Supply Run

Inspirational song: A Little Is Enough (Pete Townshend)

I have no legitimate excuse for being as tired as I am today. I've been walking around all day acting like I've been awake straight through since last week. Suck it up, kid. You slept just fine last night. Enough of this nonsense.

My daughter has spent the last three days moving her home office into a bigger, brighter room in her house. I needed some rejuvenating family time, so I offered to come by and keep her company a little while as she put her computers back together. She asked me to stop on the way to get her some foam core boards and tacks. I had also been assigned the mission of making another macrame plant hanger for our house, so I elected to buy my supplies from Hobby Lobby, where I could get all of those things. I ended up wandering through almost every aisle in the store (mostly because I couldn't figure out where they hid thumbtacks), and only ended up with one extra impulse buy. I saw a whole row of little jars - not just Mason jars but apothecary bottles and clear canisters, and I just about lost my mind. I tamped down the impulsive inner child demanding all of them and only bought two small jelly jars. I think I'm going to attempt to make lilac jelly from the bushes outside. It could be great. It could be horrifying. Stay tuned.

I had to remind myself as I wandered the store that it was actually only April 30. I saw an awful lot of pumpkins on offer today. I wasn't upset by decor for high summer, but autumn already? I made myself feel better by walking through the spring garden stuff. They already had out rows and rows of 4th of July decor, which didn't bother me nearly as much. I sent a photo to my daughter, swearing that all that Americana is my love language.

Shady

Inspirational song: Wouldn't It Be Nice (The Beach Boys)

Pretty sure the reason that song is stuck in my head is because I was watching a furniture restoration video with a guy whose business is "Wooden It Be Nice." I hate how easy it was for him to stick me with an earworm.

I am just flat out tired today. I fertilized roses, front yard only, and watered the trays of annuals. I cooked (and discovered an amazing glaze for the grill, made of butter, brown sugar, orange liqueur, crushed pineapple, garlic, chili powder, and vinegar). I had an imaging appointment (all clear). And I sat around and watched kitten births online. Doesn't sound like it would be tiring, but apparently it was.

So here are today's observations in the front garden. Our little Dutch irises are about halfway done. Still some pretty ones. A lot of the new annuals are doing well, especially in the shade garden. I want a lot more of this brunnera, with its dainty blue flowers. And there are sneaky drifts of lemon balm (or bee balm, I forget which) where they were not authorized. I'm tempted to just harvest them for tea to see if I can keep their numbers down. No idea whether it's the kind of thing that would play nice with my immune system. We shall see.

Gertrude

Inspirational song: Dr Heckyll & Mr Jive (Men At Work)

Two inches of rain later, I finally had a chance to get back in my garden today. The weeds I tried to pull near the downspout were a little sticky on Friday, but absolutely gummed up today. I never realized just how much clay is in our soil. It was stuck to everything, my gloves, my tools, my jeans, and most of all, the roots of the bindweed and bellflower. I had to crawl into an awkward, tight spot to pull what I needed, and I spent an hour and a half getting it done thoroughly. It was just long enough that when I got up to stretch before digging the hole for the rose, Mr S-P came back from errands and was available to start digging for me. I still had to finesse it and pick out a thousand and one deep weed roots, but he made quick work out of what would have taken me all day.

I hope the two day delay in getting a bareroot rose in the ground wasn't fatal. It was literally just in a loose plastic bag, in a box. No wood shavings or moss to hold moisture on the roots. When I checked on it at the beginning of the all-day storm, it seemed too dry, so I spritzed it with water. Fingers crossed that was the right call.

As we predicted, once the sun came out, we were able to see an explosion of color out front. There is a profusion of purple that just didn't photograph as vividly as it appears in real life. The deep purple columbines were especially lovely, set off by irises, phlox, and candytuft. The lilacs are still going strong. I should pick a few blooms and make a simple syrup out of them again.

Before I turned out the lights last night, a livestream on YouTube caught my eye. A strong line of storms rolled through the part of Oklahoma where I grew up. Devastating tornadoes hit Sulphur (maybe half an hour to the southwest of my hometown), and Holdenville (about the same distance northeast). I heard there was some serious flooding in Ada as well. Colorado may be my forever home now, but I'll never fully stop being an Okie. My heart goes out to everyone back in the old country.

Washout

Inspirational song: The Rain Song (Led Zeppelin)

Crispy Donkey was correct in his meteorological promises. We did receive a metric boatload of rain. (I'm kind of tempted not to retell the explanation of who Crispy Donkey is.) It was dreary, cold, and sopping wet all day. Now, it is true that I love this kind of weather best of all. But it might be because it just encourages everyone to snuggle in soft blankets and nap to the blissful sound of rain. I can't think of a better way to spend a day.

We got the kids early, so naturally we made it a longer than usual shopping day. We started at Ace Hardware, where they had a BOGO sale on 4-packs of annuals. I went a little nuts there, especially for flowers I can't plant until things dry out at least a little. Then we went to Costco and loaded up on protein sources. I also got another one of those big ol' bricks of cream cheese. I came back from California with some Tate's lemon cookies, and if you know anything about gluten-free cookies, you'll know their natural state is "crumbs." I am inspired to use them to make a lemon-lime cheesecake this week, for no real reason at all, other than it sounds good.

All the dogs had been locked up in the garage since the kids were here, so tonight they were desperate for a chance to go into the backyard. I let them out, and then got distracted. They had a bit too much time to splash around outside. They were still wiggly when they came inside, and refused to listen to me cry, "get off the carpet!" So I guess I know what I'll be doing on Monday (not shampooing on Sunday, because it would be pointless so soon.)

Just a Little Bit of Ste-he-heam

Inspirational song: Charles Atlas Song (Rocky Horror Picture Show)

Now that it is raining thoroughly, and will be for the next 24 hours, I could get away with all those "whoops, sorry, I washed my car today" jokes. I won't make them. I knew it was about to rain when I went through the car wash. I mostly just needed to use their powerful vacuum. It had been too long since I pulled the car seats out of the back of my car, and it was a French fry and spilled beverages nightmare back there. I used to keep a ratty old beach towel under the seats, but for some reason I didn't put it back after the last laundering. I have regrets.

I spent hours scrubbing the interior of the car, first with a gentle all-purpose cleaner, then with the steam machine, then leather cleaner, and finally leather protector. I did the entire back seat and the front passenger, but by the time both the machine and I ran out of steam, the driver's seat was only vacuumed, nothing else. A few raindrops hit me while I was packing up, but it didn't start raining in earnest until after sundown.

I worked myself harder than I realized. I went to Walmart in the evening for one of those small plastic boot trays (for strategic gardening purposes), and just the process of walking to the back of the store, one quick lap through garden (no new acquisitions), and over to self checkout was more than I could handle. I sat in the car several minutes before I had the energy to steer myself home. I made the ultimatum that there would be no more magic window food and no more feeding kids in the car. How long do you think that will last? Will I make it just seven days? (See what I did there?)

Pale and Weedy

Inspirational song: Everything's Coming Up Roses (Ethel Merman)

What a day. I had been stressing for weeks over my real estate insurance renewal, and after Mr S-P offered the advice I wanted to hear, I started working on a plan. Today I requested a quote from a different company, for a scaled-back policy (appropriate for changing needs), and I got the perfect offer. I even paid in full, no need for the financing from last year that just tacked fees on top of fees on top of fees. Old policy expires next month, and I informed them I would not renew.

I felt so relieved that I went out and did things just for me. I put on clothes I could get grubby in, and plopped myself down on the ground to pull weeds. I had the big pop-up can so I make fewer trips to the compost bin, and I remembered to bring a cane so I could get myself off the ground once my hip was too sore to be there anymore. I mostly worked thistles, dandelions, and grasses out of the mulch along the pathway, and at the end I tried getting into the areas that hadn't gotten mulch at all yet. They were much thicker with weeds, and harder to pull. The ground was sopping wet, and the soil had far more clay than I remembered. My progress halted soon after I switched directions. But for all the effort, it was sure nice sitting under several blooming lilacs. The smell was heavenly.

I gave up around 1:30 in the afternoon, and came in to cool off and have lunch. I stared out the window the whole time I ate, waiting for the FedEx truck. I ordered a Gertrude Jekyll climbing rose in early March, and I had to wait until it was time to plant in my zone before they would send it. Today it arrived, in its bareroot splendor. I just wish I'd gotten its spot free of weeds. That's tomorrow's job.

Diss Tracks

Inspirational song: We Didn't Start the Fire (Billy Joel)

We have been waiting for the entire group to be present (minus those who quit) before we played the next encounter in our D&D campaign. We finally played tonight, and the assembled crew was on fire...and so were some of the non-player characters. The smart-alecky repartee was snappy. The game play was moving quickly. So much fun.

We had a lot of arguing with the DM over the course of the evening. You're really not supposed to do that. During one rules-weasel type line of questioning, Mr S-P was described as generally playing fast and loose with the rule books, which he considers a jumping off point. When the player across from me accused him of being "a hop, skip, and a book away from the rules," I warned her I was making a note of it to repeat here.

It got better when the fires started. One player started a bonfire suddenly that was five feet wide (a combat spell). It set three enemies ablaze, and there was a bit of panicked confusion following. Another player had cast a magical darkness inside the gated cavern we were trying to get into, so a poor little creature went running into a black cave that not even his burning clothing could illuminate, and he ran smack into the closed side of the gate with a clang and a curse. 

One player is "dragon-born," and can make little globs of fire that she can toss. It's not the powerful fireball spell that can clear a whole room of friends and foe alike. This is more the equivalent of lighting wadded up paper towels and throwing them. When she started the action, the whole room picked on her. My favorite diss was describing it as, "We have fireball at home."

It will be a few weeks before we can play again. Three of the four people who live here have end of semester assignments and college finals over the next two weeks. I hope we get a chance to have a celebration when they're all done.

Also, the tree growing over Rabbit's grave is blooming for the first time ever. I needed this.

Alfred Feels Better

Inspirational song: Perceptions of Johnny Punter (Fish)

Weeks of stress may finally be rounding a corner and letting me breathe again. I went to bed last night thinking that the last words I spoke to Alfred before falling asleep could be the last I told him ever. This morning at dawn, he hopped up on the bed and settled next to my knees like nothing had happened at all this week. We decided to cancel his follow-up x-ray, and fed him breakfast as usual. He has eaten enthusiastically all day. I'm still giving him the prescription GI diet food to be sure his stomach can handle it, but it looks like we may be in the clear. I'd like to see him regain a pound or two though.

I'd been stressing like crazy over my insurance premium renewal, and with assistance from a husband with a calmer perspective, I'm seeing the way through there as well. I just made a phone call this afternoon to a different company, and this also may swing to my benefit. I still have to fill out their online request for a quote, but I'm far less freaked out about cost than I was a month ago. More on that in weeks to come.

Not everything is perfect. In fact, there are a few piles of hot garbage still getting on my nerves. It's nice getting a few of them tossed in the dumpster, whenever I can. I'm gonna focus on what I can change for now.

Looks Like Fluff

Inspirational song: If You Could Only See (Tonic)

Got a peek under the hood with Alfred today. We took him back to the vet this morning, and I was able to view his x-rays when I went back in the afternoon as the chauffeur for my daughter and her cat Moose (annual checkup for her oldest cat). Alfred had spent the day stinking up the back room, but at least they didn't have to work hard for a sample to test for parasites. His images show something in his stomach that looks like it's just undigested kibble, but he would have to be eating for that to be true.

We tried another round of anti-nausea and B-12 shots, this time adding an appetite stimulant gel inside his ear. Still couldn't get him to eat. (They told me to be careful when I apply tomorrow's dose, to wear gloves so I don't get the effect too. I must have touched him just enough, because I was ravenous even after dinner. Housemate threw a handful of Reese's at me to calm me.) Alfred has another appointment in the morning for a second x-ray. I don't know what we can accomplish from here, but we haven't given up yet.

This is about all I can process right now. I have important things I need to be working on, and I don't have the mental flexibility. Can't it just be one issue at a time?

Roll With It

Inspirational song: Candle in the Wind (Elton John)

Sometimes plans go awry, and the best thing to do is go along with them. I was supposed to introduce two of my friends to each other over brunch. One had to cancel at the very last minute (the other two of us had arrived at the restaurant, while the third was taking their spouse to urgent care). So we agreed to reschedule the meeting, and the one friend and I had a pleasant breakfast just the two of us. Okay, pleasant in this case was us griping about work and health and relationships and whatever, but it was nice having someone safe to vent with for each of us. Afterwards, we walked over to an occult shop that was a block from where I parked the car. I assumed I would buy shiny rocks or incense, because I'm a little magpie who loves these things so much. Instead, I got a book and an herb bundle to burn that may smell good, may make me barf. Who knows? It kind of smells like dried parsley now, ie nothing. 

We had let the dogs in this morning for some recreational chewing. I came back from brunch to find the dogs tossed back outside and Mr S-P less than thrilled about big mountain dogs who haven't figured out how to get him to open doors in a timely manner. We have a lot of training to do with Beinn.

I was still all cute from my brunch date, so when I found out the kids were hiking around our part of town, I went out to meet them. I missed them at the hardware store and froyo shop, but I caught up with them at the dollar store by King Soopers. Valerie pouted for probably 30 minutes, after being put back in the stroller-wagon, so that I could push both kids while we shopped. (She is so ready to be a big kid.) The little man who had thrown his last milk cup out of the stroller on the way there eventually fell sound asleep in his mommy's arms while we bought another sippy cup and more milk. I used her phone to take pictures of sleepy boy and grumpy girl, but I failed to get copies of them.

Also, less than happy update: Alfred is still refusing food. I will take him back to the vet in the morning.

Felis Domesticus

Inspirational song: The Lovecats (The Cure)

Ain't nobody feeling in top form around here. Alfred is definitely improved over yesterday, but he is still not completely over whatever got him down. And after 500 dollars worth of vet visit, I'm starting to think his problem was environmental. Either he ate something that wasn't food, his food was spoiled somehow, or he encountered something in the house that laid him low (chemical, bacterial, or viral). I say this, because this afternoon, Jackie started throwing up too, and she has been sitting in Mr S-P's chair for hours, her body language screaming that she feels yucky. I have a lot of mothering to do around here to make sure everyone is comfortable.

The adults got pretty worn out too. It was a kid day, and they had all the energy that we didn't. I was always one catastrophe behind Dmitri, picking up his spills while he was off to create more havoc. Grandpa is at the end of his semester at CU, so he has to finish his big projects, while he is grading papers for his students at the community college. It was hard for him to chase children. Housemate #2 helped on either end, but was gone during the middle of the day. About 15 minutes before the kids were picked up, she was staring into space, saying her social battery was drained. She disappeared to her private quarters after that. 

It's late now, and I have to dredge up enough energy to put fresh sheets on the bed and get the shower I missed this morning, before crashing for the night. All I want right now is quiet sleep, and healthy cats. I wish, I wish...

Needs Attention

Inspirational song: Torch Song (Marillion)

This was one of those days when all plans go wonky. Our bunny boy Alfred refused his breakfast, following a refused dinner last night. He has been noticeably ill over the last day and a half. He is a senior kitty now, at 13, so it would be unwise to let something like this go on unaddressed. He was whisked away to spend the day at the vet, while I was on standby with my phone at the ready. I approved bloodwork and a UA, but decided observation would be fine before x-rays or other further imaging. He came home mid-afternoon having had an anti-nausea shot, with a collection of prescription food and probiotics. His lab work ruled out the typical senior cat illnesses, like diabetes, liver or kidney disease. He was still seeming low for hours, but an hour or so ago he jumped in my lap for a good cuddle. His body language is much more relaxed since then, and his ears are up like he is alert and in little or no pain. I'm hopeful that the worst is over. I'm wondering whether he just ate something he shouldn't, like one of my plants or people food with grapes in it (like the wine in a pot roast this week).

While I waited for phone calls from the vet, I went to brunch with the kids. My daughter likes having an extra wrangler for the children on grocery shopping days, and seeing that little bronco buck out of our hold at Le Peep, anyone would understand why. I wish I had had video of how Dmitri dropped down on all fours, spinning out of my control, while we stood at the hostess station. Has he started watching action movies already, before he is two years old? Maybe it's from watching Mario and Luigi. This grandma couldn't match his moves. He entertained the restaurant, though. His sister too.

Sputtering

Inspirational song: Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (Slade)

Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul hits a little different with chronic illness. I guess I have been going too long borrowing against my line of credit of energy lately. I just totally crashed and slept away most of the day. I could have done fun things, like going out and taking pictures of the spring snow against my pretty flowers. Nah. I stayed in my robe, wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket, and enacted a battle of wills to see how long I could resist turning the heat back on. I gave in around 7 this evening, and turned it on. Didn't stop the cats from being velcroed to me for warmth.

I have fulfilled my personal goals for blogging tonight. I can convince my two lap warmers to let me move to the bedroom now. Chances are they will follow.

Look and Listen

Inspirational song: Barbie Girl (Aqua)

I'm trying to decide where to start, while I listen to the Mr and our old roommate rate all the local breweries. It's interesting hearing their evaluations, since there are so many breweries here, and it's a big industry in these parts. But beer is something I will never drink again, so all this is purely academic to me.

I'm trying to work my way through my to-do list, so I can turn my focus to all fun stuff like gardening. I'm not totally masochistic. I did put some planting tasks on my list, so I had something to look forward to. This morning I crossed "plant sweet peas" off the list, after putting a couple rows in the half-barrel by the porch. I've never grown them before. Are they easy? In some places they're invasive, if I understand correctly. Surely putting them in a container will help avoid that. 

I've been getting up early enough to catch gorgeous morning light coming in my big east window. It makes my plant wall glow. I'm still madly in love with the simple little sempervivum I bought at the dollar store in Long Beach, and I stand by the window and admire it each day. Find joy in unexpected places.

Sprinting Ahead

Inspirational song: Takin' Care of Business (Bachman-Turner Overdrive)

Be proud of me. Not only did I finally make that to-do list to organize my priorities, but I have already marked four things off it. One was easy--I stopped at Lucile's on the way home from Rotary to buy more spice tea to send to my daughter, after I drank up a bunch of her supply when I was there. The other three were bigger items, each requiring multiple phone calls. But by afternoon, I had straightened out all the insurance referrals and authorizations and I'm ready for three more medical visits. I feel like such a grownup.

I doubly feel like a grownup as I start writing tonight. I spent the last hour (plus) shampooing the living room rug in a different method, and my body aches like I was 200 years old. I used a one-gallon pressure sprayer to saturate the rug with soapy water, and let it sit for several minutes. It took freaking forever to apply, especially since it was hard to see the spray, so I couldn't tell I was making progress unless I bent over and went very slowly. Once it had a little dwell time, I used plain water in the steam cleaner to extract it. I think it worked better.

It always amazes me how fast spring bursts through once it gets going out here. We have to wait a lot longer for green to show up than the majority of the country, but when it starts, it attacks. When I got home from Rotary this afternoon, I could smell the lilacs blooming from across the yard. (My sense of smell has dulled significantly in adulthood, so this is really saying something.) Every time I walk across the yard, I'm pointing finger guns and chatting up the flowers like I'm schmoozing my way through a post-Oscars party. "Ooh, looking good, tulips! Heeeeey, peonies, you're coming along. Empress Wu! Your imperial majesty! So good to see you!" 

Call

Inspirational song: Hanging on the Telephone (Blondie)

Is it bad that I need to make a to-do list so badly that the number one item is "make list?" Every time it occurs to me that I need to do it asap, I'm usually sitting with a cat holding me down, and I don't want to get up because I've already thrown cats off me in order to stand more than my heart can bear. At present, I am lying uncomfortably across the pillow line of my bed, head at an awkward angle, with Athena resting on my hip and Saoirse pinning me down at the shoulder. Typing is hard, but there is purring, so I can't move. To-do list moves down in priority yet again.

I was needed to watch the children briefly, while their parents did yard work. I went over and watched anime movies with them, and was astounded at how focused Dmitri was with Ponyo. He chose this Studio Ghibli movie by pointing at the icon on the screen and sweetly repeating "please?" Once it was on, he settled on the couch and didn't look at anything else for far longer than a two-year-old is normally capable.

I despise the telephone, yet here I was today on call after call. I talked to three different medical providers, all of whom informed me that I needed to update or obtain referrals from primary care. My favorite thing ever (yuck.) I'm not sure it's an improvement that primary care now seems to insist on messages on the app to contact PCM assistants. At least I didn't have to talk.

Into the Sunlight

Inspirational song: Beautiful (Marillion)

I should have taken more photos today. It was gorgeous outside. I spent as much time out front as I could. I carted out all of the amaryllis (that I did absolutely nothing to all winter), and another few succulents. I combined tradescantia from three sources into one outdoor pot, and pitched all the extra bits into compost. And I potted up the last of the early spring annuals into two terracotta pots. I think I have enough to make it to May. 

I want to write something inspiring, but man, I'm just wiped out from beautifying my porch. It was fun and soul-quenching. That's worth coasting on for a few days.

Be Out

Inspirational song: Call Me the Breeze (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Saturday woke up and chose chaos. I have no idea what made everyone weird and active, but not a soul was at home. The entire population of northern Colorado was out. Traffic was congested, parking lots were stuffed, stores were hopping. It doesn't get much more spring-fever-y than today.

Even our babies were feeling it. They were bouncing around like little excited electrons. I was exhausted before we ever made it to the car, more so once we let them run loose in a garden center. At least the fan aisle in Costco was imminently entertaining.

By the time I had finished my endless list of errands, I had no energy left to put together more spring pots. I did get two more centerpiece plants to finish off those six-packs of low-growing annuals I got this week. Hopefully these will be enough to tide me over until deeper in the spring, when the selection of warm weather flowers will be more extensive.