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Making It With Mandaline/Business/When Ming Attempted to Steal My Salmon: A Hilarious Tale of Food and Fun

When Ming Attempted to Steal My Salmon: A Hilarious Tale of Food and Fun

Thursday, March 05, 2026

Yesterday it was seventy-five degrees… the kind of early spring day that makes you want to carry lunch outside.

If you’ve ever wondered how people actually build income online while still having afternoons like that, I’m hosting something soon that might interest you. The Online Income Playbook Summit begins March 16th, and you can reserve a free seat here:

https://speakers.theonlineincomeplaybooksummit.org/amanda

That thought happened to cross my mind yesterday while I was carrying my lunch out to the deck with my Kindle and a plate of salmon.

After months of cold weather, the air suddenly smells like flowers again and the sun feels warm on your shoulders instead of something you hurry past on the way inside.

I had barely settled into my chair when Ming appeared.

Ming is my cat, and in her mind the rules of the universe are very simple. If food exists, it probably belongs to her.

She studied the salmon on my plate with great seriousness and decided it should immediately be transferred to her custody.

When that plan failed, she climbed onto the chair beside me and tried a different strategy.

She sat directly on my Kindle.

Life with Ming involves a lot of negotiations like that.

Eventually she gave up on the salmon and stretched out beside me in the sun, keeping a very close eye on the situation in case I made a mistake and left the plate unattended.

While I was sitting there, though, I had one of those moments where you step back and notice your life for a second.

Not in a dramatic way.

Just a small realization.

How grateful I am for afternoons like that.

A slow lunch.
A good book.
A cat keeping a close watch on my plate.

It reminded me why I decided to host the Online Income Playbook Summit again this year.

Because when most people begin exploring the idea of earning money online, what they are really hoping for is not a complicated business.

What they are hoping for is a little more room in their days.

Room to eat lunch outside.

Room to read a few pages of a book.

Room to decide what a Tuesday afternoon looks like.

The internet tends to make online income sound much more complicated than it actually needs to be. There are endless strategies, platforms, and opinions about what people “should” be doing.

But most successful online businesses begin in a much simpler way.

One skill.

One idea.

One clear way of helping someone.

From there, things begin to grow.

That is the spirit behind the Online Income Playbook Summit.

For five days, thoughtful entrepreneurs will be sharing how they built income online in ways that still allow their lives to look like… well, life.

Different paths.

Different skills.

Different stories.

But the same underlying belief that work should support your life instead of taking it over.

If you’ve been curious about earning income online but feel unsure where to begin, I hope you’ll join us.

You can reserve your free seat here:

https://speakers.theonlineincomeplaybooksummit.org/amanda

In the meantime, Ming has made it very clear that she still believes the salmon situation was handled incorrectly.

​And she will be keeping a close watch in case I make the same mistake again.

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Hi, I'M Amanda

Artist, Author, & Entrepreneur

Welcome to my creative hub! I'm Amanda, a multifaceted entrepreneur and enthusiast in the realms of doll repair, artistry, essential oils, literary delights, and family adventures.

My journey began with a burning desire to craft a life filled with passion and purpose, and over the years, I've worn many hats ~ from doll doctor to artist, essential oils advocate to writer, and dedicated special-needs mom to outdoor adventurer.

Through this blog, I invite you to join me on a captivating voyage where we'll dive into the art of doll repair, explore the world of fine art, discover the wonders of essential oils, savor delicious recipes, and embark on family adventures in the great outdoors.

I'm here to share my expertise, experiences, and inspirations with you. Together, we'll unlock the secrets to a fulfilling and creative life. So, let's dive into the colorful tapestry of my passions and expertise and start crafting a life we love.