Growing veggies

I've got tomatoes, basil, Japanese eggplant, and three types of peppers growing in the back yard. So far, I don't have high hopes for the eggplant -- it looks like there are a whopping three blossoms going. The tomatoes are looking pretty good, including the hanging "topsy turvy" one I got for Mother's Day, where the plant grows out of the bottom of a hanging container, and then grows upward. It's very strange, but looks like it has a lot of fruit.

Stephen Covey talks about the law of the farm -- that you cannot throw corn seeds in the ground, and expect to sow an abundant crop the next day. It takes patience, much toil, nutrients, and time. We all need that, don't we?

I've been in analogy-mode this week, thinking about what it takes to learn and master new skills. I'm studying Spanish. It's frustrating and awkward to speak this new language -- it slows me down, I have to take baby steps, but I know that if I continue to apply myself, eventually I will become fluent.

That's the ticket -- time, attention, and much toil, to get what you want.

****THINGS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET I REALLY LIKE***

Last night I walked into the family room, and found Ayla watching the movie "Cool Runnings". I stood there a minute, and it hit me how much I really like that film, and that I had not thought about it in at least five years.

Ayla said, "I remember seeing this over and over when I was, like, nine." -- that's because it was one of the movies I had in my fairly small video library. But yeah, she did watch it a bunch, because I had it on. I loved the story of gumption and redemption, and success in the face of defeat. And, the music made me happy.

So -- I want to start a list of things that I just plain LIKE, so I don't go another five years before I suddenly remember I like them. And if it's a long list, I don't care.

At first, I thought I'd just publish it here -- but on second thought, I think I'm going to be more organized than that, and start a spreadsheet that I'll save to my Desktop for this. And, if at some point, I want to share some of the list, fine.

But for now, it's mine.

My idiot dog jumped off the roof this afternoon

This is one of those situations where, if I had somehow been outside with my video camera in hand and rolling, I'd probably win big bux on some "stupidest videos" game show.

Preston McGinty, now AKA Flyboy, noticed that Marty had left his office door open, and, given that the temp today was in the mid-80's, the office window was open. The office is on the second story, and the window opens onto the roof of the garage.

So. Our neighbors across the street were treated to the sight of Preston, the `60 lb. Irish Wolfhound, climbing out the office window on the second story, skittering down the shingled roof, and jumping off onto the cement driveway.

Stupid-ass dog.

The miracle and surprise is that I'm not sitting at the emergency vet hospital right now, waiting while they fiddle with multiple broken Wolfhound legs. Nope. The idiot is just FINE, thankya. Matter of fact, the doofus seems to be QUITE pleased with himself!

Harrumph. Idiot dog.

What else? I've started swimming laps while listening to my audiobooks, and I LOVE it -- I can make an hour disappear without hardly even noticing it. But, I think Marty and Ayla are appalled by the way that I manage it. Two snack-sized Ziploc Baggies wrapped neatly around my Creative Zen player, with the player attached to the top of my head via a rubber band or clip. We went swimming early this morning before work, and they both just laughed at me. I don't care -- THEY were farting around; I was actually swimming many laps. Hah. But I admit, I'm sure it must look pretty silly. Good thing I usually swim where there are hardly any people there.

Ugh. I am so very close to turning 47. THAT feels OLD to me, even though I don't feel old. In my head, I think I'm probably somewhere between 29 and 34, that's what it feels like. I don't feel like I'm pushing 50. 50 feels OLD to me! Ancient. I honestly feel like I'm still almost the same as I was 15 years ago. OK, I'm not quite as limber, and a little slower... but in my head, I haven't changed a bit. No idea what that means.

How I hate housekeeping

And I guess that's TOTALLY unusual, right? Everyone else likes to clean house? OK, I've been putting it off, and I need to just buckle down and get it done.

I had been paying a housecleaning team to come in every other week, but it was just crazy expensive. $160 a visit! That's way more than I can really afford for such a luxury, and they really did go overboard on every visit. Sure, the place was spic and span, but I just don't see the need to move furniture every single time! I'd be fine with just paying somebody to do the kitchen and bathrooms, vacuum and dust, and be done with it. Hopefully I'll be able to find the time to hire somebody again soon, because I can't stand having to use my weekend time for this! Bleah.

OK. Enough stalling. Gotta go get the work done. Harumph.

The reward later today will be going to see the movie UP.

thunder, thunder, thunderation

those were words from a basketball tournament cheer I vaguely remember from elementary school in San Francisco. All of us St. Cecilia kids would head over to Holy Names School (because unlike us, they had a Gym), bedecked in our Blue and Gold finery, and we'd cheer on our IRISH, our team. The St. Cecilia Irish.

I cannot remember what the HN team was called, but I know they were wearing white and red, those were their colors. We'd be in blue and gold -- they'd be in white and red... vivid memories of, maybe, 7th grade, carefully tying blue and yellow ribbons in my long hair, to 'cheer on the team".


And why the hell is this occurring to me now???? Because as I started typing, the THUNDER started rolling and rolling again outside. What a week of storms we've had! It's been crazy.

All in all, today feels like a very good day, like it's going to be a very good weekend. I'm preparing for Brenna to finally up and move to Florida, which I know has been in the cards for quite some time, but still it's going to be tough to have her... NOT-HERE. She hates to hug me, but still, being in her physical presence is a balm for me. Having her on the edge of the continent will be, tough.

But that's the nature of things.

Work has been stressful but so very satisfying, and different. I know I have been ignoring the staff, but at least I told them to expect this for a few weeks -- and heck, it's good for them to have to just manage around me. I'm not expendable! Good to have them make decisions, even if they decide on things that would differ from my own approach. Learning, we're all being presented with opportunities for learning.

It's turning into a beautiful June in Colorado. Birds everywhere, which is lovely to listen to. Squirrels chattering outside the window. Glimpses of coyotes now and again, especially at dawn. Love it.

Saturday, ah, Saturday. Freedom, MY time. Love it.

OK, the shoe fetish thing...

So, I'm waiting for video to render for a work project, and while waiting, I've been surfing eBay for shoes in my size. Nothing has changed, apparently -- in my size, the biggest group of shoes tend to be labeled something like "sexxxy dominatrix pumps, 6" spikes" and so forth. (OK, that might just be enough to get me blacklisted or something, who knows?)

Mourning my missing sandals -- truly!

Some time in November, I cleaned out my closet and packed up just about all of my summer sandals, stuck them in the garage to wait out the winter. I made a big mistake, though -- I "stored" them in a white plastic drawstring bag, which around our house usually signifies "garbage". Even though I carefully wrote with Sharpie all over the bag -- LAURA - KEEP - SANDALS, somehow it seems that when I went hunting for the bag come April, it was nowhere to be found. I can only surmise that the bag was recognized for its typical use, and not the use I had put to it.

So, my entire lovely, painstakingly-collected wardrobe of size 12 sandals is GONE. I was fortunate enough to have kept three pairs in my closet when I packed up last fall (thank heaven for Indian Summer) but I sorely miss about six pairs of my total favorite, most comfortable, most beautiful summer footware.

I miss my shoes.

Guys would probably not understand this. Imelda might. I just wish I had thought to store them in the basement and not in the garage, because the basement storage closet is MY domain.

I admit it, I have big feet. YOU try finding any sort of cute shoes in Size 12. I never used to even have to THINK about that when we lived in San Francisco, because there was always McB's on Market Street, where all the glamorous transvestite performers shopped. They always had cute shoes, all the way up to Size 15, I think. I just ignored the 5" leopard stilletos, and "settled" for things that seemed much more tame -- but in reality, were actually so very cute. Now, in Denver -- I don't have that option.

Here, I have only Nordstrom Rack. That's not bad, though.

Old dog learns new tricks

I have to learn how to edit videos myself, rather than hiring a production firm to "do" it for me. Actually, I'm GLAD! I've wanted to learn editing for quite a long time. I love working with PowerPoint, and I'm good at it -- but movement is what's missing in PPT, other than the stock, boring animations and transitions. So I'm teaching myself Magix MovieEdit. I did some research, and I believe this will be a great tool for me, and after spending just one hour playing with it, I can see how it will make sense to me.

I've had the weirdest dreams lately -- I've got this recurring thing about this House we've moved into, that has these unexpected and unused rooms that I suddenly decide to start using. I've dreamed this dream so many times, that I can basically draw out the floorplan of the "mystery house" by now.

I wonder what that means????

Anyway, I'm glad I'm learning to edit. I've wanted to for a very long time. This will be a useful tool.

The software was so cheap, too! I got a new camera and the software, and for just a few hundred bucks, I'm up and running. Gotta love technology.

Innisfree

Love Yeats:


I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.


and Burns!11 God! I had forgotten how much I loved this poem:

Translation
Index
To A Mouse.
On turning her up in her nest with the plough, November 1785.

Robert Burns was a poet, but that was not what earned him his living. As with most artists of his time he had to have some means of earning his keep. In Burns' case he earned most of his money, sparse though this was, from farming. This is why he is also known as the "Ploughman Bard". It was while he was ploughing one of his fields that he disturbed a mouse's nest. It was his thoughts on what he had done that led to his poem, "To A Mouse", which contains one of his most often quoted lines from the poem. I am sure that you will recognize it, probably not from the Scottish words, but from the translation, lines 4 and 5 from verse 7.



Burns Original
Standard English Translation


Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle.

I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth born companion
An' fellow mortal!

I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't.

Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's win's ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.

That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld.

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou are blest, compared wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!