The Joy of Bok Choy, or, Spring Gardening

Today we played hooky from Quaker Meeting--went out for breakfast and to the local nursery instead. Ken was rather patient while I cooed over pansies and shopped for seeds, then we got a pond skimmer (Ken said, "I could play lacrosse with this." That was it for him, though--I'll go back on my own to get more seeds and look into getting blueberry bushes!

Sooo...I cleaned and drained the pond. No dead mice this time, thank goodness, just a lot of live earthworms. I like worms, so that was cool--they all found new homes in various places in our back yard. I had to get into the pond to do the last of it; it was kinda fun, like playing in mud puddles. Refilling time after that, and I replanted the water mint (it smells really good--important because even a clean artificial pond gets some slimy bits in it.) Ken set up our solar pond fountain and we floated that up on top.

While the pond was draining I planted bok choy in a couple of prime locations. It's an early summer plant (bok choy tends to wilt around late June in Maryland) so this was a good time to plant. In about a month I'll plant cucumbers and basil, and possibly green peppers.

I flipped through an organic-gardening book and found some nice flowering plants to keep away bugs. So my cucumbers will be growing amidst nasturtiums! I've got the garden pretty much plotted out on paper now. Next step: set up a compost pile!

In case you were all wondering...

What librarians do after they close the library at night...

Things that make me happy

Rich came to our home last week. He insisted on a tour of the yard before it got dark and was duly impressed. He'd also met Ivan, who actually walked up and introduced himself (and got petted.) Ivan usually stays a few feet away from new people, except for persons he likes right away (like Ms. Stasa, my primary rival). Rich brought the best housewarming gifts: Trader Joe's Low-Fat Cats (original flavor) Trader Joe's One-Pound-Plus dark chocolate bar, and kitty snacks for Ivan.
We went to Royal Jade where we ate great Chinese food and had a wonderful time catching up!

Last Saturday I had my appointment with the wonderful Dr. S, whose treatments have been improving Ken's health over the past six months. Good news--he's just about certain I don't have Lyme! I do have a systemic yeast infection, though, so I'm taking meds for that. No major side effects so far, except for some digestive stuff that isn't as bad as an IBS attack, so I'm cutting back to 1/2 dose as he suggested in such a case. Between that medicine and adrenal supplements (evidently my adrenal glands sorta shut down because of all the stress I've had for so many years (my first marriage, corporate b.s., job losses, etc.) I have more energy and am happier already.

I was off today because I'm working Saturday and got some errands done. Finished all the paperwork to roll over my retirement from my old library job, did some enjoyable grocery shopping at (all together now:) Trader Joe's, and bought some beautiful pansy plants on sale at Home Depot. Then I unpacked the groceries and planted the pansies in pots all over the lawn. Some are purple, some purple-and-yellow, some white-and purple. Lovely--and I discovered that no less than 6 of my narcissus bulbs came up! Two have buds already. I did plant about 18 bulbs, but the local vermin dug them up and spirited them away for nefarious purposes. I bought narcissus specifically because rodents (mice, squirrels, voles, etc.) don't eat them. Apparently they play some obscure kind of ballgame with them and I've supplied the Final Four of the Greenbelt Rodentia Conference. Or maybe they poison their enemies with them, I don't know. Maybe little CSI or NCIS rodents will show up soon to investigate. I'd like to see a vole in black pigtails and Goth-wear...

Health update

I went to the wonderful doctor Ken's been going to for treatment of his long-term Lyme and the rest of his complex medical situation. Good news: He's just about certain I don't have Lyme disease! I do have significant yeast infection, so I'm on fluconazole to start knocking that out. I also have all the symptoms of low adrenal function so I'm taking supplements to help out my adrenal glands. I am feeling a bit more energetic, despite a minor respiratory infection. Which, by the way, is having little effect except making me a bit tired--and my voice is just about shot. Fortunately I was at work only in the morning, when we weren't open, and at a workshop in the afternoon, so I didn't have to talk a lot.

We'll see if I can speak well enough to work on the desk tomorrow. At least it would keep me from talking too loud (yes, I'm a librarian who has to be "shushed"!)

Life is a movie musical

We watched Oklahoma! tonight on TV. Sang together on a lot of the songs, "Let people say we're in love..." "All or Nuthin'" and commented on everything from the ballet sequence to the shivaree (no wonder Ken wouldn't tell anyone where we spent our wedding night!)

Ivan watched too...he was fascinated with the ballet sequence and actually reached up to try and grab "Laurey" at one point.

We're still waiting on the adoption homestudy...have to talk to a new social worker (our wonderful Bev was "phased out," sadly) about my new job.

Work's very busy for both of us. Ken's still in charge a lot. And oh, yes, we did OK with the snowstorm. It's one of the few things that made people drive sensibly on the Beltway.

It's cold tonight! I'm very glad we have the space heater, and I have my cozy quilted full-body wrap. It's like that thing they advertise on TV only warmer.