Foster care and adoption

Not babies. Plants. Lots and lots of plants.

Our neighbors packed up their house this weekend. Their moving truck pulled away on Saturday and they cleaned up the odds and ends on Sunday. Lots of their odds and ends were plants. They're both gardeners like me and purged most of them. Since I live across the street and love plants, I got them all. I volunteered to look after whatever they wanted until they leave town in a week and a half (they're waiting for their new house to be finished and staying in temporary quarters). They gave me 5-10 plants to water for the next week, but the other 5-10 were donated to our house -- to be loved by yours truly. And I do already. I love adopting plants. They also gave me a bunch of beautiful pots, fertilizers and gardening soil, etc. I am excited.

The garden is in full swing right now. Things are bursting at the seams. The tomatoes are chest high and have green tomatoes now. The eggplant has flowers. We have 9 zucchini plants. 4 baby watermelon plants. 2 baby cucumber plants. A few sugar snap and snow peas. Two types of lettuce. Arugula. Spinach (bolted and yucky). Chinese cabbage (ditto). Purple cabbage (beautiful). And then all sorts of herbs (oregano, chives, 3 kinds of thyme, 5 kinds of basil, sage, sorrel, a bay tree, rosemary, 3 kinds of parsley, cilantro, three kinds of mint, lemon balm, and a hurting lemon grass plant). I love it. I got to extend the watering system this weekend and since Ken finished installing the siding and trim (it looks beautiful), I got to move some plants around.... including around the once neglected garage. It is so exciting.

Taryn, Paul, Taryn's mom and Wendell came for dinner on Saturday. It was wonderful to see them. Jeri loves talking about babies which frightened everyone at the table younger than 40. I've realized it frightens most of my friends -- we've all been focusing on schooling and careers rather than having a family. Now its "time" for kids and we're terrified. I am. And I know that I want them. I have lots of friends who know they don't want them. And just as many who aren't sure. Good thing Rob and Jana are having enough kids for all of us.

Went on a date with Ken on Friday. That was awesome. We went for drinks and then to sushi. Yum. We got a lot finished this weekend and had some time to relax, too. I had a breakdown on Thursday from being overwhelmed, but things are much better now. Weekends and sleep are good things. Yesterday I planted the succulents Jeri and Taryn brought and used some of the garlic Taryn and Paul grew in their garden. (I roasted two heads and mixed it with farmer's cheese and chopped up pork. Ken went nuts for it.) This week is pretty slow. Submitting a paper, sports only two nights this week and then we're going to the coast this weekend for some camping and a softball tournament. I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm going to read on the beach and play with the dog. I love watching Kinley play in the sand/surf and get filthy.

I just found out that the new neighbors across the street move in today (the house where I got the plants). Also found out that the duplex unit next door sold to a young couple -- they close today and will move in later this week. So lots of new neighbors.

Happy birthday to my brother today!