Might spiral a little (or a lot)

Might take a walk outside

Hello, February greetings. I meant to send a missive in January, but wow, what a grim month. I know some readers of this newsletter may have had an unspeakably horrible month (between the fires in LA and everything that’s followed the inauguration), and I’m sending warm and healing thoughts.

This week I’ve been alarmed by the measles outbreak in Lubbock. Measles was considered eradicated in the US in 2000. Now, five years after massive interruptions in routine vaccinations and healthcare access in 2020, plus vaccine hesitancy, here we are. So scary. You might be wondering what all of these shell pictures are about, and how they relate to vaccines. These are drawings by my great aunt Grace Eager, who was a zoological illustrator at the University of Michigan in the 1930’s. She only lived to be 47 (a few years older than I am now) because of complications from polio, a viral illness that now has a vaccine and is preventable. These images are a reminder of how lucky we are to live in the age of vaccines. What kind of art might this Grace have made if she had lived longer?

On a lighter subject, what are your weekend plans? Last weekend, while out on a walk, I bumped into a few artists from Plein Air Austin. I ended up bringing my easel out to do a short painting, which felt so luxurious.

My 13yo unexpectedly helped me carry my easel and painted with me

This weekend, I will be working in the hospital, as well as coaching futsal. I would love to have a Superbowl Party. Or a half a Superbowl Party? Like come for the first half, watch the Kendrick Lamar performance, eat lots of chips and then proceed with your Sunday evening party? Is that reasonable? Would only someone who got into professional sports quite recently do this? Also there is the longstanding concern: is our house too messy for a party?

an old comic for Cup of Jo

Finally, a romancelandia update. Have you read any goodies? I am 150% into the entire enterprise of the 831 Stories project. I love the covers, the art, the colors, the concept of a slim romantic novella that you can read in a sitting. I have read all of the books, and have enjoyed my time in DC, LA and Brooklyn so far. I’ve also been enjoying the Elsie Silver books, which are cowboy-ish romance novels set outside Calgary.

Finally, you can still grab a Mom’s Family Calendar if you need one! Comes with fun stickers. Have a lovely weekend!