Bugs are a big part of my job.

Depending on how well and how long you’ve known me, that sentence might have you guffawing.

I’m not sure how I went from girl-who-freaks-out-when-she-sees-ants to bug-lover. But somehow, every Friday I find myself staring at these big sticky traps, counting the still-wriggling olive fruit flies, soldier beetles, leafhoppers, and other little beasties.

I also maintain a dozen little gardens at three vineyards. These insectaries are full of flowers and a diversity of plants, there to lure in pollinators and provide habitat for beneficial insects like lacewings and ladybugs. I love spending mornings weeding or planting in these spots that are bursting with life of all kinds — not just the plants and bugs, but hummingbirds darting between flowers and blue-bellied lizards doing pushups in the sunny spots.

I made vegan palak paneer! And it came out almost completely okay! Used Manjula’s recipe, subbing coconut milk for heavy cream and firm, unpressed tofu for paneer. Couldn’t hardly tell the difference, neither!

I’ve been cooking a lot of horrible food recently, (after a good streak, I had the gall to tell my new boy, “I’m a really good cook.” And BAM, since then everything’s tasted like shit.) so it’s very nice to have finally made something edible.

I thought last night’s cooking mojo would carry over and bless me with good pancakes this morning, but holy crap were they flavorless. They looked so promising, too.

In other news, the Remus jumper is back on track! Again! But really, this time! I ripped it out all the way to before the armholes, set fire to the SIX attempted sleeves, and am going for a seamless sweater ala Elizabeth Zimmermann and her Amazing Percent System! Maybe raglan, maybe seamless hybrid with the fancy yoke — who cares, I don’t have to decide until the sleeves are done.