The second drawer on the children’s dresser broke, no great surprise, it was not well made. Until we can replace it, hopefully with something sturdier. I’ve been trolling craigslist waiting for something to jump out at me. Until then the dresser it is being held together by one of the most powerful forces in the universe, duct tape! It might not be pretty, but it works! Some things my toolbox will never be without.
I was 18 when I moved in with Michael, almost 19 when we had a civil union. If you would have told me then that by the time I was 24 I would have two breastfed co-sleeping cloth-diapered children I would not have believed you. Not that I didn’t want children, I just didn’t want them to come out of my body. I figured someday far down the road that we might adopt. Oh how time changes us…
When I first fell in love with Michael, he was perfect. Handsome and tall with a witty and deep personality. Had you pointed out a flaw to me at that time I would not have believed you. The kind of dad he was going to be was not a pressing issue in my mind when we were wed, nor were his parenting views were. I don’t know if any 18 year old wonder such things about their significant other.
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I had a zombie nightmare last night and it was really scary while I was in it, but kind of funny now that I’m awake. (And no, I haven’t watched any zombie movies for a few months now. Not since Samhain.)
I was in a house that looked like my uncle Stan’s but which had the yard and basement of our current house. It was snowing heavily and I was getting ready for our annual Yule party (which is today in real life.) Andrea called me to let me know she’d be late since zombies were blocking her car, she told me to turn on my tv. When I did they were on screen, in the perspective of looking out Andrea’s eyes. In the dream this made sense as she had just recently received her “Blackberry implant” and was now completely wired.
Peter was dressed in Samurai armor and was throwing pine tree bonsais at the zombies (funny because Peter really does have Samurai armor and has tons of little pine trees in his grow room.) Andrea was throwing turnips (which I need for a recipe, Michael is picking some up on his way home.) Unfortunately neither weapons were ineffective and though they got in their car the zombies pulled them out and ate them (very Night of the Living Dead-ish.)
Frantically I called Shannon, when she picked up she informed me of her similar situation. She was using a snow shovel to knock them down her basement stairs as they came in her back door (so much for her roommate…) Her last words before I heard a snap and gurgling were “but I have a shovel!”
I called Michelle and Mikcos but no one picked up, nor did Michael. In my dream Michael was at work (as he is this morning for a few hours) but I wasn’t worried since they had a zombie shelter. Damian and Ivy were not in my dream (thank you subconscious.) My mom was out with my uncle, so it was just my grandma and grandpa Mason and brother at home. We all fortified ourselves in the basement, armed with canning jars. When the zombies broke threw the door we all screamed “I want my mom!” and started throwing the jars.
Just before I woke up I realized all the zombies had iphone implants…
Weird huh?
“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.”
Several years ago, maybe when I was still in Spain, I saw this photo somewhere. It is of a soldier cradling an Iraqi child who was wounded in a suicide bombing. Every time I think of war this photo comes to mind instantly no matter what war is being discussed and it twists my heart and stomach into all kinds of knots. It reminds me that war touches everyone, from those who chose to go into harm’s way, through the most helpless who must survive its madness. I don’t need to witness war to have my dreams affected by it’s horror or know that it is ugly and brutal.
I hope that one day humans will reach a point where we no longer think that war is needed to protect peace. I think that the word’s of Eleanor Roosevelt reflect my desire for lasting peace most clearly, “When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?” Unfortunately I know that today is not that day so instead I send love and support to those who have and must endure war, both civilian and military and pray for an end to the violence for all.
We are getting our first frost warnings this week so I have had a chance to start using my GardenQuilt row cover which should protect down to 24F and has 60% light transmission 
(so I pull it off during the day once it warms up.) I bought a 10′x20′ piece of GardenQuilt and used most of it to cover my winter vegetable garden (my carrots have finally started to grow by the way!) The extra piece will not be large enough to cover the next raised bed I built but I can eventually sew a couple pieces together to make another large piece. For now it is draped over my tomatoes trellis to offer them some kind of frost protection while they finish ripening.
I harvested my first autumn Early Scarlet Globe Radishes this morning, I think they have gotten hotter with the cooler weather. I am definitely ready for this cool down too, anything over 80F has been leaving me drained but I am not sure if I am ready for frost yet. I am hoping my last pumpkin ripens before the killing frost as I don’t have enough row cover to protect it. It is about half way orange. You can see it at the very end of the vine to the left of the tomato trellis.
Does anyone know if there is any way for me to encourage it to hurry up and ripen? I do not intend on storing it for long, it will be turned into a pie in short order. Should it ripen at least.
