Three Beautiful Things 09-08-2024: Copper's Closet Spot, Reading *Perma Red*, Carne Asada for Dinner

1. I'm enjoying taking pictures of the various ways Copper spends his days and the various ways he presents himself to the world.  Several years ago, Mom purchased a cloth laundry bag with the word "Laundry" printed on it. I had it lying on the floor of my closet, empty, flat to the floor, and, many months ago, Copper started to lie on it, sleep on it, relax on it. He's claimed it as his own. He seems to enjoy being in the closet and just likes having this bag underneath him. I admit, it doesn't make for an artful, attention grabbing picture, but photographing Copper in the closet presented me with some challenges and I got out my kit lens for the first time in forever, snapped a picture I can live with after several attempts, and here he is: Copper sleeping on the laundry bag in the closet! 

 

2.  I'm into the next book I'm reading from the Leah Sottile list. Once again, I'm reading a book that takes place on an Indian reservation, but Debra Magpie Earling's Perma Red is not set in North Dakota, but in Montana on the Flathead Reservation near and in the towns of Parma, Dixon, Paradise, and others. The book takes place in the 1940s and tells the story of a teenaged girl becoming a woman. Her name is Louise White Elk. She is a fiery teenager, determined to forge her own way in life, not to be defeated by the abusive schools she attends, the cruelty of adults she can't avoid, as well as the cruelty of poverty and the all too ubiquitous intrusion of death in her young life. 

3. At Trader Joe's this past Wednesday, I purchased another hunk of beef that is marinated in a package. This one was a Carne Asada which I grilled on the stovetop. I also made a pot of white rice and cooked up a mess of vegetables in butter -- zucchini, white onion, yellow pepper, and corn -- seasoned with the Southwest Spice Blend I made, patterned after the blend found in several HelloFresh meals. 

Currently, I am on a low potassium diet, so I'm steering clear of potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, bananas, and other potassium rich foods. 

But, Debbie isn't restricted, so I boiled a couple of potatoes for her, just in case she thought they might taste good in place of or along with the rice.

This was a successful meal and I have a small container of Carne Asada bits left over and, as I peer into the future, I see some street tacos for lunch on Monday.