Spring fever has landed around the Garden this past week, which is my only excuse for neglecting this page. Well, that & the antihistamine hangover that has led me to my bed by 8:30 every evening. While I do suffer from seasonal allergies, this is not the season that bothers me- I have more problems in the late summer & early fall, when the grains are harvested. No, this time of year it is the nemesis of every diligent homemaker & neat freak that drives me to the bottle- dust.
One of the notable features of my area of California is the preponderance of wind, euphemistically called “Delta Breezes” by local forecasters. It was an adjustment at first, having to really think about my car’s spatial relationships to other vehicles (the wind can snatch a door right out of your hand), training myself & the children to wear sunglasses everyday (much more attractive then goggles), & learning to gauge the proper weight & placement of yard furniture to increase your chances of keeping it on your patio (or at least finding it still in your own neighborhood). The first major concession I had to make was my hair; I had worn it in a pre-Raphaelite style, nearly waist length & full of mousse-coated curls. It took only about a month to admit the truth- unless my hair was braided tightly, within 20 minutes of leaving the house, my hairdo went from “Belle Dame Sans Merci”
to “Rosanna Rosanna Dana”,
and so off it came.
I admit that when I overhear complaints from newcomers about the wind, my empathy is heavily woven with amusement & aggravation- I mean, really, what did they expect when the view of the hills to the west includes legions of windmills, every shape & size, spread 15 or 20 miles in either direction? It’s rather like complaining about the noise when you buy a house next to the airport or the pungent smell when you live next to a pig farm- it comes with the territory, so why bleat on about it?
Anyway, the return of warmer temperatures has been followed by an increase in the force of local winds, which in turn has churned up an abundance of dust liberally mixed with acacia pollen. I briefly considered wearing a mask for protection, but after seeing our local nutcase (not P.C. I know, but there’s no other way to describe her) shuffling along the sidewalk lugging her tote bag, wearing her cardigan, sensible shoes, & a surgical mask- well, I just couldn’t bring myself to mirror her style choices any further.
I did not make it back to yoga this past week; as a matter of fact, it will probably be a while before I can attempt it again. I guess I injured my arm a bit more severely than I thought- no bones were broken, but it appears that all the bruising I had was from some torn muscles, which are taking their sweet time healing.
I had treated myself to a nice long soak in the tub the other night, complete with some sweet smelling bath salts & my new read along book; when I went to push myself out of the water, my left arm folded like a cheap lawn chair & the resulting bath water tidal wave drenched poor Dahlia, who was laying next to the tub, waiting for me to come out & play.
I suppose I ought to go back to the doctor for some follow-up treatment, but can’t seem to motivate myself quite that far- more time off work is not something I need right now.
Sam’s yard sale success was minimal; his concept of visible signage needed some adjustment, as well as his assumption that since everyone sleeps in on Saturday mornings, a 10:00 am start would be sufficient. Our agreement was that we would supply the stuff & the change, he would provide all the labor & supervision, & we would share the proceeds 50/50; his cut was a grand total of $17.50 & he was okay with that, but wants to try again next week. He had some good ideas, like having hot coffee & donuts available for sale (the kids in the neighborhood bought them all) & his color-coded pricing system, so with an earlier start & a bit more work on his displays (the wind was pretty vicious that day, so we were chasing things down all afternoon), he should do well.
Evenings are being devoted to getting the yard & garden into order; Chris is leaving for a minimum two-week stay in Denver next week. We’ve been trying to get all the plants we want this Spring put in, supports installed, sprinkler heads replaced, lawns fed & weeded, & the vegetable bed drip lines rerouted, so I can handle the majority of the upkeep- preferably one handed- while he’s away. One project I would love to have done is converting the former rabbit cage stand into a raised planter box for herbs; when we were last at Filoli Gardens, I saw these wonderful miniature Victorian knot gardens, done in raised boxes, which mirrored the full-sized ones nearby. I saw something similar in the recent Better Homes & Garden magazine, complete with tiny furniture, greenhouses, trellises & such- now I’d like to give it a try (though maybe not quite that elaborate)
I will be back later this week with another peek at my Daybook~ I have some ambitious plans for the next week or so. Hope you all are well & I’ll do my best to drop by for a visit.
