Mandi Tomato

A bowl of bright red, deliciously ripe tomatoes.

My children.

I'm going to try and communicate with my Republican colleagues in a new way.

No aurora yet, but I did see an owl in flight over the pasture silhouetted against the last of the sunset, so that was pretty freakin’ magical.

The Blues Brothers would've run this man over with their car in a heartbeat

Saying “haboob” in the most Chicago accent I can muster.

Ankle keeps calling me in on my day off.

An Agoraphobe Goes to the Grocery Store (Gift Article) It had been more than 365 days since I went to the supermarket. So I steeled myself and ventured out.

My first piece for the New York Times, in this Sunday’s magazine. Digital animation and print illustration by Nata Metlukh. Many thanks to Kate LaRue, Senior Digital Art Director & Editor, who reached out to ask if I’d write about how agoraphobia can make a mundane trip extraordinary.

Today I know I need to post some more cool deep-sea science but am feeling very resistant today. The best I can do is combine the two. A thread.

Sorry I haven’t been very active on here the last week my 11 year old has been describing a video game to me.

I first saw this when my kids were young and started responding to their endless streams of “Mama” with my best impression of the increasingly agitated “Yes!”

YouTube video by aidan gilmore Toast of :London - Yes.

No matter how many times I watch this I die laughing. Matt Berry (aka Lazlo from Shadows) is a comedy genius.

A storage board for tools. The tools are worn from long use, and some of the tools are missing, but their impressions have been left on the board by bleaching from the sun.

With patient trial and error, younger kiddo has discovered the perfect amount of time to microwave a chocolate chip cookie to make it taste fresh baked. 7 seconds. His dedication to solving the problem has been inspiring. Just a small man on a step stool in front of the microwave, doing the work.

I’ve been sick since Christmas Eve and it’s a real bummer because I was hoping to spend the winter break laying about while feeling perfectly well vs laying about with a sniffle. It feels like wasted time.

Spacey Christmas with this lovely animation from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory!

This is the Christmas Tree Nebula, and they've added X-ray data which winks on and off to be the fairy lights :-)

Link here chandra.si.edu/photo/2024/n...

Longest night, but I ran two Nutcrackers today, so it really felt like longest day as well.

Apologized to the exterminator guy this morning for the state of my yard. He took it as a reference to the windstorm instead of the fact that I’ve avoided any meaningful yardwork since the spring, but I just went with it. The windstorm is also why my hair looks like this.

PSA for those facing extended power outage: your kids have been playing with the flashlights and instead of being in the kitchen drawer, they are under their beds. They are out of battery. Good luck out there!

The power’s out and the neighbor’s garbage bins have blown down the street, so that’s made for an exciting evening. But my roof is still intact and my kids are sleeping soundly, so I’ll count my blessings and head to bed.

if Seattle suddenly stops skeeting, you'll know we've blown away

🎶 Bluesky echo chamber how do you do?
Helllo
Hello
Hello
Hello
🎶Bluesky echo chamber I’m calling you
Hello
Hello
Hello
Hello🎶

Making soup and working on a jigsaw puzzle. I’m keeping things real domestic to insulate me from the world.

I went to church this morning for the second week in a row but ducked out before coffee hour because aghh people are scary. I’m very much caught between my desire for community and my social anxiety.

I screamed. And then he ran three plus miles after that?! He’s still running even now?!

It’s 10:00pm. Do you know your spider plant is wilted mess?

YouTube video by SaraBareillesVEVO Sara Bareilles - Orpheus (Official Audio)

A song for reflection. m.youtube.com/watch?v=LWMB...

Part of my job is dancing to silly songs with three year olds, and it is top tier soul restoration. 10/10 would recommend.

You are allowed to celebrate good things that are happening today: your birthday, a book coming out, new baby, new puppy, seeing your favorite piece of art in person, etc.

Joy is the knife that stabs into the heart of despair & apathy.

Feel your joys, big & small, & share them widely & loudly.

My heart hurts this morning. I thought I was prepared for this outcome, but I really didn’t believe we would see four more years of this.

This weekend I have attended a K-Pop dance class and disassembled then reassembled a leaking sink. Both are things I would normally avoid doing because I’m bad at them, but instead I think I’ll make it the theme for this month - suck and do it anyway.