Drove into town this morning as the skies thickened, drizzle in Home Depot parking lot as I ventured into their green house for potting soil. Hostas on sale, so soil and hostas quickly in car before rain. Within minutes it became a down pour, and I asked the Obama organizer that I be excused from voter registration in front of Target. I don't want this nose cold and cough to become aggravated in this cold damp day.
Now with Pandora's Leonard Cohen radio, I am warm and happy with Mr. Lee sleeping nearby. I have transplanted my three small eggplant seedlings into larger vessels for the summer with chicken compost and some wormy casings. The sun is breaking out of the bank of grey leading me to think that I might find places for my 4 hostas. May even tackle the new weed eater machine. The weather for the next week forecasts 80's Wednesday or Thursday; perhaps I should be savoring this chill. Watching a crow on the hill, I guess looking for worms; earlier a red bellied woodpecker and a female cardinal were both on the suet holder - not long together before the cardinal flew off. The orange poppies are blooming beginning to take off, joy.
Played with DD all morning; she is a trampoline super star. I laughed so hard trying to do a drop seat (?) that I could hardly manage to stay upright! It is a wonderful big trampoline and Baba and DD are quite good already. I think I feel a good deal safer doing my qigong bouncing on the ground - but I know DD will coax me onto the circular mat in the air again.
I got the red and blue potatoes into the ground today - which I have wanted to do, but was hampered by rain. Also got the chain saw going and trimmed dead limbs from trees around the house. Took my new weed eater out of its box and am charging another battery.
Our multimedia artist group met Thursday to reconfigure our script for performance; we got an amazing amount of work done. I just finished putting together a new script thanks to Susan's forwarding to me the outline! LOOSE THREADS is our title at this point and Elizabeth has agreed to sing which absolutely lightens my heart.Beautiful day!
This morning's smoothie: one banana, two slices of fresh pineapple, handful of fresh spinach from grocery, and handful of green from my garden (beet, chard and tender greens) - and 1/3 cup of water. Will post other concoctions during the summer. Yesterday I added an aloe leaf and part of mango. I learned to restrain myself from being too creative as some combinations are too strong to stomach easily; bitter greens need to be balance by some sweet fruit. The ripeness of the bananas makes a difference also. Variety is highly recommended; I over did the watercress smoothies. Watercress has gone to seed, but will produce another crop later in the summer - I can root under the flowering tops to find tender leaves still. Fortunately, the garden is beginning to offer delicious options. Baldwin likes the tender pea plants - I haven't tried, but plan to soon. I usually add several parsley leaves.
Coming out of Qigong to snow flurries, wet and less threatening for being April 23. With such a warm winter, I harbored the notion that we would have spring frosts of various levels of destruction. My irises have suffered as did the wisteria; and if it drops precipitously into freezing zone tonight or tomorrow night, the new leaves just budding on the trees may suffer. I think my garden will be ok, though I will put some pine needles on the just rising from the soil po
tatoes - they definitely don't take well to frost. I've still a bag of beautiful blue and red potatoes to plant. Happily, the green house is snug and I have plants pulled into the dinning room. They sit by the glass doors adjusting to the lower light and I imagine glad to avoid the blustery day outside. Listening to Levon Helm on Pandora, Mr. Lee at my feet. Going to bundle up for a walk soon; Alma's coming over for soup tonight.
I drove so carefully today into town to the grocery. Yesterday, I luckily was going slow enough to allow a car to pull out almost directly in front of me on route 8. But later, it was me who made a wide turn in front of a small VW I didn't see. Then in Lowe's parking lot waiting for Baldwin and chatting with DD about flying pigs, I didn't see Baldwin come out of the store and drove off, albeit, slowly to look at flowers, with Baldwin hanging onto the car door. Oopse, dangerous Old lady at the wheel.
Saturday, a good day for worms or so I decided. Cleaned out one of the worm bins and filled a 5 gallon bucket with the rich gooey black compost. My plants will be happy and enough to share with Mindy and Baldwin who are raising seedlings for us all. They made it to the river today, but after I walked to the mail box with Mr. Lee this morning, I decided a river walk was too much for him. He was exhausted after the trip to the top of the road, panting and restless. Rescue remedy did work to calm him down.
This afternoon, rain, green greener - lightning - with a forecast of cooler temperatures through the weekend. By Monday I may be moving plants inside, the few I have liberated early from the green house, such as the calla lilies just tall enough to begin to unfurl. Along with three bromeliads from New Orleans - which Sharon tells me can take a frost - but I am fearful of testing, especially as she lost the many she had on her porch in Ocean Springs from freeze. My four tuberous begonias are also on the deck, just risen above the dirt; but I know their leaves are sensitive to the frost - so I'll move them in.
Tomorrow is Earth Day. I had thought to plant my Chicago Fig - but not with the forecast. I will do something in celebration - Qigong at the very least in the yard!
Mr. Lee was tail down lethargic yesterday, didn't eat nor drink; alarmed, I took him to the vet to have him tested for the dreaded tick disease, Lyme's. His test turned positive in 5 minutes, 1/2 the designated time; I came home with antibiotics for a month. Fortunately, Mr. Lee perked up once home and DD stopping bye. He ate some food and I gave him his first pill - and he lapped up some plain yogurt. Today he has been better, although very easily over excited, panting as if it were 90 degrees which it is not close to being. We were going to join Mindy and DD on their walk to the river, but I decided it would be 
too much for Lee - and we went inside to read on my yellow chair. His heart rate was up and it took him awhile to deflate. But he is eating well today. We both enjoyed DD and the two Christine's visiting! Mr. Lee took to Chris' lap while we chatted and watched the young ones play with the doll house and blocks. Grandmas play date, a very very satisfying time. "I like Christine," said DD afterward; "but why two Christines?" ah...
Mr. Lee on Monday in celebration mood sitting on Diane's lap. Today, he can hardly jump up into a lap and I have carried him upstairs a couple of times today. He was delighted to have Chris and Christine here this morning and it was a quiet time for him. Wish I had taken pictures, but do have one of Chris from Monday. There is nothing as sad as a sick dog! Luckily for Mr. Lee, I stopped by the Buffalo & More Restaurant yesterday evening and bought a pound of their home cured local bacon. I cooked one piece this morning and saved the grease for Mr. Lee's kibbles. I think this is the first piece of bacon I have eaten in two years - sinfully good.
Web out to celebrate my 67th and to usher in light and warmth and party time on my deck, shooing off any lingering despair of winter! Mr Lee beside himself with laps upon which he might park and the smell of Ann's meat loaf, Susan's asparagus quiche or Elizabeth's deviled eggs. Mr. Lee proved to be most fond of Diane. What a fine delicious evening; even though half of us can't manage a walk to the river, we still rouse sparks and much laughter. Memories of the evening danced in my head as I washed dishes - I had vision of our performance which I will hope to commit to page. Today I stare at the poppy seed lemon pound cake tickled that my breakfast is fixed for days to come!
lucky me
Saturn's Day and the first orange poppy has burst from its wrap! No frost last night, we seem to be moving into a warm week after frosty mornings which left my wisteria a mass of dangling threads. Speaking of "threads", my friends and I are working to urge our production forward which was stopped last fall from development due to illness and conflicting priorities. Our meetings are always good for the soul - I think we are more "loose" threads, or perhaps, "dangled." Whatever we may be, our friendship, over 37 years plus, keeps us healthy and hungry for inspiration, learning, and growth.
Second Melanoma Surgery in Two Months
Susan watches my back
as the scalpel slices 4 1/2 inches down / between my spine and left scapula
then carefully arcs out an inch wide long slice
of flesh
including the melanoma,
ferried to the lab
I try to get the surgeon to tell me if it is likely
I will have a third tiny black hole.
He says no, that two are rare enough
I ask: "do they die before they develop a third?"
silence
I laugh
his two interns smile.
"Oh, we will keep a close check on you," he says.
Poem last night when I returned from Democratic meeting. And I am working on another poem for Diane about our Rosicrucian class! Beautiful day after a frozen awakening, I'm off to Blacksburg for Web rehearsal and then home for dinner at the blue house which I am looking forward to. Ez calling from Trinidad sounding very well after a dinner of roasted goat which inspired him and Jen to send me a Heifer goat for my birthday! Jen calling from Houston so busy with school, but sounding good and strong and beautiful! Ready for the day.
Silliness is Nanee in proximity of grand-child. Silliness and delight and gobbligook talk.
There's time enough for serious deep thoughts, but sunshine has to be respected and play is ultra-important. Ask Mr. Lee, he goes wild when DD enters the house and brings his toys out. Maybe we'll grow up, but only slightly on Nanee's watch!
Weeding is like karma. The grass in my flower beds tells me this as I struggle to claw out the tangled roots. What I have neglected to deal with last year returns the next year in spades. Why can't the grass just stay in the yard and the flower bed remain flowers? Not of my world; and I refuse to use poison weed killers. So...it is no magic kingdom here; I've no in with the devas. In fact I am living this bad ass incarnation as best I can! And after three more evenings of Rosicrucian medical astrology, I am learning to articulate what it is I need to do to cultivate the flower bed of my spirit. Not sure about that analogy. But the struggle with weeds in my gardens has long remarked on the state of my being. Messy! Neglected! Besides it is Saturday, Saturn's day, a good day for dealing with dirt.
