Did You Know Taco Cat Is A Palindrome?

I've been holding off on publishing my latest pieces as a possible collaboration with some old friends might happen soon. Hopefully I'll have news to pass on next week.

Here's what's in the works/already written:

• expansion on cis-heteronormativity's impact on all of us

• why Maine failed to pass gun safety legislation that could have prevented a mass shooting

• Thanksgiving could be a near perfect holiday if we'd ditch the propaganda

• there is no oppression Olympics and who'd want to win anyway

• why a life-long commitment to LGBTQ+ advocacy came easily—childhood storytime again starring my parents

• thoughts from the marginalized view—a bit of an afterward for this piece 'But Where Are You Really From?'

• what Indigenous peoples mean by “decolonize”

• how people like Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh and Brock Turner are created—includes storytime from my Ivy League days

There are a number of gifting holidays coming up across multiple traditions and faiths.

Might I recommend shopping with an Indigenous female owned, small business that promotes her local artists?

Touchstone Gallery in Yachats, Oregon offers gift wrapping and shipping to your giftee.

Let the gallerist, Jacquee, know what you're looking for and/or your budget and she'll pull some gift ideas for you to consider via email or Instagram or Facebook messenger.

She also takes phone orders.

Or if you're on the Pacific Coast Highway traveling between California, Oregon and Washington, stop in at 2118 Highway 101N, Bldg 3, Yachats, Oregon.

She's on Instagram and Facebook with separate profiles for the Touchstone Gallery cats of which there have been four since 2010: Java, Čhočhó, Tiger Lily and Mitsou.

Jacquee curates artworks from 120 Oregon artists to offer “whimsical, sophisticated and graceful designs.”

She has ceramics, glass, fiber and paper arts, paintings and drawings, jewelry and fashion accessories, decorative and practical items, all unique and often one of a kind.

So why the hype job for an art gallery in Oregon when I live in Maine?

Christnot isn't a common last name. In fact, if you meet a Christnot in the United States they're either my sibling, nibling, cousin or married to a cousin.

We have some distant relatives, but they spell their name Christenot.

Jacqueline Agnes Christnot is Mithaŋ—my younger sister in Lakȟótiyapi—and the owner, artist-in-residence and gallerist of Touchstone Gallery.

COVID sucks and retailers are still not recovered—especially small business owners that were reliant on tourism in a tiny Oregon former fishing village.

So if you're buying gifts in the next two months or want to treat yourself, please consider Touchstone Gallery.

Personally, I love the cats…

…both the ceramic ones by Ann Lahr of Sly One Studio and the fluffy Japanese Bobtail inspecting the latest litter.

As for taco cat, if you reverse the letters—taco cat to tac ocat—it's a palindrome, a word or words that are spelled the same backwards and forward.

As always, philámayaye wopíla for supporting my writing.

Have an excellent Sunday!

~ Nikakwaho'tá':'ah Wá’tsik / Šung'mánitu Ápé / Amelia