Wannaskan (Aloha!) Almanac for Saturday, November 3rd

Good morning and welcome to the Saturday edition of the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is November 3rd, aka the first Saturday of the month. Start your holiday shopping. (Note: Diva Days is happening in Roseau today!)

I leave for Kauai tomorrow! (See more below.)

One of my favorite parts about Halloween is taking the kids trick-or-treating through our neighborhood. I have wonderful neighbors. Even though trick-or-treating seems to be on the decline, our faithful neighbors know that our kids will be out making the rounds and it just warms my heart. It was tempting to get weepy as I repeated over and over, "Thank you. Thank you for being there for my kids. Happy Halloween."

And Halloween in Warroad wouldn't be complete without a stop at the witch's house. Our little Batman wasn't too sure this was the cool thing to do once we got up to the porch where the infamous hag stood at her large black cauldron, stirring her brew of goodies. Fortunately, his courage returned after he got his treat and we hightailed it out of there.

This week, I discovered that if I attend holy days of obligation in Roseau and go grocery shopping in the early morning hours on certain weekdays in Warroad, I get an added bonus of bumping into my fellow Wannaskan Almanac peeps. Not sure what Chairman Joe was thinking when he opened the lid to the holy water, but I smiled anyway, thinking it must be one of those cradle Catholic things. Also, the Chairman got to meet our Wannaskan Almanac Kid Writer in Residence, aka WAKIR, and birthday twin, in person!

Selfie with our Word Wednesday whiz

Favorite Tweet of the Week 

A Nice Writerly Reminder this Week

Shocking Spelling Discovery of the Week - UPDATE: Since I admitted to the misspelling of "to pore over something," I've seen this verb used in at least three different contexts in the last week.

Recipe Recommendation of the Week: Pork Adobo and Pork Vendaloo
And we're back to pork. My husband complained a week ago that my meat could be spicier. (Apparently, just throwing it in the oven and calling it good would only last so long.) So, I pulled out Old Joy, aka Joy of Cooking, my favorite cookbook, and delved into some spicy adventures. I wowed the family with not one, but TWO, spicy dishes and we all give thumbs up to both of these recipes. Be sure to make a lot of rice because - woowee! - these meats have got some heat!

Pork Adobo - I even found the recipe online, reproduced with permission!
So my mistake here was not removing the seeds after soaking the dried chili peppers. On the other hand, a little extra heat warms the body on these chilly autumn days. Kids know I'm the wing it type, so a helpful tip - I use apple juice and some vinegar when I don't have apple cider vinegar. I have no idea if it works, but it tastes good!

Pork Vendaloo - This recipe isn't exactly like Old Joy, but close enough.
Ever since my first bite of the most delicious freshly made naan and curry I have ever tasted in an  Indian restaurant in Brno, Czech Republic, I've been hooked. This delectable dish proved a winner! The sweetness of the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon provides a delightful balance to the warmth of the cumin and curry. A different kind of heat than the Latino dish above. The flavors are an adventure for the tastebuds!

Heartwarming Halloween Movie That Gets Our Family Stamp of Approval: Coco

Book That Caught My Eye This Week - TBR: Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Along with other awareness efforts, November is Native American Heritage Month. Today is Native American Stories Family Day.  I bet your local library is full of books you could read with your family. (They're nice like that.)

Here's a YA book that JUST RELEASED on October 9th. Hot off the press. Check it out.

Have another Native American author recommendation? Mention it in the comments and I will share with readers in my next post!

Book Recommendations from Wannaskan Almanackers from October 27th:

- Cormac McCarthy (Mark Twain and Jack London, when they go there...)
- Favorite western: "True Grit."

# of Days Until the Kauai Writer's Conference: 1

Excitement level on a scale of 1 -100: 100! (Plus or minus a few points depending on random thoughts in any given moment.)

This week, I finished prepping my pitch and other bits for the conference. For my masterclass, I've read and critiqued eleven other author submissions and have only one more to go. The weather forecast calls for highs of 80 and lows of 75. The sun rises around 6:30 AM and sets at 6:00 PM. Daylight savings begins tomorrow, November 4th. Hawaii doesn't recognize daylight savings. So, starting tomorrow, the time difference will be only four hours.

A big shout-out to these fabulous local shops in Warroad: The Corner Closet for helping me put together some outfits, to Studio 2:12 for my haircut and to Rhoda's Closet for my fashionable new watch! These local and fabulous female business owners  knew just what I needed to make a good impression.

Thanks to the friends who sent me the postcard pictured above from their own Hawaii adventures a couple of weeks ago. My bags are (not yet) packed and I am ready (mentally) to go!

Fun Facts from the Kids

 - If you mix your chocolate candy with the other non-chocolate candy, the chocolate tastes funny.

- Intelligence isn't measured by brain size; it's measured by the ratio of brain to body.

- Dead bodies were thrown over fortresses as a form of biological warfare in the Middle Ages.

- Gold has to be mixed with other metals because it is too soft. Gold is a better conductor than copper. But we use copper because it's cheaper. Otherwise, we'd have gold electrical wiring and our house would be super expensive.

- Kid Experiment: The Oldest is letting The Youngest play with a color-by-number app on her phone. Her hypothesis: fine motor skills and brain development are improved when toddler uses this kind of app. They're both coloring on the couch. It's so adorable.

On This Day

Historic Highlights (credits)

1978 - Dominica gains independence
The Caribbean Island nation gained its independence from the British after being colonized in 1805.

1973 - NASA launches Mariner 10
The last of the Mariner Program, Mariner 10 was the first spacecraft to flyby two planets - Venus and Mercury. The probe flew by Venus on February 5, 1974, and did 3 flybys of Mercury on March 29, 1974, September 21, 1974, and on March 16, 1975, after which communications with the probe were terminated.

1954 - Godzilla released
The Japanese science fiction starring a mutated monster of the same name became an instant hit.

1868 - John Willis Menard elected to U.S. House of Representatives
He became the first African-American to be elected to the house.

1838 - The Times of India founded
The world's largest English-language daily was launched as a bi-weekly as the Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce in Bombay, India.

Happy Birthday to You!🎶 

1957 - Dolph Lundgren, Swedish actor

1949 - Anna Wintour, English/American journalist, editor

1933 - Amartya Sen, Indian economist, Nobel Prize laureate

1918 - Bob Feller, American baseball player

1815 - John Mitchel, Irish journalist, activist

Hunters be safe, Diva Days shoppers enjoy great finds, all the rest of you enjoy a warm cuppa tea or coffee with your favorite people and/or book and make it a great Saturday!

Aloha!

-Kim