Let me tell you about one of the best things I like about our new house (We moved in 2 years ago.) It’s a dog, and his name is Buddy. I usually walk around the block at least once or twice a day, and fairly often see him roaming around the neighborhood too. When he sees me, he usually races up to say hi, and that makes my day.
I finished The Painted Queen, Elizabeth Peter’s last Amelia Peabody mystery, completed by her good friend Joan Hess after she died in 2013. This mystery was centered around the now world-renowned bust of Nefertiti. I enjoyed it; it had all the characters and elements you would expect of an Amelia Peabody mystery. Danger, revenge, mystery, lots of disguises, and Sethos even. But something was missing.
What do you do when you feel left out?
You know that horrible feeling when somebody from work is Facebook friends with pretty much all your other coworkers except you? (Or you were friends with them and go online one day to find out you aren’t any more.) You try to not take it personally and make a big deal out of it, but it still hurts. It makes you think did I do something to upset them.
As my Ohio travel plans feel through, but I still have some time off work, I need to figure out some of the coolest places to see in the Huntsville surroundings
!. Supper Heroes is out Meridianville way, so I have not gotten to go there yet, but want to. A super hero themed restaurant? How cool can you get?
2. Shinsegae Oriental Restaurant: Located on Patton Road next to the Asian market, this is a family-run, cool hole-in-the wall Korean restaurant where the Rocket City Go club meets (on Saturdays I think). My top favorite is the bulgogi.
3. Sam and Greg’s Pizzaria (They make their own gelato too!!!!)
4. The Botanical Gardens. Huntsville’s Botanical Gardens are lovely and peaceful, and one of my favorite spots.
5. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center. (I may be a little biased). A Smithsonian affiliate space museum with a rocket park. (And it’s kid friendly) A must see for any space nut, and an important part of the Huntsville community
6. Ay Chihuahua is a Mexican restaurant out in Priceville (It’s worth a visit just for the name in my opinion.) And they have horchata!
7. University Pickers. The furniture painting craze seems to be a thing down here recently. University Pickers is a unique mix of some antiques, handmade crafts, painted furniture, and Huntsville specialty items like Piper and Leaf tea, and local artist creations (I love Melly Luna designs)
8. Monte Sano/Burritt on the Mountain. Those who love hiking and camping should definitely visit Monte Sano, our state park. (You can also go canoeing out on the Tennessee River by the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur.
9. Located in an old cotton mill, Lowe Mill is the place to go for getting the bead on Huntsville’s art scene. (It’s a bit hipstery to say the least.)
10. “Fort Book” – the Huntsville Madison County Public Library main branch- has a little used book store that supports the library; the library hosts Rocket City Nerd Con every fall. (It’s going to be at the beginning of November this year.)
11. Ol’ Heidleburg is a charming German restaurant on University Drive; their deserts are particularly good.
12. Christine’s German Bakeshop out in Sommerville may be small, but is definitely worth visiting if you are looking for yummy baked goods and care about supporting small businesses.
So, I realized lately, that I don’t have much patience; that’s something I need to work on. I want to just have these story ideas done, ready to be published and read. But first, I need to put in the work. That’s where it gets sticky. There’s only so much time a person can spend in unproductive whining and wheel-spinning.
P.S. A friend did me a great honor by asking me to help her translate a poem, so that will be super cool!
I see so many encouraging parenting blog posts out there, and that is great. But I also wanted to take a second here to offer some encouragement to those who may not have kids or who may not even be in a relationship. Your journey in life is just as important. Maybe you’re confused, discouraged, have so much to deal with each day. Maybe you’re wondering if you’ll see any of your dreams come to pass. Maybe you feel alone because it doesn’t seem like anyone else is going through the same stuff.
Rest assured, you are not alone, and there are people out there are people out there cheering for you, that you may not even have known about.
Stay weird and be kind, y’all! Bisous
One of the reasons I love Space is how it brings people together. Space Space is beautiful, with the stars and galaxies. It offers mysteries, but doesn’t confuse or argue with you. Lately people seem divided, sure of their opinions and unwilling to listen to others, or else they are not sure what to think and get discouraged not knowing who to trust or believe.
“In these days of great trouble and unrest, it is good to have something outside our own planet, something fine and distant and comforting to troubled minds. Let people look to the stars for comfort.” – Annie Jump Cannon
