My Dear Hannah,
Since you mentioned the Olympics I’ve been thinking about my attachment to them and how it’s changed in the last few years. I’ve always really enjoyed watching the events, but this time around, I still haven’t watched any of the Opening Ceremonies or even a second of other coverage, and I attribute this to not having cable (and until recently, no TV). Which is silly because we can get all the coverage we want online, but I just don’t go searching for it when there are raspberries to pick, a baby to make faces with and pizzas to make (see below). I do feel guilty for not knowing anything about the medal standings, who’s gone home disgraced or what underdog won gold in what event. That is good stuff! I guess it’s a shift in priorities, but that doesn’t fully explain why I willingly google the evolution of teeth and dessert recipes for fennel in my free time. If that, why not the high jump final? I was never a terrific athlete in my youth either, and I had a love-hate relationship with playing team sports that made me much more comfortable watching than partaking. So I do love an exciting soccer game or relay race. It’s a bit of a mystery why I’m such a lousy Olympic spectator this time. I’ll consider it my homework to get in some quality Olympic coverage and report back to you. I’d love to see some water polo too! And also synchronized swimming. Those gals rock.
Now. Pizza. You know all about the pizza we make over here, so I feel comfortable telling you about the batch in detail. I don’t have to hide my food geekery from you. The other night I got the itch to make it Friday Pizza Night on a Saturday and had just enough garden zucchini and patty pan squash for the topping. And then I ended up with some spare dough and an armful of rhubarb that my mother had pulled from our two plants the day before. (I think she wanted to take some of it home, but I neglected to say she could because I’m a horrible, rhubarb-hoarding daughter.) So I made a quick rhubarb pizza for dessert and now I want to try all kinds of dessert pizza. Apples! Berries! Chocolate and cherries! Wouldn’t that be amazing? I’ve posted photos of the pizza production. Delicious.
Sole en papillote is just a pretentious way of saying sole cooked in parchment paper. Should I just have said that?!
Okay, so let’s talk shop a little. I know we’ve had this discussion before (maybe more of a mutual lamentation), but I need your feedback again. Procrastination. Writing. That draft of a novel that’s due sometime soon. How the hell are you (read: me) going to get it done? (And, how will it not suck, but that’s maybe a different conversation.) I’ve set a goal for myself of the end of August for a draft of my next novel to my editor and right now I’m looking at the calendar and all those cushy weeks between me and the end of the month, but I know that with the baby and summer and work and the garden and Pizza Fridays and on top of that, excellent procrastination skills, I might never make my deadline. Which seems crazy right now because all those weeks! So what’s your strategy? I know you’ve got even more going on with two babes, so let’s get our heads together and come up with some ideas. Please?
Well, it’s late and tomorrow we are headed to Saltspring Island and Pender Island for our first camping trip with little e. I’m anticipating a lot of consuming of minerals from the dirt in our campsite. For her. Maybe us too. But mostly her. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I feel like there were a lot of parentheses used in this letter. Also, I have not delivered the garden update I promised last time. I fear I’m becoming the kind of letter writer who only dangles the carrot (oh, so punny!). How about: unless something much more exciting comes up for me to tell you about, there will be a garden update next time.
Smooches,
Ria
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