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This is a difficult post to write. I can’t find the right words to articulate the way that I’m feeling, elaboration feels incongruous, and every word I type just doesn’t compute, it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t feel real. So here are just the facts: on Saturday, Ashes died. She was my friend and companion for 20 years, and now she is gone. Sweet and grumpy, soft and small, she was a gift for my 10th birthday. Ashes loved rubbing her face against the zipper on the cat nip bag, laying in puddles of sunshine on the kitchen floor, and sitting with Tom and I on the couch each weekend morning. She […]

Hey there! It’s time for another peek into the grocery bag. Here’s the produce I received during week 3 of the New Roots for Refugees early summer farm share program: I was so excited to see kohlrabi in this week’s share, as it’s a vegetable I’ve always been eager to try. And the slightly alien-looking Brassica ended up being a big hit in our household: I paired it with mint and cilantro from the garden in this pleasantly crisp Kohlrabi and Apple slaw. The bouquet of rainbow-ribbed Swiss chard tasted just as good as it looked! After I sliced each leaf into ribbons (and diced all the stems), I sauteed everything […]

This year, spring felt like a gift. Plants seemed to be growing larger than usual, verdant and lush. My lawn was bedazzled with bright pops of color from all the blossoming flowers. Birdsong tolled day and night, joyful and loud. At the end of May, I wrote on my Instagram: “everything is in bloom: peonies, roses, columbine, sage, dandelions, henbit, clover. We went for a walk at dusk last night and the air was perfumed with the scent of irises. The worlds a mess, but at least there is this spring, opulent with flowers.” At first I wondered if spring had always been this beautiful. Was I just getting to appreciate […]

Step into my garden, baby! ♬♪ Welcome to my 2020 Garden, in all its messy, rambling and unexpected glory. Truth be told, I didn’t think I would get to garden at all this year. Zine Con planning really ramps up during the summer, and I knew that putting together this year’s festival would be especially taxing: we need to find a new home for the event on a shoestring budget, which not only means scouting venues, but also drafting brand new table maps and seeking out additional sponsors to help cover venue costs. Keeping plants hearty and healthy through it all seemed like just one more commitment to add to an […]

Hey, Kansas City! Before we start talking about veggies, can you send an email to Mayor Lucas and the City Council, demanding local control of the KCPD, as well as divestment? Then, let the Jackson County Court system know that we need an eviction moratorium NOW to keep Kansas City families housed during the pandemic. I’ve written scripts for these messages that you can use if you’re not quite sure what to say, and have also linked to some resources for assistance and education… check it out! A better world is possible when we work together and take action. Now onto the veggies: This week we were seeing green! As spring […]