Resurrection Lily

Lycoris squamigera.

Today I was in Edgerton Garden for a work party, talking to Matthew and April as we weeded and pruned the herb garden. When I walked back to my own plot, I was astonished to see that my Resurrection Lily had bloomed. This plant is also known as Surprise Lily, Magic Lily, and Naked Lady. It grows from bulbs, and the foliage appears in spring and after a few weeks dies back to nothing. Then, miraculously, a flower stalk emerges from the ground in late summer and blooms with light pink flowers.

I had transplanted these bulbs from my mother's garden back in East Peoria, probably 5-6 years ago. They have never bloomed before. And now, twelve days after my father's passing, they bloom for the first time. It was so sweetly moving that it occurred to me that a fitting memorial to my parents might be a dedicated bench in the community garden. They had been to Edgerton Park only once, but the community garden is such a beautiful lush place that a bench in their memory would last a very long time, and have great meaning to me. I have written my siblings about this.

The Prospect house is out. The landowner has shown himself to be unreliable, and while I am disappointed in many ways, I shall move on. I have three places to look at tomorrow and one on Monday. I feel somewhat less stressed about the move; not sure why.

Visited a new faculty member today in Hamden, to pick up some moving boxes she had. Their house is on a stunning piece of land. Took Bindi to the dog park after for a while, but she was not too keen on running with the other canines. She did a bit, then we went home, but only after a stop at the Stony Creek beach where Bindi walked into the water and lay down first on one side, then on another, to cool off. It was not a hot day but she is getting more and more comfortable with being in the water. I hope to see her swim sometime soon.

Frances stayed over on Thursday night. As soon as she went to bed, I let Misty in the door and she brought in the tiniest baby bunny. She dropped it from her mouth, I picked it up, Frances wanted to see it, then I let it go. That same night around 1am, Camilla decided she did not like the fan I had blowing on the bed, not my usual setup, and she proceeded to pee about a quart right next to me! The wetness woke me up, and I spent the next half hour stripping sheets and mattress pad and nightgown from the bed, and replacing with clean. She has never done that before. Her stress level is sky high, and even with the xanax she is on she cannot be trusted. Misty is catching mice, voles, bunnies, and I don't know what else. This evening both she and Camilla were chasing a tiny mouse around the bedroom. I rescued that little creature and put it back outside. Life in the country.

The pain in my foot is less, after treatments from the acupuncturist and the osteopath. I don't know what they do that works, but it certainly seems to.

Received sympathy cards from two of my favorite men friends. Lovely.

I also noticed today that the butterfly pea I planted this year for the first time from seed had bloomed.

Dad

My father died today. Around three thirty. My older sister Carolyn was with him. It is what he wanted. He was not happy with his life.

I was in Edgerton garden around that time, a fitting place. I was weeding, and planting. Things my father did, which instilled the love of gardening in me.

I had a dream last night about a cobalt blue glass goblet. It was etched with names, or dates, or something else, I cannot remember. It broke in the dream, and I knew it could not be repaired, it was so precious. I may have been passing it to someone else, perhaps one of my sisters, when it broke.

I will go to Illinois tomorrow for a few days.
Rest in peace, Daddy.

Pisa at Night

This is a photo of Tommaso and his friend Francesca in front of the Keith Haring mural in Pisa. I was surprised to come across it there, and T said he painted it just before he died. The shadow in back of T and Francesca is a glass wall to prevent people from touching it or defacing it.

That night in Pisa was really hard. It was very hot, we had to walk a long way to see the leaning tower, it was crowded and dirty, and many of the small alleyways we walked thru smelled of piss. Yuk. We stopped for gelato, and I didn't even want to finish mine, which is unheard of. We met up with another friend of theirs, Riki, who was very pleasant, but I was complaining so much that I can't image I made a very good impression. I'm twice the age of these kids, and they were not bothered by the walking or the throngs of people or even the grimy streets, and they were very tolerant of my whining.

The leaning tower was underwhelming. I've seen better photos of it. It's on a small plot of ground with a cathedral, and perhaps because it was night I did not see all the "glorious" details, but it didn't seem like a big deal to me. None of the Italians sweat there, but I was just dripping with it, but I long ago decided I would not be embarrassed by having inherited my father's sweat glands! Tommaso kept commenting on it, tho. Bad boy.

***********

I'm going to go look at three more apartments today. Then have to be home for the first load of M's stuff to arrive. And Kip has gone missing all night! I just want to sleep, but the anxiety is too great.

Tuscany

One photo of the beautiful dry hot landscape in the Tuscan hills, where I spent two days with Tommaso's parents. I have many stories from the trip and will share them gradually.

Right now I'm in the middle of trying to pack and move, still with no clear idea of where I'm going, and my brain is scattered. And I'm a bit jet lagged.

There are four cats in the house now: Camilla and Misty, and Kip and Pippa, M's kitties.

Ciao!

Tommaso and Roberto, his father, have just gone off to the dentist. I am in their lovely apartment by myself, as his mother is at work. She is a nuclear physicist, and has a very important job of dealing with the safe disposal, as it were, of nuclear waste. They are lovely people, and Miranda, T's mama, is so warm and welcoming. She tries very hard to use the English she knows, and does very well, although last night she was so tired she could not keep trying. I showed them the wedding photo of Ginny Anselmo and Augusto Campanella. Miranda said by the way they were dressed in the photo it looked as if they had money. Roberto said I have my grandfather's mouth. I also showed them a 1942 photo of Walt and Fifi, and Roberto remarked that my mother was "il bambino," looked like a baby in the photo. I said she was 18 when she got married.

Last night for dinner we had stuffed zucchini, salad, fruit. So delicious and healthy. For lunch Roberto made pasta with small shrimps and fresh mussels, and the most ripe flavorful sliced tomatoes from their garden. I cannot remember when I have had tomatoes so good. I mixed some of the tomatoes with the pasta, and Roberto in Italian told T. something about "these Americans, mixing everything together," good naturedly. He said, "You will ruin the taste of the pasta!" Yesterday T. and I went for a swim at a beach in Terrino, then to a private pool club that one of his friends belongs too. It is so hot here, and so nice to be able to dip in water at will.

Miranda told me about her cat Rufus who died ten years ago, and how much she loved him. She cried telling the story. She said, "I always told people I have two sons: Tommaso and Rufus." She is deeply sensitive, and I like her very much. She told me about all the plants on her window sill, and was perplexed about why her very old rosemary plant is not doing well. A bonsai was a gift from a colleague, and she admitted she does not like it, as she sees the constriction of the plant in its pot as being cruel. She is hoping to retire in April, if the Italian government does not change the minimum age of retirement from 57 to 58. Roberto is retired from the postal service, I believe. They were very interested in my retirement options at Yale. Miranda is also suing the government for wages due her, as her salary is way below what other workers in her position make. Tommaso did not say it was gender discrimination, but I think it is, as there are very few women in her position. The married women here do take their husbands' names at marriage, but then continue to use their own surnames in daily and work situations. So all the married names on the buzzers' labels to the apartments here have two last names. And guess what the first one was that I noticed on the list? BINDI! Turns out Bindi is a very common surname in Italy. Who knew? Certainly not I.

We visited a man down the street who has two dogs and two cats, including a black miniature pinscher, very very very cute named Jotti. The dog and one of the cats were puppy/kitten together, and get along so well.

I am off to the American beach near here, as there is a huge US military base nearby, and I know almost no Italian.
Ciao, ciao!!

Italy Bound

Ok, all you lurkers, I've got my sitemeter installed and can tell people have been reading or looking at my blog, but not leaving a comment. How 'bout just leaving your initials so I know you've been here? Want to make it as easy as possible.

Got before-the-trip stress. I always wait till the last minute to pack. Went and bought a new pair of sneakers and a rain jacket for the trip. Expennnnnnnnsive! Oh, well, it's only money.

If I have a chance while I'm away, I'll blog a bit from my trip, but otherwise, see you on July 27!

OutFoxed

Isn't this photo that Rob took of one of the local foxes stunning? He's such a good photographer, and he caught this gal in such a great pose. He told me he was just driving on Route 146 one day, saw her, and took the photo from inside his car.

Went out to the Prospect house last night with DF, and she made some good suggestions. Bad news: my cell phone doesn't get reception at that house either!!! I can't stand it! DF said it was because there was a mountain right in front of the house, not a big mountain, but a hill that was probably blocking reception. The price of living rurally I guess. Met the next door neighbor, who was very chatty but seems very nice. Has lived there for 30 years, and knew the woman well who lived in the house I am considering. Into gardening, has a golden lab not seen during our visit, and has a big pond on her property. I'm still hoping for something along the shoreline, but it will take a miracle.



More bad news: I might have lyme disease again. Thought all these symptoms were just stress, but am going to see my doc this afternoon, get her to order some blood work, and get her to give me some antibiotics to take on my trip. I think I should start taking them prophilactically as the lab tests won't come back till early next week. Here's a list of my symptoms that can all be associated with lyme, for your information:

muscle/joint aches and cramps
clunk in neck/maybe jaw
vomiting, diarrhea
decreased appetite
sensitivity to cold
depression
eye redness

I've no rash or hives or anything -- wait. That's not true. I have a rash on my very low back, right above the butt cleavage. Didn't connect it till just now. Oh, drat.

Swim Little Fishy, Swim

Ok, so I got myself to go to the pool and swam and swam. It was SO hot here today, and humid. How can I possibly move to Florida? The transplants down there say you get used to it. But I dunno. I feel so down and depressed. Nothing is getting through this cloud. Exercise is supposed to make one feel more alive, but not me, which is why I try to avoid it at all cost.

Tommaso called today to say he and his dad will pick me up at the airport in Pisa. His mom he said was all apologetic that she couldn't come to the airport, too, but I said that was not a problem. He said I could have his room and he would sleep in the study, and that it was cool there. I have no idea what to expect. I've got my Italian phrase book, and that's about it. I've been told that if you make an effort to say a few Italian phrases, the people are very pleased, even if you don't speak fluent Italian. Have to remember to bring some photos of my Sicilian ancestors to show Tommaso and his family.

Tried to do the directory update for Yale today, and ran into so many problems. Rachel and I will tackle it tomorrow.

My garden is doing well. The tomatoes love this hot weather.

Phooey

This blog on blogger made me change to an upgraded template in order to install a site meter, but I can't figure the darn thing out. And it screwed up my last post, and the edit thingie won't work. Bleecchh. On the topic of bleecchh, I threw up last night. Rather early this morning. Woke up at 3am filled with worry, about the trip, about moving, about work, about money, had a headache, took some ibuprofin, and . . . hurled chunks. Rachel thought it was cause we were at the beach yesterday, and I got too much sun, but I was under the umbrella most of the time. I didn't even want to go in the water; stress makes me colder I think, and the water was just too cold. I usually love jumping in salt water, but I'm just a wreck these days. Did a bad junk food binge last night, too, which I'm sure contributed to me being sick. Ate better today. Overeating never solved anything.

Have to take Bindiloo to the vet AGAIN tomorrow to get her kennel cough shot. Her eye still does not look right to me, but two vets have said it is fine. The darn surgeon still hasn't called me back, after two calls. Television sucks. I want a crewcut, but better keep it a bit long since I'll be meeting people I've never met before, and don't want to freak them out. Have to go buy a pair of good sneakers before I leave. The teardown before the rebuild has taken place at the house I'll probably be moving into, and JA said he would really like me to live there. Nothing else has panned out near the shore, and I really don't want to move back into New Haven. Need a yard for these guys, these critter guys of mine. Gals.

I have to remind myself that nothing I'm facing is as bad as what many other people endure. Like the Iraq war. The major media doesn't even focus much on it anymore, which is abhorrent to me. Have to go to online sources to find out what is really happening. One thing's for sure: things are not getting better.

070707

Photo of the Grand Lunar and Gark at a Loons baseball game. They look happy.

Tried to go to my pool today but someone had hurled chunks and the pool was closed. Reached Rachel and went with her and Frances to their pool, which is not heated, and was very refreshing. Had dinner at a Japanese restaurant after, then talked to Rachel's neighbor who does the most gorgeous garden in his small yard. Flowers, plants, perennials, herbs. Had a blooming yellow clivia. And black bamboo. Very beautiful.

Went to Edgerton garden after and did some weeding and watered my garden there. Dahlia's are coming up, and cannas, and four o'clocks, and the patty pan squash that reseeded itself from last year is covered with flowers so the fruit should be coming in soon. Probably while I'm away.

Greece (and Italy)

Photo from Tommaso from his trip to Greece. I mean, the place REALLY looks like this. It's just astonishing how beautiful these whitewashed stucco buildings and narrow street town pathways are.

My friend RM from The Hague has been visiting all week, and we've had much fun. Had a small gathering of folks over for a cookout yesterday, then RM and I went to the video store and he was telling me a story about his dad, a funny story, and when we walked into the store we were both laughing hysterically. I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. What a relief. He played the accordion for my guests and has been my helper with many small tasks around the house. He's such a great guy. Wish he lived closer so he could give me piano lessons.

Went to look at a condo on the beach in Milford with RM on Tuesday. Yuk. Two flights of cement stairs down to the water which was gross, and the condo only had windows on one side. Can't do that. Prospect is still looking like the best bet. Would like to get out there and clean up some of the gardens, but the temps are supposed to be above 85 degrees for the next week, when it isn't raining. Still trying to track down people who live in that area. So far, two. Rachel says she already sees herself out there, sitting on the deck, overlooking the overgrown pond.

Finally went to my accountant and had my 2006 taxes done. Getting a refund which will go to paying off my Master Card bill. She said if I reduce my 401K contribution by 15% I should be able to afford a $900 rent. I'm lucky I get a pension, I guess, cause I would never be able to live on the amount I have managed to save. I'm starting to understand what the economists mean when they talk about the "disappearing middle class." Either you are so poor that you get government assistance, or you are so wealthy you don't have to worry that much about money. The rest of us sort of live paycheck to paycheck. Something is wrong with this picture. I shouldn't have to have another person's income combined with mine in order to find a decent place to live, but that's the state I find myself in. A single income isn't enough.

Been swimming at the pool a couple of times. They have that awful thunder policy: after the last sound of thunder is heard, everyone has to wait one half hour before getting back into the pool. They've been keeping the water temp at 90 degrees, a little too hot for me, but good for the little ones who take lessons there. It's on the Branford harbor so sometimes the breezes make it kind of cool. Where will I swim in Prospect?

Off to Italy a week from Sunday. Have I started packing? Of course not! Gonna try to take carry on bags only. I remember I did that when I went to Greece. Found a couple of things I'd bought in Greece which no longer fit me. May send them to IKA.

The Indiana Jones madness is supposed to be over tomorrow. Good.

Lavender

Cut a large bunch of lavender blossoms from the Edgerton garden herb plot, and they are drying on the fireplace mantel. Reminded me of the impressive lavender farms on Vashon Island in Puget Sound. Last night was so cool, weeding the garden was a pleasure. PA was in the garden and offered me her tons of lettuce as she is off to Equador for a month. (I was just flipped off by a silver haired old lady with a 'Honk If You Love Jesus' on the bumper of her car. That's the tune they were just playing on Car Talk which I am streaming as I write.) BG was at the garden with her min pin Chiquita, and while initially Bindi growled at her, she settled down and now we have a play date planned for next week. I had just come from a short visit with Loren who was in New Haven helping a friend move. We were eating pizza at Amato's and quickly sharing updates. I like her so much. She graduated in Women's Studies a couple of years ago, and is one of the students whom I have stayed in touch with, one of the perks of the job. She is doing Teach for America in NYC, and has an article coming out in Radical Teacher, a very old periodical from the 1960's, which I think is very cool.

Before that Bindi and I were at a playdate with Jen and her black lab Gaia, as they will be hosting Bindi while I am in Italy (two weeks to go!). The last two days while I am away they will be kenneled, an experience Bindi has never had, but as long as she can be with Gaia I think she will be ok. Jen has a commitment in Cape Cod those days, has used this kennel, so I trust her judgement.

Got a haircut earlier in the day, and although I like the woman who cuts my hair, she is expensive and I think I have to change to someone less pricey. Boo hoo. Also visited the orthotic guy who says I need to get different shoes for my custom inserts, that the ones I'm using don't offer enough support. Uck. More money. But I liked him better than the other guy who originally made the inserts. Bad bedside manner. Had breakfast at Hidden Kitchen, who have the best blueberry pancakes. Hadn't been there in ages. Began the day by seeing a counseling client.

Today I'm going to a potluck party in Guilford hosted by a woman whom I first met when I put my housing ad on Craig's list. She has a basement two rooms available for rent, RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF A LAKE. But I can't do the stairs to the kitchen/bathroom, and the basement rooms, while very nice, have only one small window. The price is perfect for me, but I can't do it. Ho hum.

Otto and Ferdinand

I think I want an iPhone.

Went to the community garden yesterday afternoon to work on my plot, which has been out of control from lack of tending. I weeded and weeded and planted for four hours and was spent afterwards. But I had some wonderful connections and conversations with several gardeners who were also about. LS was telling me about all her health problems, and she said she had two knee replacements two years ago. I asked who her surgeon was and she said McCallum, the doc who does the knee surgeries with the guy I'm currently seeing for my knees. LS said she hated him, that he appeared unconcerned, didn't visit her in the hospital, and did the operation with a physician's associate, rather than another surgeon, and that one of her knees is still in pain. That cemented my feeling that I need to find someone else and get a second opinion. She also said the artificial knees put into her were too big for her body, as the joints "made for women," whatever that means (all women are the same size? all men are the same size? NOT!) were not available when she had the operation. Met up with TD, whose wife had passed away in January, which I had not known. He's a very kind man, and we talked about our shared belief that living, among other things, is about service and creating beauty. He was surprised that I have been single for so long, because, he said, I'm such a nice person. I said I have high expectations. We both laughed. PA was there with her two dogs, Otto and Ferdinand, and Bindi got to romp with them for a while. Very fun to watch them. Have to take Bindi back to the vet on Thursday as her eye is still not looking good. Vet left me a voice message in response to my message to her saying that the cloudiness in Bind's eye might have an ulcerated cornea. I can't afford that! Does anyone have any experience with pet insurance? Do purebreds have fewer medical problems than mutts? I hope it's just a persistent eye irritation that needs more aggressive treatment, not anything worse. Sweet little girl.

My office building is overrun by movie production crews and equipment. Thursday is the big day. Someone said Harrison Ford was in the building today. I feel like I'm supposed to be all excited and impressed, and yes some of it is interesting, but I can't get all worked up. Have bigger fish to fry.

The Prospect house is still in top running place, although I will be looking at an apartment near Westville this week. Rachel said, "But you don't want to live in New Haven, do you?" It's a first floor, and I would have people over my head, which would be horrible because I'm so noise sensitive, but she said it doesn't hurt to see what's out there. Living in New Haven would save me lots on gas, and I could take the city bus to work sometimes, and save parking charges, but the city bus is gross, and many of the people who ride it depress me.

Got a very sweet card from Scott yesterday. Thanks, Scott.

Perfect Guilford Day

Yesterday morning Frances and I went to Dudley Farm for the farmer's market, to see the sheep, goats, chickens, and oxen. Got handmade soap, candle, and jam for Tommaso's parents. Frances and I then went to the pool and swam for a while, after a quick stop at Subway for lunch. Then we stopped by All Pet's Club to visit the critters. I held a hairless rat, saw a perfectly round hamster, black and white, named Oreo, held a stinky ferret, then we played with Keeshound and Pug puppies. The Keeshound was a little shy, but that Pug was totally full of personality. Back home to meet Frances, made dinner, then off to the pool again for an astounding show of fireworks. Really quite impressive because we were so close to where they were being launched. Some of them felt like they were coming right at us. Frances fell asleep before they were over.

Friday afternoon I picked her up from school and she wanted to go to Fired Up! to paint some pottery. She chose two small rice bowls and made one for herself and one for her mom. I just watched and helped another little girl with her project, as I am now watching every penny. There was a man there with a ten week old Vizsla puppy that was gorgeous. Then we went to Shell Beach Road beach and Frances climbed on the rocks and looked for shells, and Bindi went into the water by herself for the first time. She was hopping like a bunny thru the shore grass, and came home smelling of low tide, rotten seaweed, and crab carcasses.

Went and visited Annette across the street this morning. We hadn't visited in quite a while. Then Rob came over and helped me install air conditioners. Then Bindi and I went for a playdate with Maddie, but Bindi was not into playing with her. I wonder if she has forgotten that Maddie was her buddy because it's been so long since we have visited. That was disappointing. Had dinner with Maddie's mom and her son, then came home.

Got an email this weekend from an old friend I hadn't heard from in maybe a decade. That was very nice.

Instant Getification

From some tv ad. Liked it. Feeling somewhat better today as I took my therapist out to Prospect to see the house I might rent. She gave me a lead on someone who lives out there who I have emailed to get a read on the area. Did I already say there is a small pond on the property that runs into a bubbling stream? Does that make up for not living near Long Island Sound? I will keep looking in the Guilford area, but if nothing comes thru perhaps I could view moving to the Prospect house as a rehearsal for Florida. Although I already know St. Augustine very well, and Prospect not at all.

Wireless is finally coming to my Yale office building. Can you believe that it wasn't already? Yale is so very weird. Next week on the first floor of my building the makers of the next Indiana Jones movie will be filming. Remember Dr. Jones was a college professor? Well, they are turning one of the classrooms into a movie set, and lots of New Haveners will be extras. Not me. Got enough on my plate, altho I do like the movies and Harrison Ford. I think he's a bit old tho to be doing an action flick. Maybe it will be more introspective and intellectual than the others. NOT!

Took Bindi to the vet today cause the conjunctivitis in her eye was back, and it looked bad even tho I had been using the ointment from last time. Vet said everything was ok, just keep using the ointment. I asked him to EAG, which he did, and didn't even charge me. Beautiful champagne colored standard poodle was there when we were. So gorgeous. One of the receptionists was interested in my housing notice that I asked her to pass around to the staff. She said she is in a bad marriage and she and her son need to leave. She asked me how I felt about kids, and that there was no way she could afford even $900. Don't know if I wanna share stuff anymore, tho. Am enticed by having a whole house to spread out in, just my junk. Could share if it was the right situation. I wonder if there is a Goddess of Housing and Shelter. Gonna go Google it.

Put the Dangler vintage stove on Craig's List to sell. Ok, to bed, and to read IKA's story.

Rome Pride

Photo of Tommaso in Rome at a Pride march. Someone caught him with a somber expression.

Hung out with T. where she is house sitting at her brother's house in Bethany. It was lovely. They have a pool, the day was warm, T. and I chatted about everything, ate guacomole with carrots and tomatoes, and fresh strawberries from Bishop's. And a big golden retriever for Bindi to play with. Then I drove out to the house in Prospect to check it out again. Such a nice house and land, but -- Prospect? I will keep it as a backup rental if nothing comes thru on the shore.

The Jackal Woman, Patricia Moehlman, stopped by to drop off some papers for her reappointment as a research affiliate with the WGSS program. She is so awesome. Just had back surgery last week and is going back to Tanzania in another week to continue her field work. Would that I had a fraction of her energy.

Went to see a cottage for rent on Long Hill Road this morning. Great location, tiny tiny place, stark, and king of ugly. Price was right, but no go.

Jim and I went to see "Waitress" last night. Uck. Not that good. Liked the relationship between the three waitresses and the names of the pies the main character made, but otherwise, uck. Then we went to Starbucks and I had decaf cappacino, which of all things wasn't hot enough. I took it back and the server gave me attitude, but made me a fresh cup "extra hot" as she called it. Jim is moving to Sacramento, CA, in September. Boo hoo.

Work party at Edgerton yesterday. As I am in charge of the herb garden, our group focused on that. Then J. took me out to the house he owns in Prospect.

Friday night Rob and I went to the diner, then to Ashley's for ice cream. Well, I didn't have ice cream as I had that for dinner at the diner, as I had already eaten.

I still feel awful.

Hanging In

I'm trying to get it together. It is hard. Going to see my old therapist tomorrow to see what has been stirred up to produce such deep feelings of devastation that I have. I know this will pass, but it's never soon enough. My friends have been great and encouraging, but I still feel absolutely overwhelmed and, i guess, homeless. I am thankful for my animals who bring me such comfort. For you astrology fans, I also realize I am going through my second Saturn return cycle, which can be very intense. Google Second Saturn Return if you are not familiar. Had lunch with Laura today and through my tears we were able to get some work done. Rachel will come tomorrow morning to help me clean. I forced myself to plant some mesclun and green beans in the mandala garden, but thinking of leaving it makes me want to cry all over again.

My barn having burned, I can now see the moon.

Home

I'm so sad. M and I had a talk today and it looks like it would be easier for her if I don't live here. I am so sad, have been crying all day. She just sent an email saying she'd like to keep the conversation open, and of course I will; I just don't want her to feel she has to cave to my sadness, which she is sometimes known to do. How can I be sure she won't do that? I didn't anticipate feeling this badly.

Don't Send Any Packages!

Helped Mihaela pack this afternoon for her trip back to Romania tomorrow. Refuse to say goodbye; just see ya later. She is a spirit sister, and I am sorry to see her leave. Took her to Edgerton gardens so she could see the plots, and she thought the whole place reminded her of a Romanian cemetary. Not sure why. She was impressed by my knowledge of plants, but I told her everything I know I learned by doing, no other way. Found my Nature Conservancy garden tote there which had been missing for several days. Someone had taken it into the greenhouse. And my Foxgloves gloves were still there! Bindi got to run around with a couple of dogs in the park, one a Havanese named Portia.

Don't feel so well. Very light appetite. Wondering if I have any of the tick diseases again. Loss of appetite was one of the symptoms. Not that I'm complaining. Neck is feeling better since going to the osteopath, but still the clunking isn't gone. Had a cavity filled at the dentist yesterday. Not too pleasant cause the novocaine shot hurt as much as the drilling but he said the cavity was in a weird place and difficult to numb completely. Was over in two minutes, so that was good.

Mihaela said to not send any packages to her in Romania cause the postal system is so wacky. They won't deliver packages but rather make you go to some central postal distribution site and you have to stand in line forever to get your package. Drag. Now I can't send her stuff.

Saw a movie last weekend called "Away From Her," with Julie Christie, about a woman with Alzheimer's. I found it boring and depressing, even tho Julie Christie still looks great, I'm sure she's had work done.

Peas, morning glories, chard, gladiola are all coming up. Nice rain the past few days. Still need to plant beans and cucumbers. Tomatoes are doing nicely. Ghastly humidity today, though. How will I stand Florida? Think I might have a tenant for my house there. Not a moment too soon, money wise.

Had lunch yesterday at Scoozi, outside under the arbor, very nice. Me, Mihaela, and Rachel.

Today is Tommaso's birthday. Happy Birthday, T!

Fisher & Paykel

Got a new Fisher & Paykel clothes washer today. The other one died and the difficulty of getting to the old one would be money better spent on getting a new one. Super energy efficient.

White GWL15 Ecosmart 3.7 cu.ft.(IEC)White

North Americas Most Energy Efficient Top Load Washer uses only 24% of the energy of a traditional washer. Complete the laundry in up to half the time of a frontloader, 1000rpm spin saves up to 30% time and energy in the dryer. This Super Capacity washer with unique brushless DC motor and smart electronics increases reliability with no belts, brakes, pulleys, clutches or gearboxes - parts that aren't there can't fail.

Unlike conventional machines, our clothes washers use intelligence to continually adapt the wash action and water level to suit the load. How? Sensors in the electronics monitor clothes movement and adjust the agitator for either a gentle or lively action. It's rather like hand washing, where your hands communicate the feel of the fabric to the brain, which in turn tells the hands how hard or soft to rub the clothes.

And we got this good deal on it since it was last year's floor model.

I think I have Syndrome X.

Antonio Banderas

as a suave puss in boots in Shrek 3. The movie itself was kind of boring, but there were some contemporary references and music that were kind of funny. Animation was spectacular.

Had Frances sleepover last night. Got up at 6.30 to take her to school, then all the way back out here to see the osteopath after a nap prior. Still don't quite get this osteopathy modality, but I'm doing a three session trial. The doctor is very confident.

Beads

that Mihaela made me. They are so beautiful.

Simplify

Went to see the osteopath. Gonna do a three session trial, but the little bit she did at the first meeting has starting something moving in my neck. I still can't quite understand how it works. I'll ask her more.

The weather has been so beautiful, a couple of days really hot, but it's beautiful out here. Very lush.

Went to a hair appt. in Guilford with Karen, and altho i had just had my hair cut a couple of weeks ago, she was able to give me a temporary coloring, red, and a big discount on top of it. Nice.

Rachel and Mihaela came over on sunday and helped me clean out my rooms. The living room is piled with stuff that was on my bedroom floor, and I have no idea where to put it all. Maybe I can throw some out, and give the rest away. M. and I will talk soon about my staying or not. It's good to have all the plants outside; that clears up an enormous amount of space in my small room.

Knee doctor tomorrow morning, then Frances overnight tomorrow, then get her to school very early on Friday. And have a dentist appt. somewhere on Friday too. Garden is doing well, am eating fresh lettuce everyday from it. Cilantro is ready, and other seeds are sprouting up.

Wild Phlox

Guess what? We ordered the Red Bunny Booster Pack! We now have bunnies like the Sinister Bunnies which have force fields and the Congenial Bunny which carries Cabbage and Water! And the Timid Bunny who can fire weapons TWICE!
The New Weapons: Quite Irascible Differentiable Cheese Balls, the Grappling Hook, and the Defuger.
The new Specials: Dude, Where’s My Carrot, Bunny-to-the-Future, and Activate the Minilith.

Got a new hose for the garden so feel i can truly garden now, without fighting with a kinky dribbly one. Lots of things coming up, but my radishes made no fruit, just leaves, which are now going to seed. Had nice party for Rob last night. I brought undercooked artichokes, strawberries with agave nectar, garlic bread, and a runny lemon tart from Take the Cake. I was very tired from having gardened all day, and visiting Rachel and Frances in the morning. We were gonna go to Chihuahua meetup group, but our signals got crossed and we ended up just hanging out in her backyard.

Got a crew coming tomorrow to help me clean my rooms here. Rachel, Mihaela, Frances. M. might be back.

Almost have all the house plants out now. Lost two of them, but need to pare my collection anyway. The woods are full of blooming wild phlox, more than last year.

Would You Like Some Lyme with Those Aches and Pains?

Gross. Lyme tick. Or deer tick. Full of somebody's sucked blood. I occassionally have to remove these suckers from the critters. Ick and yuk. Found one unattached on my shirt, but have found none on my body or in my bed. Massage therapist suggested that some of my vaious aches and pains may be residual effects from having lyme and the two other microbes last summer. But supposedly the antibiotics are supposed to prevent any of those lasting effects, when the microbes are detected early enough. Still have the clunk in my neck left side, right elbow is very bad, left thumb joint, both knees, second toe on my right foot. MassTher said that part of my neck felt "inflamed" to her. My nutritionist has been telling me for months that she thinks my body is full of inflammation.

Let Bindi out while I was inspecting the garden hoses, which have to be replaced. She ran like crazy around the house, then came in when I was ready. Good dog.

Killer Bunnies

We have a new game called Killer Bunnies. It’s really fun. In the game... Well, I can’t tell you now but does this give you a hint: Use the kitchen whisk to kill the gleeful bunny. And this example: Use the Magic Spatula to stop something.

My nephew. He's been making up some cool games. Have to hear more about this one.

Anchor Plumbing

Sarah Strong, lady plumber. A tall drink of water, that one. Fixed the spigots; water water water for the garden. That's the boy scout badge for plumbing. Looks kind of sinister, doesn't it? Clean house tomorrow. Planning a birthday party for the Robs. Locked the keys in my car yesterday. Was late to see Dr. Artemis. Think I'm gonna try 3 months of every other day acupuncture treatments to see if some of my cartilage can start to regenerate. She claims she has saved people from surgery with this protocol. She said acupuncture is the only treatment that can regenerate nerves and cartilage. The orthopod will just want to shoot up my joints with plastic, then go slice out my old joints and put in new ones. Uck. Told Dr. Artemis to send me some published studies on this claim. My insurance will pay 70% of it, and if I can avoid surgery, I surely would like too.

Trying to get thru to Geico with my cell phone locked in the car was a nighmare. It took me forever to get to a human voice. Turned out the number in the yellow pages I was looking at was old. Which meant the yellow pages were old. I was in the parks department building, and they were swamped, so no great help.

Wages for Housework

In the 1970s, when I first got involved with the women's movement and feminism, there was a project called Wages for Housework that's main focus was to have women valued for the work we do in the home. I'm glad that this story has appeared, and it's a wake up call for all those mothers who think they don't do enough. (K, you hear me? : - ))

Survey: Moms' work would bring in $138,095 a year
May 3, 2007
CNN.com

(Reuters) -- When Tricia Himawan was a financial analyst, she worked 50 hours a week and earned about $75,000 a year. Now, she works, by her estimation, about 119 hours a week doing 11 different jobs, and, for 10 of them, she makes ... nothing.
"I work nonstop as a mother," says Himawan, of West Orange, New Jersey, as she breast-feeds her nine-month-old son Jonas and watches over 4-year-old Juliana.
If she were paid for her work as a mother, she would be earning almost $140,000 a year.

That is the conclusion of research conducted by Salary.com, a firm based in Waltham, Massachusetts, that specializes in determining compensation. Himawan was one of 40,000 mothers who responded online to Salary.com explaining what their job entailed and how many hours they worked. (Book urges mothers to stay in work force)
The typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week, the company concluded, and works at least 10 jobs. In order of hours spent on them per week, these are: housekeeper, day-care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive officer and psychologist. By figuring out the median salaries for each position, and calculating the average number of hours worked at each, the firm came up with $138,095 -- three percent higher than last year's results. (Audio Slide Show: Evolution of motherhood)
Even mothers who work full-time jobs outside the home put in $85,939 worth of work as mothers, according to Salary.com.

"My work is my family right now, and my backbone is about to break," says Himawan, who now also works at home as a real-estate broker."My baby is on my hip 24 hours a day."

CNN's Jonathan Mandell contributed to this report.
Reuters contributed to this report.

Shoreline Soul

Our great leader: Angela Clemmons
Note to IKA: i'm nervous, too! 4pm, gonna get ready now.

8:03pm. Concert went well. Right now I'm watching the fox right outside my bedroom glass doors. She found the chunk of suet infused with bird seed that the squirrel must have knocked down from the tree and is pigging out. She saw me, but just took a look and then went back to her feast. She's not more than twenty feet away. I can see why people sometimes say Bindi looks like a fox, at least in the face: pointy ears, long snout, about the same size. And they chew the same. Oh what grandeur doth nature impart.

One woman at the church after the concert said, "You really seemed to be having a good time singing up there. You were really feeling it and you gave that to us." How nice is that? I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. Thanks, Blanche.

Didn't want to go home right away so went to Willoughby's in downtown Madison and had an Orangina and a piece of banana bread. Then went to Ocean State Job Lot and bought a small cat condo for the felines. It's heavy and pretty well made and was only $40, which is pretty good for those things. Came home, played outside with Bindi for a while, planted some Hawaiian ginger, then came in, which is when I saw the fox.

Cat Lamp

A photo of my cat lamp, bought several months ago, living on my desk in my Yale office.

Had a good time at the work party at Edgerton Community Garden this morning. It was cool and overcast, perfect for doing garden work. Since I'm still in charge of the herb garden, I spent my time weeding and assessing what did and did not make it thru the winter. Unfortunately, the scot's or scotch broom did not make it, and that was a disappointment. It lasted for about three or four years.

"Broom is a bitter narcotic herb that depresses the respiration and regulates heart action. It acts upon the electrical conductivity of the heart, slowing and regulating the transmission of the impulses. The young herbaceous tips of flowering shoots are cardiotonic, cathartic, diuretic, emetic and vasoconstrictor. The seeds can also be used. The plant is used internally in the treatment of heart complaints, and is especially used in conjunction with Convallaria majalis. The plant is also strongly diuretic, stimulating urine production and thus countering fluid retention. Since broom causes the muscles of the uterus to contract, it has been used to prevent blood loss after childbirth." http://www.ibiblio.org/

Then I went to the organic seedling sale and got two peppers, two eggplant, and four varieties of tomatoes. Most of the varieties of tomatoes I had never heard about. There was a small tag sale there, too, and the kids tried to get me to buy a furry dog coat for Bindi for $1.50. Of course I did, even tho it was a little big, but it had a fake snow leapard design! Then I spied an unused oil painting set, Grumbacher I think, very good, but i opened up one of the tubes and the paint wouldn't come out so thought they were dried up. One of the kids opened another, gave it a squeeze, and POP, oil paint all over the place! What a mess. Had to buy it then, even tho some had also gotten on the dog coat. Oh well.

Stopped at Edge of the Woods and ran into Denise, who was collecting donations for a peace project, and I mentioned the Peace Pagoda near Northampton which she knew nothing about. http://www.peacepagoda.org/

Came home and took to my bed for a nap. It's cold out.

Rain

Here is the image that was on my ceiling yesterday. I figured out how to upload (download?) the photos from my digital camera to my pc. Been raining for two days. Good for the garden. More positive news about my being able to stay here, but it is not 100%. Missed a massage appt. today because it wasn't written in my book. I had the feeling I was forgetting something, but couldn't remember what. Off to buy organic seedlings at the Ecology Project sale, part of Common Ground High School. Supposed to have a work party at Edgerton tomorrow, but the forecast is for more rain.

Angel on the Ceiling

So it's about 2pm and I'm putting myself down for a nap, and I see on the ceiling of my bedroom a very intense reflection from somewhere, casting a celestial form with a bright light center and rays extended out from both sides resembling wings. I took a photo, and if it turns out I'll post it. It was a beautiful gift and I accepted it as such, a sign of hope and inspiration.

I couldn't fall asleep, unusual for me, I'm typically a good napper. But I hunkered down with Camilla and just rested before my six pm client. Had a client at 8:30 this morning, but for some reason my clock next to my bed was wrong, and I got up at 5:30 instead of 7:30. I noticed the clocks in the other rooms, so called the time on the phone, and went back to bed for another hour. Why would my bedroom clock be wrong when the other electric clocks were fine? Strange happenings abound.

The furnace cleaning guy came around 11am and I puttered around with bulbs and tubers and corms. While doing this I started to cough uncontrollably, so walked into the kitchen, drank some water, and noticed I was wheezing and having a bit of trouble breathing. I was obviously having some kind of allergic reaction to the soil or the mold on some of the plant material. I put on a carpenter's mask, went back to my task, and was fine.

Yesterday morning I woke up so depressed. I called my neighbor across the street and asked if she would come over and sit with me while I planted some things in the garden. She graciously did, and we had a nice chat while I planted parsley, morning glories, snow peas, zinnias, swiss chard, and basil. Then I drove over to Rachel's because it was her birthday, and we hung out for a while until it was time for her to go to dinner. I was hungry and asked if she had anything to eat, and she suggested some cheese crackers, like cheese nips, but Target's brand. She threw the box to me from the porch as I was sitting on the lawn and it hit me in the face scratching the skin and making me bleed! Hey! And the crackers weren't even that good. Her garden looks very pretty, but she was complaining how much work it is. And for sure it is. Her cat Ollie was out and about, he's mostly black with some white, and he made me miss DillBoy. Whaaaa! I finally got my new mouse pad that Frances made for me. It has a kitty on it.

Uck

My word for the day. Started out ok, then got to the office and the place is deserted!! Classes are over, I've got a bunch of stuff to do, but being here alone is a giant drag. Took Bindi to the dog park and no good dogs; one that stayed for about five minutes, and one that was walking around with diarrhea so thought I should get Bindi out of there. Can't find Tommasso and I have something special to give him, and he leaves tomorrow. Uck. These timed released Effexor I think aren't as good as the old brand name ones. Gonna call the doc. Made a doc appt. for my knees. Uck. Nobody reads my blog. I don't have enough friends to play with. Don't know if I'll have to move. Have a new physical sympton, a clunking noise in my neck. No tenants in my Florida house for months now. Property agent says it's because it's in a working class neighborhood and it's hard to find people who can afford the security deposit. What? Uck. Getting worried about money. Ok, think of something good to tell the one person that usually reads my blog and comments, K.
Got two students to come over on Sunday and help me dig up the rest of my mandala garden. Now to plant more. Rachel and Frances called me from New York on Sunday and sang, "Happy Doggie Mother's Day To You, Arf Arf!" to the tune of Happy Birthday which was very sweet.

Jerry and Fox

Driving into New Haven yesterday about 4:30 I saw the fox again on Rt. 146, walking on the side off the road. I hate to see her in the road; I am afraid she will be hit. When I first saw her, I thought it was a big cat, then was able to slow down and take a closer look. She takes my breath away. What a glorious wonderful animal. I trust her cunning will protect her.

Had a quick dinner with Tommasso at Yorkside -- grilled provolone and tomato and rye, with ice cream for dessert. He's leaving on Wednesday to go back to Italy, but I'll see him in two months. Hee hee hee. I'm going to Tuscany! Can't quite believe it. Ran into Moira at Koffee on Friday and was talking about the trip. She said, "Oh, you'll go to Venice and Florence," and I stopped her and said, "No, I plan to just stay around Pisa." She was horrified! She said, "You're just going to stay in Pisa for ten days? You have to go to Venice!" Then when I told her I was going to rent a car, she said, "You're going to drive in Italy?! Oh my god." I said, "Moira, are you a good driver?" She said, "I'm terrible." I said, "Well, I'm a very good driver, so I'm not worried about it. I drove in TRINIDAD!" To which her partner replied, "I drove in URAGUAY!" We laughed, as the point is if you can drive in those places, you can drive ANYWHERE. Then I said to Moira, "Say something nice about Italy to me." And she did.

The Jerry Seinfeld show was funny. Even tho my ticket was $80, I still couldn't see his face, which was frustrating. It was a HUGE theatre. The opening act was some guy whose name I can't remember. Tell me this: Why is it that Black comics always need to bring up the topic of kids and spanking, saying it's a good thing, or making a joke of it? I find it extremely annoying. This guy did the same thing. On the flip side, Jerry made some funny jokes about bribing his three kids to get them to do what he wanted, and it was far more amusing and intelligent, than making lame jokes about hitting. And spanking IS hitting, I don't care how you package it. Have come from a childhood where I was hit and spanked often, I know whereof I speak.

Anywho, Jerry was funny. I really enjoy how he makes jokes of the mundane, and the everyday, and is often so clever and perceptive as well as laughable. He voice wasn't so good, so that was slightly off putting, but I guess I'm glad I went. It's almost not worth it tho if you can't be in the first ten rows. They should have at least had video projections of his face up on the huge stage monitors. Oh well. Now I can say I saw him live.

Glossy Ibis

We had our staff lunch and all the healthy food and fresh strawberries and chocolate covered cherries (need some decadence) were gobbled up. WN is off to South Asia for the summer, GC to Sweden and India, me to Italy, Lea to India, M to Block Island, MH back to Romania, LW to Hungary, MT back to Vermont to make cheese. One of the perks of this job is having friends all over the world. But, would that they were all ten minutes away, and we could commune at will. Think I am almost close to nailing a non-stop flight from JFK to Pisa for about $1300. Which is very very good for this time of year, and how great is a non-stop?! Paid off to ask the faculty what travel agents they use.
Where's area code 305?

Sam sent me a photo of the glossy ibis who she says are right in my neighborhood this time of year. I had seen flocks of what I thought were some kind of vulture or wild turkey or something, and now I know what they are. Will drag out the binocs which are lurking in the trunk of my car and get a closer look when the tide is going out or coming in. They feed in the wet marshy areas before they dry out between ebb and flow.

Hey, I got the non-stop Delta flight nailed! Now I can feel excited! And non-stop is such a relief. I'll use my bucky pillow in a window seat and sleep and sleep. Ordered vegetarian meals. Lots of frequent flier miles. Woo-hoo! 305 is Miami, Ciao!!

Ahimsa

Means non-injury. Raw. Vegan. Organic. Kosher. A wonderful restaurant in New Haven, and where our staff lunch will come from tomorrow. Black bean and rice, and roasted vegetable wraps, and salad. Yum. Big ol' WGSS party yesterday celebrating everybody. New acting chair next year, TL leaving, ED leaving, MP leaving. The transience of academia.

One more choir rehearsal till the concert. Was singing one song on Monday night and started to cry. The music and the singing resonates in the body I think, and releases tension, which allows tears to surface. And Angela is just so fine and funny and talented. http://www.discomuseum.com/AngelaClemmons.html But the women in the choir aren't that friendly. Lots are there with friends, and when I sat in the front row last time, the woman next to me didn't even make eye contact! Need to get out of the northeast . . .

Still trying to get my flights and car for Pisa, Italy. Have calls into four travel agents. Hopefully I can nail something down tomorrow.

Cinco de Mayo

Here's a photo of Buzz whose second birthday was Tres de Mayo. Another cute munchkin. Just watched "Babel" on dvd. Not bad. Held my interest. That's all I care about. Did lots of yard work today, lots of cutting back the ivy to reveal the bluestone making up the paths. It's satisfying when it's done, but this is the way I get ticks, I'm afraid. Dug up the primroses in my Edgerton garden yesterday after work, the ones I lifted from Scott's garden a few years ago, as grass had grown among them so profusely that there was no way to weed it out. Will plant them in the field space in the lawn here. Bindi and I went searching for the fifty foot dog training lead in two other places today. No luck.
And we didn't do our homework for class tomorrow. I hate homework. Always have. Did buy a very interesting green chair at a tag sale today for $10. Everything was being sold for whatever donation you wanted to make to the American Cancer Society. Also while riding in the car that old REM song came on, "It's me in the spotlight, losing my religion . . ." and for some reason it made me cry. Not that I need a good reason these days. Made dinner for M & M & S -- pasta with pesto, salmon, steamed cauliflower, salad, fresh strawberries sweetened with agave nectar. Yum.

We're gonna have a fifteen minute May pole celebration tomorrow, and then I might have some help digging in the Edgerton plot, as I can't use a shovel any more. Went to feed Bravo yesterday at Annette's, but he was nowhere to be seen. Too bad. He's a great cat.

M & S showed me the gravestone of Simon Leetes, which is right near the house, in what used to be a continuation of the front yard before route 146 was put in. Odd to find such an old gravestone all by itself so nearby. There were two deer nearby as well.

Got six lovely handmade munchkin cards in the mail the other day. Happy moment.

Bravo

My neighbor's cat. Get to visit and feed him while she is away this weekend. He was fine with me at first, but now hides when I go to visit. Hope to be able to win him back into my favor. Will bring treats.

Went to the new pet store in Branford last night looking for a "dog training lead." A fifty foot length of cord to put on the dog when she is in the yard and won't come when I call. Can easily step on the lead to get her. She did well at the first recall workshop last Sunday. But today she is still weird. Wanting to be on my lap the whole time I'm trying to work. I think she was traumatized by my office meltdown last week. Either she's trying to comfort me, or wants me to comfort her to make sure it won't happen again.

Anyway, there were so many adorable puppies at the pet store, to die for! I held a tiny black pom; way too cute. The dog lead was $35 so thought I'd check Agway, who only had thirty foot ones, so guess I'll have to bite the bullet.

Wrote a poem about caffeine for my sister in law, but don't know how to retrieve it from her blog comment site.

The trip to see the munchkins had many joyful moments even though there was some sadness. The kids loved the Bindster. I was able to go swimming in the local community center several days in a row. T's birthday and I's concert were lovely, and we kept busy going shopping, and attending a crafts fare, and going out to lunch, and playing with the pup, and going to the dog and skate park, and opening presents, and playing with the pop gun, and I can't remember what else. Saw a very nice Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the local Museum of Art and Science.

My lettuce, beets, parsley, and radishes are coming up, and my tulips are blooming their heads off. Have to get help spading the garden now, since my knees are in such bad shape, but . . . oh, well.

Rache and I went to the St. Ronan Street dog park yesterday, where Bindi played with a beautiful greyhound named Oberon. What long legs, what a long nose! Nice conversation with Obie's person. The weather has been glorious.

Went to gospel choir rehearsal the other night and was glad I did. Some of the songs are really gorgeous, but don't think I'll mention the performance to anyone, since I'm still just partly invested. But Angela is so fine, so funny, so talented, such a good teacher.

ho hum

Something's up with Bindi. She doesn't want to be in her Yale office bed, and has wanted to be held quite a bit. She doesn't seem ill. Perhaps she's just picking up the tension around here.


Going to gospel singing rehearsal tonight, altho I'm not into it this time. It just feels like too much. Maybe I'll just go to the rehearsals and not do the concert. Not gonna put any pressure on myself. Took Bindi to a recall (Bindi, COME!) lesson yesterday at ABC Obedience. Learned a few things. Two more sessions. Think I talked Robi into getting a pod coffee machine, since she was lusting after my bad Dunkin' Donuts cappacino. Then a visit to the Robs and their pet mice, one of which just gave birth, but the babies are too new to be seen. It was great to see them as usual.


Tommaso and I went to the chihuahua meetup on Saturday at the Hamden Dog Park, where I got yelled at by a big dog owner for having dog treats in my pocket! I said, Tommaso, we have to leave, and I started to cry again. Daily tears these days. But we went to the St. Ronan Street dog park and had a great time, then I showed him Edgerton park and the community gardens, which he loved, and then we went to a noodle house for lunch. So the day was recovered.

Alden B. Dow

Centripetal

A painting by my friend Tommaso Gazzarri. I like it very much. I think I might try something similar but with blues, aquas, cobalts, turquoise.

Yesterday afternoon on the way to the Shoreline Soul gospel group rehearsal, I saw a wild fox on Moose Hill Road. As I drove by, she turned and looked at me, then walked into the woods. The sighting filled me with wonder.

As horrible as the shootings in Virginia are, I object to the media characterizing the event as the "worst massacre in US history," or some such. Perhaps OF THAT KIND. But not the worst shooting in the nation's history.

Boots

Bindi and I were on the Guilford green this morning and met THE CUTEST pomeranian puppy named Boots, 11 weeks old. This web photo is the closest representation of what he looked like, but does not even begin to do justice to his CUTENESS. He was mostly black, with tan boots on his feet, the softest fluffiest fur, and so sweet and affectionate. If I ever get a sister or brother for Bindi, I think it will be a "pom."

I got up early and went to an estate sale. I only spent five bucks on a garden hoe, some closet organizing shelves, and a gift for a friend, but the experience was oddly moving. My guess is that the person or persons living there had passed away, because absolutely everything in the household was being sold. Not clothing, but everything else. This person/s had a full woodworking studio, tons of computer equipment, a huge set of chemistry glassware, books on gardening, cooking, wildlife, novels, wonderful framed contemporary art. Someone more creative than I could write a beautiful poem about all these people meandering and scrutinizing and picking over a lifetime of someone's posessions.

Had to go to CVS to get some baby aspirin for Bindle. She's been under the weather since her Lyme disease vaccine yesterday; lethargic, no appetite, probably sore. The vet told me to expect this. The vet also showed me how to EAG. 'Nuf said. Went to Foodworks and got soy sauce, brown rice, balsamic vinegar, face wash, organic chicken broth, and a button that says "Proud to be an American Against the War."

Stopped at Page Hardware and got a birthday present for Tobi-wan. Then went to Fleischman's and was able to find pants and a top that fit me. They do not carry plus sizes, but sometimes I am able to fit into XL's that they carry. I've gained back all the weight I lost when I was sick. Dr. Artemis told me to keep visualizing the things I want to change, be positive, get very clear about what I want. Some affirmations:

I see myself feeling light and full of vitality.

My knees are healing with every step I take.

The sweetness in fruits and berries satisfy me.

My body is a temple I want to honor.

I am patient with the changes I am making.

Moving my body is a joyful thing.

Loving my body is easy.

Videotape

Adam Hyde 2005, videotape

This is one of Adam's installations, made from videotape. I think it's extraordinary. Clean, three dimensional, contemporary, evocative. He is going back to England on Sunday; what a pleasure to meet him. I have commissioned him to do a small portrait of Bindi. I'm so glad he agreed.

Poor little Bindle. Took her to the vet today for some vaccination updates, and one has wiped her out, may be causing her some pain. I don't have any baby aspirin in the house but will get her some tomorrow. We went to the dog park today, and she ran around for a long time with Sophie, a Welsh terrier about her size. I had a nice chat with Sophie's person, Christine.

VERY busy at the Yale office today. Non-stop. So much is going on at this time of year, one event piled on top of another. I stopped at Van Wilgen's this morning and got some yellow sticky traps for David and I to control our fungus gnats on our houseplants. Ick.

Saw my naturopath this week, Dr. Artemis. I hadn't seen her in months 'cause Yale changed my health provider (Anthem to Aetna), and naturopaths weren't covered until I single handedly got that policy changed. Aetna made an "exception" for Yale, so that naturopaths could be covered. Anyway, it was great to see her; she is upbeat and positive, and full of loving energy. It's rare to find someone who has found their perfect calling; she has. www.revivewellnesscenter.com

It's Now April 12

This is Adam and Bindi outside the Madison bookstore last Friday. Adam's girlfriend Mihaela took this fine photo. She had this tiny little digital camera. Hope the one I ordered takes pictures as good as this one. I like how Mihaela got not only Adam and Bindi's faces, but also the sidewalk, and the bookstore in the background. Bindi is wrapped in a baby blanket that Rachel had in the back of her car. How cute is that?


Don't ask me what I've done since the last post. One of the great things about blogging, like any kind of journaling, is that it remembers the mundane details, as the dramatic ones are easier to keep in mind. But life is a string of mundane events, not in a bad way, but that's just the way living is. One thing after the other, some great, some good, some neutral, some bad, some horrifying.


This thing with Don Imus is sickening. But at least it's more interesting than waiting to find out who the father of Anna Nicole's baby is. Uck. And now I have to boycott Starbuck's coffee because of their latest anti-union activities. If any business needs a union for it's employees, it's one as big as Starbuck's. And Wal-mart.


Great thing happened today!! Got two letters from my niece I. and one from Em. That made me SO happy! Will see them next week. Can't wait. Also got emails from two friends I haven't heard from in a long time, one in Orlando, FL, and one in London, well, actually she's in Sweden now for a while. She has a new book coming out in July. I miss her.


The play last Sunday with Cherry Jones was very very good. It was an hour and a half long with no intermission, which is perfect for me. I splurged today as one of my clients told me that Jerry Seinfeld is performing in Wallingford in May, and that's only about 45 minutes from me, so I got a ticket online. Didn't bother to try to find someone to go with me, as nobody likes Seinfeld as much as I do, and none of my friends can afford that ticket price. $85. I know, I know, it's a lot, but I never do this, and seeing him in New York would cost twice that much.

Doubt

Photo is of the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, rennovated.

M & M were here last night, and M and I were able to sit in front of the fire while she ate dinner and have a chat. Very rare, very nice.

Made myself go do some errands today, after an 11:00 am client. She is again getting into a relationship with someone who is not nice to her, and we talked about being attentive to the "red flags" when we are first getting to know someone, and loving ourselves enough to end the madness before we get badly hurt. Easier said than done, esp. when we come from families where love is so conflated with abuse. "Gee, that hurts. You must LOVE me!"

Put Bindi in the front seat, and drove to find Grove Gardens in Clinton, just to check it out. It's a garden center, which has been renamed "Pinks", and I found composted manure with organic humus on sale for $2 a bag. Good price. One of the staff there was taken with Bindi and said her mom had a dog named Bindi. Drove back and stopped at a couple of shops I'd never been in, which was fun. Came home and called James, the teenager who lives nearby who does yard work for Annette and Pat, and made an appointment for him to come over on Monday, which I now realize is not good cause I want to go hear Azizah al Hibri speak on Islamic feminism at Yale on that afternoon.

Oh, MM, the woman who owns the house on the lake whom I talked with about possibly moving there if I need to, called me today and offered me a ticket to go see Cherry Jones in "Doubt," at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven tomorrow. She was gonna take her mom, but mom turned her down. From the Shubert website: "Set against the backdrop of a Catholic school in 1964, DOUBT is the story of a strong-minded woman faced with a difficult decision. Should she voice concerns about one of her male colleagues...even if she's not entirely certain of the truth? The play examines the line between gossip and truth, discipline and compassion, certainty and doubt."

Interesting book title in the New York Times book review section: CONSUMED: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole, by Benjamin R. Barber. I already agree with it.

And finally, in a moment of shop therapy 'cause I've been feeling sad, I bought a Fuji S700 7MP Digital Camera with 10x Zoom and Fujinon Lens, complete with all the peripherals and a $100 coupon for Shutterfly for $249, free shipping. I guess I really need to read the aforementioned book.

Yellow Clivia

This is what my yellow clivia looks like, all beautiful and bloomed out. They still sell for about $75 each, but they have certainly come down in price in the past five years.

I've been pointing it out to everyone who comes to the house since they might never see another.

Fun day today. Rachel came out to pick up Frances, and brought Mihaela and Adam with her. Adam wanted to see the ocean so we went to Hammonassett State Park with the dog. It was cold and windy, but the waves were dramatic and Bindi was in heaven. On the way back we stopped at R.J. Julia booksellers, www.rjjulia.com, a great independent book shop with a cafe and cool gifts in Madison, the next town over. Came back to the house, stoked the fire, and served lunch of chicken pot pie, three cheese quiche, fresh asparagus, salad, brown rice, apple cider, and hot cross buns. Yum yum. Didn't make any of it, but went out early this morning to Bishop's, while Frances was watching cartoons, and got everything I needed. Everyone seemed pleased with the meal. After, Francie wanted to work on her school project which was to create something out of recycled materials. She wanted to make a tv out of a big cardboard box, but after conferring with her mom, it was decided to make a cat condo for Misty and Camilla, so they have a place to hide when Bindi harasses them. What they created was just delightful, covered with pix of dogs and cats and other catalog cutouts, complete with a transparent "sky light" made from a pie container.

After everyone left, Bindi and I went to Page's where I knew I could get some organic seeds for the garden. Got Ferry Morse organic green beans, swiss chard, and something else I can't remember right now. Then went to Foodworks and saw that they have another set of organic seeds, by Botanical Interests, I think. Yeah, that's it. www.botanicalinterests.com

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'm so tired. Have Frances tonight and in order to entertain her after I picked her up from school, we went to a 5pm showing of "Meet the Robinsons." She liked it; me, not so much. Then we went to the diner for food, then home where she watched a Hillary Duff movie until it was time for lights out. So I had to do little direct entertaining. Ok, more tomorrow.

Exhaustion

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The New Haven Chihuahua Meetup Group!

Bindi and I went off to the ABC Obedience School this morning for the monthly nail clipping extravaganza. I always enjoy seeing the other dogs, and today didn't disappoint. The SWEETEST little dachshund puppy named Peanut who was so gentle and pretty, with the softest fur. Peanut is short for Peanut Butter Cup, cause the top of her is chocolate colored and her underside the color of peanut butter. She also had a hyper sister named Destiny, a pug, with those horrible bulging eyes and smashed face that makes her have a snoring sound all the time. There was another dachshund named Tawny who had suffered a back injury and was paralyzed for a while. After going to the traditional vets for several weeks without results, her human took her to a chiropractor and after the first treatment Tawny was able to stand up! I love that story.


Bindi and I then went to Van Wilgen's garden center, bought some pansies, a new variety of morning glory, several tiny iron seahorses on deep discount, and a pack of romaine letter starts. They have beautiful things. Then to Stop & Shop for provisions, including the purchase of a citrus and sage all purpose natural cleaner made by Imus, where all profits go to foundations for kids with cancer. How could I pass that up?


Once back home, I hooked Bindi onto the tie out line, and got to work on a one sixth portion of my mandala garden. First I dug up the earth down to six inches, then mixed in some peet moss, pelletized lime, greensand, and organic seaweed compost. Then I planted the romanine starts, beet, coriander, and poppy seeds from last year, and black spanish radish seeds, the fruits off which my nutritionist says very verry good for us.


That little bit of gardening was exhausting and my arthritic joints were screaming. I came into the house and took a long nap. It's 11:30 now and I'm going back to sleep.