Meet My Little Friends...

No, not dogs. Unfortunately. I keep thinking it's time, but Hubby thinks not. And to be honest, he'd be doing most of the work, since I still have an outside-the-home job and teach 3 nights a week. One day, the right circumstance will come. It will all fall in place. 

In the meantime...meet my little friends, the Swallowtail caterpillars. They've invaded what has to be my most glorious crop of parsley ever. I have 6 on there right now, and I've had a steady stream of the little munchkins since I planted it. 

I honestly think that our crazy 'what season are we in?' weather has helped, because the pot of parsley is just about the prettiest thing in my garden. 

I will admit to obsessively checking the parsley and shooing birds away. But they've actually been more interested in the cicaidas, and have been leaving my little buddies alone. The pot is right alongside some very tall lavender, too, which is partially blocking them from the birds' view. 

Next year, I have to get my dill going again. They prefer that, but I haven't seen mine in a few years. 

The Garden...

Speaking of -- I think we're in good shape right now. I have several hanging pots that are going along nicely, the wildflowers are coming up like crazy and the pots of lantana are adding big spots of color. Two pots with some good-sized purple salvia, tomato plants with blooms starting, and the HUGE bags of potatoes...looks like we might have a garden here. Along with the pink flamingo decor all over the front yard. So sue me -- I like a bit of kitsch. I added some more solar lights, along with the fairy lights in the mason jars. 

I did a little magic with spray paint. My mom gave me a trellis for the church's rummage sale and it was kind of rusty. I figured it would end up tossed, and on a whim, I got some spray paint and sandpaper. I also had the well-worn glass bird bath (along with 2 new solar fountains) that needed some TLC. 

After sanding the yellow + rust trellis, I also grabbed the gazing ball stand and gave that a lick of sandpaper. And I up-ended the glass bowl of the bird bath and whipped that up with some fine grit. All the sanded things got a good wipe-off.  

I got matte black, hammered copper, and a kind of paint called "Illusion." So I sprayed the black matte on the trellis, the gazing ball stand and the metal legs that hold up the glass bowl of the bird bath. Let that dry, and then I sprayed SEVERAL coats of the "Illusion" on the trellis and gazing ball stand. When you look at it, it's like a purple/green/blue irridescent. Really pretty. I left the bird bath stand black, but I probably should have done it as well. 

I turned the glass bowl over, with newspaper under it, and gave it several coats of the "hammered copper" spray paint. I didn't quite get the "hammered" look, but I'm ok with it because the bowl itself has a lot of texture on the underside. If I had had my wits about me, I'd have done a light coat of the irridescent FIRST, and then the hammered copper. That would've been kind of cool! 

Anyway, for about $28, I refurbished THREE items that were showing their age. And I decided to keep the trellis. It's sitting right behind a pot of lantana. 

Potatoes Everywhere...

The potatos are huge. Bigger than I thought they'd be! The plants are top-heavy, so we're tying them up. I thought, "Put stakes in there" and then realized that I'd probably skewer some spuds. So we're just hoping they don't topple over in the next big wind. We're set for a tumultuous summer, if you believe the weather folks. Bigger tornadoes, more derecho-type winds, noisier thunderstorms. Yikes. 

I'm hoping that big plants mean a delicious harvest. My dear MIL (and I mean that - the woman was a saint) grew them in her garden. But that was in MT, where dirt is dirt... Here, dirt is the 2" or so of black dirt they put on top of the clay. And Illinois actually has some of the best growing soil in the Midwest. My town, however, has a streak of clay running through it a mile down! 

Meet My Tumbler...

Not THAT "Tumblr" -- My net compost bin lasted for several years. Likely, because it was protected somewhat by our shed, it lasted a bit longer than it would've otherwise, but it went to "Compost Bin Heaven," wherever that is. I got a tumbler, and when we were transferring the compost from the bin to the tumbler, I saw WORMS!!! Yippeeeeee!!! That means that, hopefully by the end of this season, I should have compost. Hubby can dress the beds for winter and it'll season even more. 

It's a small one, but it's still heavy to tumble - no crank. Just Me-power. So it's an additional source of exercise, as far as I'm concerned! 

Even though you fill the thing, by the time everything decomposes down to its final stage, you get about a third of the capacity of the bin. Which is fine for us - we don't have a huge garden. In fact, I'd even take it down to one or two raised beds (we have 3 currently, and we didn't bother to plant them this year either). 

I still want to take the back yard to red clover instead of grass. It's more environmentally friendly, the huge maple in the back kills off most of the grass anyway, and the patio, parking pad, shed and dog pen kind of take up the rest of it. May as well make it one less thing to mow. I think if I can do that in the back, eventually, we can do it for the front as well. It's barely discernable from grass, and it'll kill off the neighbor's creeping Charlie. 

The Great Cicada Invasion...

It's just about done. At least here. In my town, we only got one of the two species, and not a lot of them - which is weird because my neighborhood is old and there are some older trees, which the critters prefer. In spots, they seemed pretty thick, but it was nowhere near as bad as where I work. There, the robins were lining up in front of the tree in front of my office and one-by-one were flying at the tree to pick off their breakfast. It was pretty funny to watch, if you think about it. Robins aren't always known for their manners. 

Where I work is just across the river, and they had BOTH species. It was so loud that, even on days when I was running the AC, I could hear them. One of the little buggers got into the house. Hubby grabbed it and tossed it back outside. Ugh. I know - they're harmless. But they're gross. 

And I realized that the range of tones I hear in my head (tinnitus) is the same as the noise they make. Wonderful. A symphony all year round!

It's done for now, and I think we're just about back to normal. 

The Felon...

Speaking of bugs...I was relieved that TFG has been convicted. Jurors unanimously convicted him of 34 felonies. And then, to top off the jubilee, Steve Bannon has to report to prison on July 1. So. Much. Winning. 

What does frighten me is Project 2025. That cannot be allowed to stand. My great-grandparents left Poland to come here because they were tired of being invaded by Russia (which Putin wants to do again...which the Poles are NOT jazzed about). TFG would have us withdraw from NATO. He will bury our rights as women to our own healthcare decisions and there's speculation that he would consider taking more rights away from women. 

I want to know how many abortions he's paid for. 

I want to know why women would even CONSIDER voting for him or anyone of his ilk. 

I want to know when we will have a balanced Supreme Court that we can trust again. 

What I do know is that, in spite of the odds, TFG is finally getting the comeuppance he's needed for his entire life. 

What I do know is that his own LAWYERS approved of the jury. So there's no blame there. No "rigged" jury. They all saw the same evidence, and they all came to the same conclusion. 

He's getting interviewed by his parole officer prior to the sentencing on July 11. And I hope that he gets some time behind bars. Martha Stewart got time behind bars, as a first offender, for insider trading. And she's actually a millionaire in fact. TFG is a billionaire only in his twisted mind and that of his followers. It's a cult as much as Martha was. But Martha didn't have the nuclear codes. And Martha doesn't have dementia, which is looking more and more likely with TFG. 

July 11 will be the day we know if the justice system will follow through. It seems as though the MAGAts are melting down, but lo and behold, HUNTER BIDEN. That poor soul got convicted of gun charges that one in a THOUSAND people wouldn't be convicted on. But you know, ya gotta "own the libs," so you want to humiliate the sitting president because Diaper Donnie and his Delulu Disciples are ... nuts. With Hunter getting convicted, the MAGAts are kinda caught up short because their Farting Leader can't be portrayed as a "victim of a witch hunt" because....well, THEY are the perpetrators of their own witch hunt. President Biden isn't going to pardon Hunter. He said he believes in the rule of law, and it is what it is. His son did indeed do what he was convicted of, and even though most of those types of things are pled to a lower crime or just fined, Hunter may well have to serve prison time. There was a plea deal and (I know, you're as shocked as I am) that fell apart when the judge appointed by TFG said she wasn't ready to approve the plea deal because of how it could affect "other crimes he had committed or could have committed." So when do we have "justice" meted out for what we "might" do? Talk about witch hunts... Here's a link to the NPR article discussing it. 

With any luck, so will Cadet Poopypants. If a judge can jail Martha Stewart for insider trading (first offense, I might add, so do not come at me with that pathetic excuse), then TFG (as a CONVICTED first offender -- this is not his "first offense" by a long shot) should get some time for trying to rig a federal election. 

Hip-A-Versary...

I'm coming up on one year for the hip replacement. Happy anniversary to me! I still haven't gotten on a bike yet, but I'm hoping to do so this summer. And I'm not back to the stables yet. But otherwise, I'm doing well in terms of moving around, doing about 90% of my yoga practice -- I knew I'd have to break up with some poses, but that's ok -- and being able to stand for longer periods of time without feeling like I need a nap afterwards!

Random Picture...

I made a butterfly bath...or maybe a butterfly watering station. I guess butterflies don't take baths. On advice of a friend who's involved in prairie restoration, I took my bird bath at work and created a little place for the butterflies. 

I had seen them in gardening sites, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to do that or put a solar fountain in there. She brought me some rocks, and told me the best way to arrange them, and after playing with it, this is what I came up with. 

By putting a pile of rocks near the larger piece of flagstone, you give the butterflies a place to perch where they can stick their little noses in the water to take a sip. It's a nice idea, and I'm looking forward to seeing them figure it all out. 

Just. So. Much...

There's just so much. Too much. Where to begin??

At first, I thought I'd blog when the "leak-that's-not-a-leak" broke with Justice Alito's "triumph" -- a decision which would render Roe v. Wade deader than Marley's ghost. 

Then, I thought I'd blog after the Brooklyn shooting. 

Then, Uvalde happened. 

With all that, stuff like the latest book I'm reading, my knitting and my garden seem so...quaint. Provincial, even. Stuff of fluff and nonsense. 

But maybe we need fluff and nonsense right now because the weight is there and it's getting heavier. 

So let's get to it, kids. What shall we tackle first? 

Let's go with Amy Coathanger Barrett's comment about the "domestic supply of infants," because it correlates pretty closely with school shootings. I guess we need a "domestic supply of infants," so that, if they manage to grow up and get to school, they'll be targets. 

Yes, I said what I said. Kids these days (and their teachers) are targets. Every parent, lately, especially in the Bible Belt (an irony that's almost laughable because there's nothing Biblical about them or their attitudes), seems to think that they can teach better than teachers. They know more than librarians, and they're more heavily armed than the cops. 

And still, kids die. 

And our government has neither the will nor the inclination to change any of that. 

I almost hesitate to say it, but this time, it feels a little different. I can't put my finger on it, but the reactions are different, in places where it just might finally matter. 

We can only hope. I wish I could provide you with a Grade-A, Twitter-worthy rant, but you know what? It's too heavy a load and I just can't right now. 

The Knitting...

The Long Sands Tee goes on. I had to decrease after the lace pattern to get to the correct amount of stitches, once I went down a needle size. And then it turns out I'm going to be doing dolman shaping, with some increases! Yikes. 

The linen yarn is interesting. I'm not sure how this thing is supposed to block out; it's the first "one piece" sweater I've ever knit, and I can see how it's going to be quite "draggy" -- I mean, as you wear it, the weight of the linen will make it hang differently. I saw one picture where it looked quite like a crop top, which isn't the effect I'm going for. I'm hoping it's like on the model, where it hits around the hips. 

I'm sort of -- well, not "sort of," but actually QUITE annoyed at the lack of support for this pattern. I've reached out to the Ravelry page, and I've put things out on social media and...crickets. Now, either I'm just being a dunce, or it's not a pattern that a lot of people have done. So I have no questions answered, and just a few pictures are on the pattern's Ravelry page. 

I've managed to place the markers for each side, and I'm doing the 1 1/2" of stockinette before the dolman increases. Then, the front and back get separated and we don't worry about them till later on. 

I try to read a pattern all the way through at least once, and then I start it. I used to just plow into the project, but that didn't work out so well. So I figured that I should probably do what everyone suggests: Read the blasted thing through first, so at least I have some idea of what I'm getting myself into!

Honestly, I thought I'd be farther along on this, but some things have been happening, so I haven't had the needles flying like they ought to be. 

The Yoga...

Yeah, I went ahead and signed up for an online Prenatal Yoga class. Yeah, I'm the oldest student in the class...we talk about birthing and thankfully, THAT hasn't changed. But some things I experienced in "the 'way back times" as we say? That's changed a bit. 

My hip, by the way, has NOT been cooperating. I am sorely tried by this hip. It's a balance between "moving to keep moving," and then "paying for moving." I may have to have a second cortisone shot, which I'm not looking forward to. 

And as long as we're here, I have to tell you that I'm having an ICM implanted. We joke that it's my "pet finder chip." It's an internal cardiac monitor - not a pacemaker or the like. It just monitors. I'm going to be laid up just temporarily - a few days. But then I'll be back to "normal" - whatever that is!

Anyway, the prenatal stuff should be completed by August, and we do move at quite a clip. It's an 85-hour program: weekend intensives, and lectures every Wednesday from now till July. 

I'm looking forward to teaching this population. It's something I've wanted to do for a long, long time. And it's about time - I don't want to regret not ever trying. 

The Garden...

The twirly-birds are INSANE this year. I'm not quite sure what's going on, and they're just nuts. The garden is quite a bit smaller. We're not doing carrots this year; it's the first year for asparagus, and we've got romaine, radishes, cucumbers and tomatoes. I've put in some parsley and some dill, but we have a ton of basil and rosemary in the freezer. 

This is the first year in about a decade that I haven't had a Rosemary plant. But I do have a new experiment: The Great Compost Project. Yes, kids, finally...my own compost bin. We shall see. 

A student gave me a small compost bin that she was no longer using. I thought about it for a while, and figured out where to put it. Let's just say there was a bit of a discussion about it, but my main thing is this: It's small enough for me to manage, and while I can't do the garden as easily as I would normally do, I can manage to fork over a bit of food scraps with the "brown matter" (shredded newspaper, coffee filters, some lawn clippings...). The bin isn't huge, and I'm not compelled to fill it. 

I know it will be at least a year, but it's something I can try. If it flops (draws critters or starts to stink), then I can just trash the whole thing. This is a nice netting contraption with a lid. I've staked it to the ground, which enables the worms and the "good bugs" to start working on the contents. 

I keep it moist, and flip it every couple of days. We'll see how this all works out. 

Maybe I'm totally naive, but I think at least it's my small bit to recycle and do my bit for the planet. Crazy? Yeah. But if it all works, then we get free fertilizer and we can help the ecosystem just a tiny bit. It's up to us to do what we can, right?

The bird feeders are back up; the hummingbird feeders are stocked, and the bird bath is back in action. We were on a "Do not" request from the state because of a strain of Avian Flu. It was mainy going after aquatic birds, but they weren't certain that it would affect songbirds, so they asked folks to not fill feeders for a while. The birds were grumpy. But everyone seems happy now. 

Random Picture...

Husky On Patrol. Raisa has decided that she's a part of the Neighborhood Watch. She rarely barks at anyone unless Quinn starts it first, and then it's her signature "song of her people." 

The neighbors across the street had a big "First Birthday" celebration yesterday so she was watching the cars park along the street. 

I promise I have more. I have at least one recipe to share with you, a post card project that you too can commit to do, and some more pictures. 

Just for now, though, I'm headed off to bed. My latest bedtime reading is "Wednesday The Rabbi Got Wet," by Harry Kemelman. I got it off a pile that my friend was "culling," and of course I decided to order the rest of the series on Kindle. My poor Kindle -- when I first got it, I thought, "I'll never fill this thing up" and now? I think I'm near capacity on it. 

More tomorrow. Rest well, everyone!