Rainy Days and Mondays

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old
Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin' around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.
- ROGER S. NICHOLS, PAUL H. WILLIAMS

Yes, it is raining. It rained all day yesterday. And our long range forecast is predicting rain every day but one for the next seven days. Fun time.

Sorry about the prolonged absence, though all of you with Blogger know that the stupid thing was down Thursday and most of Friday. Worse, when they did the "fix" on Friday, it deleted everything done Wednesday night forward. So, even though I *could* have posted on Friday, I had to do massive damage control on the LASR/WC site... all our reviews, our guest blogs, our spotlights -- ALL had to either be recreated or retrieved from draft.

Nope, I was not a happy camper. Which has led me to dusting off a PHP / Java / MySQL computer book and sending myself back to school. We hope to get all the LASR/WC stuff off blogger and onto a dynamic website over the next few months. We're actually planning some pretty massive changes so if I disappear, it's because I not only have to learn an entire computer language (well... three, actually), but also need to reimagine and rebuild the site.

I can't believe I did this on purpose.

However, I did have a wonderful Friday. The weather was GORGEOUS: warm and sunny. And, since there was rain on the forecast until June (that's only a slight exaggeration), I decided to put in my veggie garden.

We planted 24 tomato plants, 21 cucumber plants (yes, I really DO want pickles this year!), 4 butternut squash plants, 3 yellow summer squash plants, 3 eggplants, and uncountable pea and bean seeds. DD already planted carrots and I have my lettuce growing. I forgot to pop in my chard seeds, so I'll do that today.

We ran out of steam on Friday, so didn't put my "weed block" (i.e. newspaper covered with straw or grass clippings -- it all breaks down into compost eventually, but BOY does it do wonders for the weeds) down until Saturday.

Unfortunately, Saturday was cool and overcast and DD and I got eaten alive by mosquitoes.

In any case, the garden is in and happy. The flowers are blooming. I really, really love spring (and summer). I am just not a winter person at all.

Want a tour?

Here's the garden from in front (see the woods? Is it any wonder I have to fight deer?):



And from the side:



My rhubarb is crazy -- I wish you could use it for more, because I always have about ten times what I need, and end up throwing it away:



DD's little garden:


I swear, there are plants there! Here's my squash plant -- you can see my super professional weed block:



DD took a tour around the flower garden, too... here's a sample:

English daisies:



Our peach tree:


Wild blooming dogwood:


Rhododendron:


Bleeding Heart:


Mountain Laurel (from our woods):


Grape Hyacinth:


Creeping Phlox:


There are tons more flowers -- I love flowers -- but I won't bore you :-)

How was your weekend?

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You Are Dominant

You like to put yourself to the test. You don't feel alive unless you feel challenged. People usually totally love you or totally hate you. You are extremely intense. You are a little demanding. You know what you want, and you're not about to settle. You have a very strong personality. You don't tone it down for anyone.

The New Hair Color Test

As a funny ... that's actually not a "new" hair color -- it's what I have now. I didn't like the others (if they'd had a real auburn, I'd have chosen it -- but that "purple" auburn is ugly). AND... this is really pretty much true... guess I have the right hair color for me?

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This and That Tuesday

Panic is a sudden desertion of us, and a going over to the enemy of our imagination. ~Christian Nevell Bovee

I woke in a panic this morning... my alarm went off and I shut it off and lazed for a moment until I realized: THE CAT WASN'T IN MY FACE.

She's always in my face. She usually wakes me before my alarm does. Night before last, she curled up on my pillow at about 2:30 a.m. and purred (who needs a sound machine? -- purring makes perfect white noise) until I finally got up.

My kitty is 15 y.o. -- That's a senior citizen. So when she wasn't there this a.m., I popped right up and started looking. I found her in the spare bedroom, just sitting there all fine and dandy. I made her stand up, though, because once (years ago) something similar happened, and I found her lying down under the dog's feeding station and not moving, and it turned out she'd blown the ligaments in BOTH back legs.

She was fine. She was all, "Sheesh, what's the big deal." But my heart was pounding.

If she was smart, she'd do that regularly because it definitely got me up quicker than my alarm!

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Good news in Pillar Place: Swallowtail. Ethel (the 'pillar on the slippery tape) made her pupa safely and did NOT fall. I swear I checked on her about every hour! LOL...

We have another one, Carole, on walkabout -- leaving us with only three left. I'm a little worried that Greg and/or Fiona might be overwinterers. I sincerely hope not, but they are still pretty small.

Pillar Place: Monarch should be starting soon.

Speaking of monarchs, my milkweed is blooming! We had sun for about two hours yesterday, so I took a turn around the yard and WOW does it ever smell amazing. It's so strong, it's almost intoxicating. Truly one of the best flower smells ever. No wonder all the flying bugs love it. When it's not pouring rain (which isn't often anymore) the milkweed flowers are covered in bees and butterflies.

And the flowers are lovely, too. It's just a shame that most folks consider it a noxious weed and destroy it. They're missing out (and, sadly, so are the monarch butterflies - click here for information on Monarch Conservation, why they are threatened and how you can help).

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Did a little writing and a little editing yesterday. Also worked on a book video for Goddess Fish Promotions(can't call it a trailer, btw, as Circle of Seven Productions has copyrighted that phrase) and lots of other stuff for The Long and the Short of It. We have a kicking new romance author "gossip column" for our newsletter, starting in July -- it's a hoot (you should subscribe - the link is in the middle of the LASR home page).

It was a busy day! I really do love Mondays. I know, I'm a sick woman. *G*

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You Are Skilled

You are balanced and competent. You value harmony. Other people see you as outgoing, hyper, and even a bit overwhelming. Your ideal romantic relationship is peaceful, romantic, and private. You do best in tasks that require you to be flexible, creative, and playful.

The Shape Test

Actually, that's not far off... huh.

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Shhh.... Writer At Work

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. ~Carl Sandberg

The dog woke me up very, very early this morning. I've managed to get all of my LASR work done, and still have nearly an hour before anyone else awakens.

So, I hope you'll forgive me when I ditch the blog writing for my fiction writing.

Just a quick meme:



1. What are you up to today? Be specific. We’ve talked about your morning routine before, now walk us through a typical Monday for you after breakfast is over. How do you feel about Mondays? A fresh start to your week? Or do you dread the drudge of getting back to the same old routine?

I love Monday's. DH goes back to work, DD goes to school (well, she's homeschooled, but... she "does" school) and I get my routine back. There isn't any such thing as a typical Monday, though. Today? I'll take the dog for a long walk first thing. I'll probably run to the middle school, because the recycle containers are there today and my recycle bins are full (No curb-side recycling here... it's a pain). DD will do school. We'll break for lunch and another walk. I'll work on the LASR site, and my writing, and probaby do some housework. ::shrugs::

2. Earworms - we all get them from time-to-time. What tune do you have stuck in your head at the moment? How important is music to your life? List some of your favorite songs - and I’m talking about songs that evoke a strong emotion in you; joy, anger, sadness, etc. Do you have one particular song that brings back a certain time period in your life? What is the song and what is the time period?

Didn't have anything in my head until I read this question. I have a couple of songs I CAN NOT stand because they run circles in my head when I hear them. One is "Feliz Navidad", probably because it's the same oh... twenty words... over and over and over.

Last week it was the title song from "Okalahoma". And for your listening enjoyment, here is Hugh Jackman and friends to sing it for you, so you can have an earworm:



3. Who have you needed to say thank you to lately? Who is this person and what did he/she do to prompt a thank you?

Judy, always. And Chris. And Michele. And, most recently, Allie. These are the ladies who help LASR stay on track.

My mom. Just cuz. My DD for her hugs and unconditional love.

I'm sure there are more, but it's early.

4. How many candles will be on your birthday cake this next birthday? What do you think about the age you are now? Are you comfortable with what you’ve accomplished in life so far? Or do you wish you could have achieved more? You’re being granted one birthday wish - what is it?

I'll be 42. It's hard to believe. I still feel 20 in my head. Of COURSE there is more I wish I had achieved. More success writing and earlier. I wish I'd finished college. I wish I'd pursued my acting. I wish I'd .... but the fact is -- wishing won't make it so. I'll just go forward from here instead.

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