Good morning and happy Saturday! It’s the last day of April, a good time to look back at the month that was. Also on tap: art and blooms from Tucson Botanical Gardens, memes, and various bits of personal news. But first: welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Pull up a seat, grab a drink, and let’s chat. Writing I started to come out of my writing slump in April, though I still haven’t been as productive as I was most of last year. I got feedback on Vanishing, Inc. from a beta reader and continued slogging away on Delta Dawn. The big news in April: My nonfiction piece about my mother’s last Christmas (“A Christmas Duet”) was published in Harmony Magazine! This is my first published nonfiction piece and a departure from the usual murder and mayhem I write about. I also took two writing classes: Personal Writing Workshop: Style, Structure, and Prose, sponsored by Flagstaff Writers Connection and taught by Margaret Erhart. Writing Thrillers and Other Dangerous Novels from Lawson Writer’s Academy and taught by Julie Rowe. Both were very good and helped me find new enthusiasm for my work. I wrote six blog posts: Flagstaff, writing classes, and the last of the 2020 COVID memes “A Christmas Duet” is published in Harmony Magazine My story became an audio drama Spring has sprung! Sweetwater Trail, flower pics, and a fresh batch of memes Website woes, garden pics and books Travel Most of my travel in April consisted of either walking in my neighborhood or going to work (the thrills never stop around here, I tell ya), but I did drive to Flagstaff early in the month and take a hike in Sweetwater Preserve here in Tucson. And last weekend, Long-Suffering Husband and I visited the Tucson Botanical Gardens again. I know I’ve shared tons of pictures from the gardens (like here, here, here, here, and here), but this was our first spring visit, and it was amazing. First up: the Glass in Flight exhibit from Tucson artist Alex Heveri. I didn’t get pictures of all his pieces, but here are a few: Next: cactus flowers (c’mon… you knew I was going to post cactus flowers): The iris garden was also in bloom: Miscellaneous flowers: These definitely aren’t muppets. I was surprised to learn there’s no collective noun for a group of cactuses, so I’ll make one up: A prickle of cactuses (hey, someone got away with a murder of crows). Next week I’m off to New Orleans for my first in-person work conference in about 3 years. So next week’s post should contain pictures that a) include water, and b) don’t include cactuses. What a novel concept. Life stuff Last week I met up with some friends from Portland who were visiting down here in the land of sunshine and venomous creatures. I hadn’t seen them since about 2010, so it was wonderful to catch up. I haven’t talked much about what Instagram influencers call their, “Fitness Journey” (the rest of us call it Getting Up Off the Damn Couch Already), but after some not-great lab results at my last physical, I committed to a) getting up out of my damn chair already, and b) eating like a grown-ass adult instead of an unsupervised ten-year-old. I’m happy to report that I’m running 2-3 times per week, eating actual vegetables, eating sweets only occasionally, exercising most days, and weight training a couple of times a week. I’ve also lost about five pounds, but weight loss was never my primary goal. My primary goal is to live a longer, healthier life, so I have the time and energy to do the things that matter to me. I still crave chocolate and Extra Toasty Cheez-Its (and still indulge in both–but in much smaller quantities than before), but I’m being more intentional about how I care for my body. My efforts seem to be paying off–I have less joint pain and more stamina. I’m waiting on my most recent lab results, so we’ll see if my numbers have improved. I sincerely hope so. I want maximum payoff for Cheez-It deprivation. My new commitment to not eating like a child will be sorely tested in New Orleans. My schedule is full of events that include meals, and I’ll be in close proximity to Cajun food and beignets. If you hear a series of loud thuds next week, that’ll be me falling off the healthy eating wagon. Memes No meme theme this week, just random crap that made me smile when I was supposed to be working or writing. Ah, I remember the days when people would laugh when I fell down. *sigh* At least I stand a reasonable chance of living long enough to get old(er), unlike these poor folks: Yes, please do leave me at the seaside. Just for the halibut. Speaking of food: I presume those cannabis leaves will be served with bacon. And more food fun: Long-Suffering Husband would like to register an objection. Neither of these categories include pizza. Back to aging: And my bad hips and bad back and… *sigh* Totally me. Also, when I say something happened a couple of weeks/months ago, it almost certainly happened last year. Yup. In the last decade or so, all my injuries have happened when I was doing something boring and ordinary: walking downstairs, washing dishes, pruning plants… and sleeping. I can think of few better descriptions of me than, “You’re old and you want tacos.” Except for this one: Or maybe this one (but replace coffee with Diet Pepsi): Let’s change gears and get creepy. Ghostbusters, my ass. Where’s the ghost collection agency? There are worse postmortem possibilities: “We were a lawyer, for god’s sake.” I. Am. Dying. (and hopefully will come back as a ghost/zombie combo–“we were a librarian, for god’s sake.”) Used to have cats. Can confirm. And “Kibble Chalice” is my new band name. Let’s have some more fun with the English language: This one made me snort-laugh: Now I want to be a pirate HR rep. And finally: How about y’all? Fun plans this weekend? Favorite healthy snacks to entice me away from the Extra Toasty Cheez-Its? Tips for what to do in New Orleans (in the short periods between presentations and meetings)?