Mid-Summer Round Up

How is it already Mid-Summer? Some reads, some garden, some JAWS

The garden is blooming, some of the veggie parts of the garden aren’t doing the best, but I’m leaning in and just replacing open spots with flowers as needed which seems to be a good approach. We’ve already seen snap peas, shelling peas, lettuces, rainbow chard, raspberries, blueberries and garlics come and go, and now we’re patiently waiting for potatoes, kale, tomatoes, and squash.

The Zucchini are not doing well, I don’t know why, but it’s an off year for sure.

From a few weeks ago, a bountiful harvest! In the middle I topped up the bark chips, and also in a fit of productivity bark chipped in the side yard with such zeal that I overdid it and then gave myself vertigo for a solid 2 weeks. It’s resolved now, there’s a head maneuver you can do (apparently!) and it worked nearly immediately. Wishing I had tried it 2 weeks prior, but you live you learn!

That being said, I haven’t done much at all in the studio, which feels ok, it’s summer, my young kids are home, we’re having a nice time summering, there’s time for productivity later.

I did make a thing though! It’s a JAWS fanzine for the 50th anniversary. It’s almost JAWS party time, it’s happening this week! Our annual visitor brought us a JAWS game to play where you fish out things from it’s mouth and it’ll snap shut if you hit the jaw (thanks Ed!). The kids are old enough to watch this year and everyone’s pumped. Summer Jaws day is here, it’s my favorite holiday.

(there were no sharks in these waters)

I’ve been on a little bit of a re-reading kick, in which I feel a bit listless about things in my to be read pile so I default to old favorites.

The Anthropologists - Aysegul Savas // I read this last year from the library and then immediately bought a copy because it’s SO GOOD. It’s written in little short bursts, and it feels like a truly authentic coming of age tale, told in snippets from a young adult trying to find home in a foreign country, growing with friends, outgrowing friends, finding her way. I saw the author has a new book out this summer and I can’t wait to check it out.

The Road to Tender Hearts - Annie Hartnett // This is not a re-read but a brand new read and WOW. I love this book almost too much to put into words, it’s really funny, and really morbid, and really thoughtful, and charming, and I love all of the characters. I’d also highly recommend Annie’s other book Unlikely Animals, which I read 2(?) years ago and also loved. What a delight.

The Divers Clothes Lie Empty - Vendela Vida // I’ve read this book probably 8x, I love it, when I don’t know what to read, this is always a comforting re-visit. But I feel that way about all of VV’s books, my all time, all time favorite book is Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name. One time Jennifer (hi Jennifer!) and I went to a book reading and signing for The Lovers, and we so enthusiastically greeted the author that she was very kind in asking if we perchance knew each other, which we did not, but our sheer delight was beaming through. She was kind and lovely and signed all our books, and it was a 10/10 experience.

Reads and Rugs in progress for this one! Pancakes the cat obviously needs to be on this rug.

A few weeks ago the kids and I did a little comic shop loop around town and dropped off some Bugs Standing on Rocks Holding Things - Mini Books over at Floating World Comics in the Lloyd Center, and at Cosmic Monkey Comics over on NE Sandy. If you’re in the Portland area both of those shops have in person copies! If you’re not nearby I have a few more of each in my shop which ship free worldwide, I’ll even throw in some stickers and other goodies.

That’s it for now!