Slim pickin's

Things are looking up, a little. Here is the pear tree, blossoms starting.

And something in the front garden, and someone will know its name.

Our first daffodil, miniature, that is. And lots of weeds to prise up.

And I finally located where I'd tucked the flyer that came from Elements, with artists and work.

When Deb started putting the show together, last December, or earlier, she asked me to participate, and I declined. I was not at the end of my towel project. But a couple of weeks ago I realized I was at the end, and asked to be accepted, which Deb and Steve graciously did.

Of course, I missed the postcard, but so what. I would be there. Then Deb asked me for towel pictures to include on the Facebook page. I did not realize this would get me top billing:

Followed by the postcard. Though, in fairness, sometimes she just posts a collage of all the work, and my pedestrian towels. Steve and Deb are porcelain artists. Deb's porcelain plaque and Steve's vase flank the green central banner. 

What did you do today?

This is our interrogation over supper, "What did you do today?"  It generally is a long recitation of Laura's classes, and a quick overview of my pursuits.  This week, however, is AIR exams for many of her classmates. 

Laura is not required to take these tests, why I do not recall. Her day thus begins at ten and was abbreviated. When she wrapped the last class, all I said was "That's nice. This is really good tonight. How is it different?"

I was down to the last ravioli, and realized I should take its picture. In fairness, the cheese ravioli were good, but the sauce was my question. The ravioli came from the refrigerator cooler at Kreigers.  

As I was sewing and listening Laura work on dinner, I did hear the little food processor at work. So, her rundown of the sauce started with a new brand of sauce.

I know that few things from the store escape her attention, and sure enough, our sauce also included some hamburger, a handful of spinach, garlic cloves, and oregano and thyme. Don't quote me on the last two; I don't pay a lot of attention to her spice closet.

It was mighty fine.

Toby, balanced on the arm of my office chair, sulking because his girlfriend is not home!

What did I do all day? Took a shower, washed my hair, went to breakfast with Lynn. Changed my sheets, washed sheets and clothes, finished fulling, cutting and hemming the last six towels from the loom's towel warp.

I've been invited to join an art show at the end of the month. Here is my stock:

Well, I won't take up much room. I think there are forty towels there. Not going back to count. Now I need to work out the details of a folded business card printed on four sides. Being a weaver isn't easy.

The trifecta didn't leave the gate

Laura's mother, her father, her stepfather and her custodial grandmother all signed a petition to the court to return Laura to her mother at the end of this school year, May 24th. The hearing was set for Wednesday at one in the afternoon.

We all went, of course. Actually, the court told us to show up.

Perhaps the magistrate read our documentation. Probably not. She said she would appoint a guardian ad litem, who would interview Laura and her mother and step father and report findings to the court. The magistrate set the next hearing as a trial, for June 11 at 9 a.m. I don't get out of bed until 8 a.m. The alarm clock better work!

No question, I was grumpy the rest of Wednesday. And Thursday. Then, on Friday, I had a statement from the attorney. The court appearance close to obliterated the rest of my retainer. There was an invoice for a new retainer, of the same amount.

To say I lost it is a gross understatement.

I effing lost it.

My friend Lynn emailed, So What Happened? I gave a brief recap. She responded, Getting My Coat; Meet Me in the Driveway!

She took me for a hot fudge sundae. I ordered chocolate fudge/raspberry truffle hot fudge, and I am no fan of chocolate. We sat in her car (it's still cold here!), eating death by chocolate and talking.

And look who filled my field of vision! I wonder if it was his mother's shirt. Fuck the magistrate and the court. There's hope for this world.

A good week, and it's only Tuesday, going on Wednesday

The weather has been beyond reproach this week, and scheduled to remain very nice here, in spite of a potentially historic winter storm in the middle of this country forecast for tomorrow. On Sunday, the little front garden was cleaned up and looking good.

My job on Monday was to get up and get to the dentist. I meandered all the rustic old back roads to go to the other side of the valley, and still arrived half an hour early. I could have stopped at the heron rookery and watched with all the people craning up and looking at activity in the nests up in the tree tops.

The benefit of arriving at Dr. O's early was leaving his office a happy person about the time my appointment was scheduled to begin. He could not believe an implant he set had gone belly up, and he was right.

The pain is from an infection under the gum line. I left with two prescriptions and an appointment to come back in ten days. The best news of all, an office visit does not come close in cost to a new implant.

So far I've cited the weather, the front garden and the dental visit outcome to support my good week thesis. I completely skipped over the need to detour out of the park. At the end of my road, with my google voice instructing me to turn left, I sat and stared.

A new unit, with my new house number. I know it's not the unit I wanted, and was told about last December. As my neighbor and I remind ourselves, we live in a trailer park. We reel in our expectations frequently.  I am sorry management is not upfront with us. On the other hand, it's not my company, and neither the park manager nor I expected this unit before May.

Of all the things I was promised in December, the unit has only the walk in shower.  As that was the only deal breaker, I can't complain much. Well, I could complain, but I won't. I turned right and took another exit from the park.

This unit  is two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a laundry area. I know the pathetic size of that second bedroom. However, I am not the New Jersey owner of this trailer park who has the necessary footage to place this size trailer and will.  If he personally had to use that second bedroom, he would not be a happy person. 

Dan, the maintenance man, has been inside, and confirms my bathroom has a walk in shower unit. All I need to know. He also informs me after the drive is poured, there will be no room for a ramp to the porch, as well as stairs.

I sent him a mental rejoinder. I will buy a wagon anyway, because I will pull my groceries up my ramp in my new wagon.

Oh, I forgot. Nancy and I beat the guys today, by about thirty points. Our score overcame their two double pinochles in the same game!

Finally, tomorrow is the first custody hearing. My attorney tells me, if the hearing goes perfectly, the magistrate could give custody back to my daughter tomorrow. Let's hope.

All the paper narcissus coming up. Nothing is in bloom yet.

First day of spring

It was a beautiful, beautiful day. Began a bit cool. Jan and Tom came over to clear the garden tools from the shed. If the wheelbarrow and spade and shovel are gone, so is the temptation to make a big garden. Tom and Laura disengaged the rain barrel from the downspout, and when the truck was all loaded, they spread the big fishnet over top of all, and Tom and Jan went home.

My new unit will go on the concrete pads up to the right of the shed. My sandstone step will be moved over to my new shed. I haven't asked the maintenance guys about that yet. It may take more than cookies!

Laura began clearing last year's vegetation debris from the garden. After she told me she can do it herself, I came in to weave. I chuckled at her laptop on the bench. Friends and social media!

I took annual pictures of toad and pig. Another tough winter for them. Not bad shape for the shape they're in. All of them are thirty odd years of age. We were gifted a hedgehog in resin. I've left him in my will.

Here's hedgehog, and a couple of rock friends of his. 

After lunch we went grocery shopping. Here are pictures of Laura's gardening work. One more year the Solomon's Seal did not overwinter. For such an invasive plant, I guess I hear it doesn't like this garden! All the ornaments in glass are still overwintering on top of the kitchen cupboards.

There are twenty or thirty pounds of brook pebbles left from the watercourse project. You can see them in the bottom picture up there, guiding the water from the gutter to the road. Without the rain barrel this year, there will be more water than ever. Oh, well!

I will take the remaining stones to the new house and pour a bonafide rock garden and place all my  garden ornaments in it.

Of course, it isn't spring until pig has flowers. This year it's all Irish, with shamrock and the little green plant whose name I cannot remember. Happy first day of spring, faithful little piggy.