Blog of the Day -- June 30, 2005

It's a good day. I'm recovering from some kind of upper respiratory thing, with the help of prednesone (sic) and cough syrup. Now everyone else in the house is getting IT; but I'm at work. I am working at the library today so I get to look at books ... heaven!

I watered all of my plants (babies) at home this morning. The desert heat is starting to scorch everything so I have to water every day. My poor tomato plant almost died. It looked so great, getting bigger every day, about 3' tall, and suddenly, tomato worms devoured everything on the top .. no leaves at all! I found three of them, pull them off, squished them and, tada, today there's new growth. I had a wonderful watermelon plant in the middle of the grass in the back yard, but the g-babies found it and brought it in to show me (sigh). But the watermelon in the front yard, growing under the watchful eye of my sunflowers) is still intact. I lose some, and some survive despite the obstacles.

I made it to work on time, nearly, got my banking done, called the school district about my sub job (fall 2005) and found a great quote for a new poem. Here it is: voyers of death. Think about the possibilities ... incredible!

Good chat last night with my summer writing workshop group. I'll need all the help I can get to organize and write a whole book. So, I've started the outline, finished the first chapter and we'll see what the group thinks of my offerings, so far.

Sad news, Killer, our 16+ year old Persian is on the ropes. He's barely eating and drinking, and cries at night. It's so hard watching him go, a little at a time. Even the babies are noticing now and ask if he's okay. I'm trying to soft pedal it, but am trying to prepare the older ones (10 and 12) by explaining that no one and nothing lives forever. I'm hoping that they don't catch on that poppy (whose health has been sketchy since his back surgery) is not as vibrant as he was three years ago (sigh). Since he's Poppy's cat he'll take him to the vet tomorrow. Lots of stuff hanging over me, the cat, poppy, no wonder poetry about death intrigues me.

Mom is 82, Jerry (Poppy) is 55, I'm 55, Killer is about 80 in people years, and Paca, our female Akita is 12, which is elderly for an Akita. It's good that the babies (Aaron 4, Kat 10 and Katt 12) are living with us, they keep us young.