Say hello to my little friend: or, contra myself on reference works and conviviality

I always wanted to write a blog post that began “Contra myself,” and now I’ve done it. Cross another one off the bucket list.

Hiked up to the high peak (2500 feet give or take) at Hanging Rock State Park last week with my daughter. From here you could see Mount Mitchell, except for all the haze. It’s pretty anyway.

If you are grilling hot dogs this weekend, consider topping them with pimiento cheese, watermelon pickle, and yellow mustard. I am completely serious, and you are welcome.

On whether reference works can be “convivial” tools, a very bloggy attempt to pick at a small issue in hopes of finding the thread that links it to bigger ones.

Cherry tomato time. This is half a week’s haul. If you want some, stop by!

Soon there will be cucumbers galore—
Twenty, thirty, forty, maybe more.
I’ll slice them up and put them in a salad,
And leave the skins on so they won’t look pallid.

Every few years I reupholster a secondhand chair thinking it will be my chair. But it always belongs to the dog.

Are you still boring? What if
The snow leopard dream team is you?
Don’t be a sweaty sleeper.
Fix your leaky windows.
I screwed up.
I screwed up.
I screwed up.

For you locals, I’ll be at Popup Raleigh today, Saturday, from 12–5, along with some other great artisans; also beer, food trucks, and a bounce house. Dogs welcome (probably not in the bounce house). Come on out and say hi!