happy remembering-your-people day

dear reader,

it's good to know where you come from. if i squint and look back at my ancestors, blurring their individual stories...

...i come from a long line of melancholic romantic die-hard men who would sit under fig trees drinking vino and philosophizing about politics and cheese. mostly their names were antonio. they had cinnamon-colored hair.

...i also come from a long line of resourceful and industrious women determined to improve their lot in life. they kept fastidious gardens from which they fed their families. several of the women were known as healers. my mom has shown me how Tia Peti would use a piece of string to heal digestive tract issues (hmm...) but mostly their methods were to pray very persuasively. they had great success. their neighbors gave them "gifts" for their services. (it was bad luck to accept payment.)

this is my Nona. she shares her exact shade of blue eyes with me. she married into the antonini family but she never had children. she raised her niece (my abuelita) and looked after all those antonini brothers. you can read more about her here.

this is nona (again) and dora, another niece. dora was tia louisa's daughter. tia lousia, even more than all my ancestors was famously DEVOTED to her enormous garden. to this day when my mom announces she's going to "louisiar" she means she's going to work in the garden.
signed,

"me voy louisiando..."

p.s. do you find that you make more sense when you learn about your ancestors?

gone baby gone

my bag was stolen. at 3:30 today from pioneer park.

i'm placing a hex on whoever stole it! my bag will be like hot lava on their sticky fingers.

meanwhile...it means my cell phone is probably in a dumpster somewhere. with everyones' numbers on it.

now that my debit card is cancelled i'm starting to think about what i really need.

i really need the following to BE RETURNED:
my mother-in-law's digital camera, my vinylicious wallet, my nissan thermos, my Farmers Market book, and my laptop cord.

and my cell phone.

did i mention my mother-in-law's camera? urgh.

uhh...someone is calling my work number from my stolen cell phone.

*****
k, dear reader, 30 seconds after i put the lava curse on my bag someone called to return it!

i am so witchy i can't believe it. =)

i ran down the street and met the nice man and woman in front of city limits bar. they were living out of a grocery cart full of random essentials. the top of their cart had a layer of well tended plants. the couple had a portable container garden! i hugged and thanked them for being so wonderful to track me down. and then i start crying because i couldn't give them any money when i checked my empty wallet.

when i cry it's an event. spectators want the blotchy-faced lady to feel better NOW.
homeless people want ME to feel better. NOW.

and this is why being a cursing, hex-placing, crying lady...works. the squeaky wheel gets oiled (and patted on the back.)

now what i NEED is...
for that homeless couple to have my stolen cash after all. and to spend it on cool stuff that isn't a meth addiction.

i can hope...

Mushwombs

last month the extraordinary Tess, our favorite mycelium fanaticist, gave us the thumbs up for eating the enormous mushrooms that have been springing up all over our beloved garden!! Tess says we're getting the mushrooms because the soil is very healthy.

*cheer* "Goooooooo...Dirt!"

these pics are from a few weeks ago. There have been scores and scores of mushrooms since.

caution: if you find mushrooms in your garden please have an expert identify them before consuming. mushrooms can be deadly.

BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE SUPREMELY YUM! (sautéed with some onion and a pat of butter)

i think this is the trippiest thing that has ever happened to me.

the abundance of the earth is stunning. we are well fed and content here at the cottage. (well rested is another matter.) =)

Below is a pic of my hard- working, tired husband...no, seriously, Ollie's mum took like five pictures and in every one ollie is sleepy-eyed.

Mulching

when you can turn bad news into good news

that's alchemy!
aka "sheet mulching"

Dear Ollie,
Thank YOU
for always providing a richer, more nutrient-filled environment in every aspect of our lives.
And for preventing weedy growth.
And protecting me from soul erosion.
And for comparing everything to gardening.
Happy Birthday.
XO,
quel

Leftovers

dear friend,

these random pics were taken shortly before my lovely silver Canon digital ELPH...

...croaked. sniffle.

Momma Mia met the above adorable girls when she was on her LDS mission in downtown provo. we are in love with them and still hang.
the famous Maureen Dowd, pulitzer prize-winning columnist from the New York Times.

now you have proof i still exist despite a prolonged absence from blogging. did you miss me?

kisses,
quel