wealhtheow

Plannning ahead

I'm off to New Orleans in less than a week--and I still need to get some more comfortable shoes. I foresee a quick trip to DSW this weekend for kicky yet cozy shoes. My alliteration also sucks ass, by the way.

Ch-ch-changes are happening around the Wealhtheow household. Among other things, my daffodils are poking up through the snow, and I can't wait to see their darling little faces. And a few months after that, tulips! Springtime is lurking in the air, and I can't wait. My worms are back inside, and busy producing gorgeous castings, so I imagine in late March I'll bring them downstairs, harvest a layer, and work it into my beds in preparation for spring planting. I planted a lot of perennials last year, so we'll see what comes back. I also have PLANS for my hostas, namely moving them around so my cute mini-hosta doesn't get hidden by my giant hunka-hunka hosta. God, I love these plants. I'm thinking about going simple and stunning this year, and doing nothing but hostas and impatiens in the shady part of the garden. Gorgeous, no?

I need to decide where to put my tomatoes. If we expand the fence, that solves the problem rather neatly. But we might not expand the fence this year, and I'm reluctant to place them in the same spot we placed them in last year--I think they need some fresh soil, and they did so poorly last year. I think that was mostly the result of the intense heat, but I think crop rotation would be a smart move just in case.

I'm taken by the idea of doing more with vegetables this year. I think we'll try some squash, and maybe some peppers in the soil instead of in a container. My strawberries should come back, so let's see if this year I can figure out how to keep strange little animals from eating them right away. I'd also love to grow some eggplant, but I'm not sure we have the sunlight they need. I'll have to check it out.

My morning glories will almost definitely come back from seed, and I might try sweet peas again, this time starting them indoors and starting them earlier, as well as giving them adequate support with a trellis. I'm not sure what other ornamental flowers I'll put in--I'm kind of enamored with columbine, and maybe some foxglove for the back of the border. Any suggestions?

oh gosh

Y'all, I've been so dreadful about updating here. Let's see.

1. Lobby Day kicked unbelievable ass. It was so electrifying to be there walking the halls of my state capitol. I got in good with a bunch of old-school Dems who took me under their wing, and I was introduced to some of the movers and shakers in the state Democratic world. I've already decided that I'd like to work on Chuck Caputo's re-election campaign when he comes up again. It was a wonderful day, and it really gave me the charge I was looking for to start getting more involved in local politics by getting to know some of the players.

2. Right after Lobby Day I went up to see my grandparents in Pennsylvania. I was not prepared for what I encountered--namely, my grandmother has really detoriated in the past year. I think that accounts for much of my silence--seeing her like that was difficult, but what really hurt was seeing my grandfather see her. My grandmother is peaceful, but my grandfather is dealing with the reality of saying goodbye to his wife of 65 years.

3. I'm heading out to New Orleans in a little under 2 weeks for Annual Workplace Conference. I'll be working crazy, insane hours, and I won't really get to see much of the city. I'm hoping to be able to hook up briefly with my cousin and my sister-in-law, but we'll see. I'll be working straight from 6:45 am to probably about 8 pm. I'm looking forward to going, and seeing the members, in particular my good friends Z and K. But I'm not looking forward to spending 12+ hours on my feet--a prospect which already has my lower back aching in protest. But on the bright side, this gives me the perfect excuse to pick up some new shoes! And I need to get travel size toiletries! Fun for everyone!

4. We had a motherbitch of an ice storm. It moved in on Tuesday, leading to early dismissal. I got home at about 4 pm, and took the next two days off. The roads were starting to get clear on Thursday, but I couldn't make it out of my driveway in my little car, and had no desire to go walking in 15 degree weather to wait for a bus that might or might not come--especially since I'm fighting off a cough. (Yes, again. I know. I know!)

5. I'm kind of disappointed by the commercials I've seen for "Bridge to Terebithia." If I remember the book correctly, the protagonists were singularly unattractive, and this girl they have playing Leslie looks pretty hep. If they have her surviving the accident I'll be most displeased.

6. The one year I didn't watch the Wesminster Dog Show, the Bouvier wins Best in Group. GODDAMNIT!