the one seated wearing green). If you don’t know who Connie Willis is, shame on you! And go read To Say Nothing of the Dog immediately š
Thanks to my wonderful Gotham Writers Workshop Speculative Fiction instructor, Michaela Roessner, I also met other super talented authors such as James Kelly, Ted Chiang, Theodora Goss, and Andy Duncan.
It was a good conference. I bought too many books, but that’s my modus operandi anyway.
Boy, I sure did have long hair back then!
Some kids pick up stray animals; my older child picks up stray plants. Here are a few of the more interesting ones (because we could all use a bit of pretty green things today).
He didn’t actually pick this one up but grew it from seed. It’s a lychee (Litchee chinensis).
I have no idea what this one is…but I want to stick in a mini ship-wrecked figure underneath it.
Lately, he’s returned to his early interest in carnivorous plant. There are butterworts, pitcher plants, sundews (I think) and Venus flytraps here.
He didn’t pick up this one either. It’s a Key lime plant we bought from Logee’s a few years back. It’s always been pathetic at producing anything (despite my making like a bee and pollinating regularly) but this year, we set it out on the deck in the summer and it got so happy, it actually produced about 6 reasonable-sized fruits. We’ll see if they last to maturity. And nature’s pollinators are tons better at their jobs than I am. 
We live out in the boonies where nobody comes by for trick-or-treating anyway so it doesnāt matter. But Iām cooking up some appropriately colored things…both of which stain my hands a lovely blood red. Ā š
juicing black raspberries for making jelly
boiling beetsĀ
For years, my main blog was Homestead Notes where I wrote about the 3 Hs: homesteading, homemade, and homeschooling.
We still do the homesteading thing of growing a lot of our own food and I still enjoy making things by hand. But the kids have grown and we no longer homeschool. As well, I have less time and a lot less energy do hand-crafting. So I’ve pretty much given up on the old blog.
This blog, on the other hand, was started because I was insane inspired by other 365-blogs. I focused on dinner because I’m all about food. That went fine for a while. Then, I changed it up a bit to include other things, renaming the blog “One Good Thing” from “What’s For Dinner.”
But due to various reasons (one of which is that most blogs are dying a slow, lingering death), I’ve let this blog slide, too, but I’m going to attempt a resuscitation effort. In order to do that, I needed come up with my “brand” (one of those 21st Century buzzwords).
I assessed what I currently deem most important and have decided that the things dearest to me are my cultural heritage, science and nature, and scientists. So in the future, I hope to share more of those things in this blog. Plus, food. Because I’m still all about food! Some things never change.
I have a love-hate relationship with squirrels but they always amuse me. š I cannot wait for my sweet and talented friend Cathy’s book to come out! It will be awesome; I guarantee it!
Fact: The yard is filled with acorns.
Fact: The yard is filled with squirrels.
Fact: Squirrels exceed my shutter speed.
In preparation for the launch of my picture book, When A Tree Grows from Sterling Childrenās Books, Iāve been trying to capture some silly squirrel antics on camera.
The squirrels must know. They taunt me.
It rained all morning. The squirrels squatted plumply on the grass, nibbling nuts and holding their thick, fluffy tails over their heads like umbrellas. āHow cute!ā I thought, and raced for my camera. Alasā¦
But these speedsters canāt compare to the cute squirrel rendered at the pen of illustrator Kasia Nowowiejska. Just wait until you see!
Our squirrels dangle from tree limbs,Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 
race across fence tops, and snack on our
flowers when they tire of the acorn buffet.
The other character in the book is a moose.
I amā¦
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Sounds like an excellent read!
Author Marc Tyler Nobleman has new picture book titled,THIRTY MINUTES OVER OREGON. It is illustrated by Melissa Iwai. It hit bookshelves yesterday. Marc has agreed to share a book with one lucky winner. All you have to do to get in the running is to leave a comment. Reblog, tweet, or talk about it on Facebook with a link and you will get additional chances to win. Just let me know the other things you do to share the good news, so I can put in the right amount of tickets in my basket for you.
Sharing on Facebook, Twitter, reblogging really helps spread the word for a new book. Thanks for helping Marc and Melissa!
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In this important and moving true story of reconciliation after war, beautifully illustrated in watercolor, a Japanese pilotĀ bombsĀ the continental U.S. during WWIIāthe only enemy ever to do soāand comes back 20 yearsā¦
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But I have good reasons…mostly involving writing and being forgetful. š And I will probably be even busier on the writing front (or the marketing front) because of this:
