Fishing for It All

Instead of doing Saturday morning chores, wouldn't it be better if I posted pictures from our fishing trip last weekend? Adventure comes with thanks to fabulous friends, Ed and Mary, who are such interesting people about whom I could say so much.

Aside from Middle Eastern food, well actually most any kind of food, I will mention another of our many common interests -- the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. You see Mary is a painter and when I toured her studio I was delighted to see evidence of Frida. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised because if anyone has any kind of feeling at all, Frida is a likely icon.

It seems that most people I chat with here in Des Moines are artists or musicians. Serious ones with studios and bands, multiple bands. Writers too. Would like to meet more of them. All around just a lot of really fascinating folks here.

For example there's a guy at church who plays in a renouned blues band and I am dropping hints to Bob like crazy on what a nice surprise birthday outting that would be.

While at LWR HQ in Baltimore a couple days ago a colleague mentioned that she was recently in Des Moines for a wedding. Don't tell me, I already know. I said. It was an artist or musician. Indeed, it was. The groom is the manager for the band, the Nadas, who I hear all the time on the radio. They're big.

After a day at the lake, Ed and Mary took us to a pizza place where Bob and I ate one of our best pies ever. Half meat lovers, half margarita. Perfect.

Got me to thinking how truly amazing it would be to be, say, the woman who wrote the Harry Potter series. Or the woman who wrote the Twilight series. I mean, those ladies have 100 tickets to paradise and all they have to do is write. All day. Everyday. Evidently, it's possible.

OK, I promise now I will get back to household duties and the even greater drudgery of pushing on the kids to do their part. Bribery tool for today: Halloween costumes after chores. Dorothy and Storm Trooper are the going ideas.

Thanks so much for coming over, friends. I wish you all a lovely fall weekend.

With love, T