I will almost certainly come to regret this

I have a strong fondness for Queen Anne's Lace. It's mostly considered a weed, growing wild along roadsides and ditches. It's this roadside habit, however, that makes me love it so. It makes me think of hot summer days and driving to Door County to spend the day at the beach. It makes me think of blue skies and sweet-smelling fields and lazy days with nothing to do but soak up the sun.

I love all of those tough little roadside plants-- Queen Anne's Lace, hawkweed, chicory, daylillies, even bindweed--for being tenacious enough to grow where they can. I love them for being beautiful in a ragged and overlooked way.

So when I saw some Queen Anne's Lace growing in my neighbor's yard a few years ago, I snagged a dried flower head and threw the seeds into one of my flower beds. It's a kind of ordinary bed--full of ferns and daylilies and now QAL--things that are tough and strong and survive (or even thrive) without much attention. And I'm glad to have them there.

Some people

So I was at Bed, Bath & Beyond today buying this fabulous closet organizer. Seriously, it's fabulous; you should look into getting one. While I was waiting to pay, I got a real eyeful of the babe in line ahead of me. She was:

somewhere around 30 years old

blonde, with her hair pulled back in a messy bun

wearing stiletto-heeled mules

had a MAJOR pedicure

wearing tight tight black leggings

wearing a tight black sweater than went past her hips. (with the leggings, at first glance, I thought she was wearing a full bodysuit)

carrying a Michael Kors handbag

about six months pregnant

And she never stopped talking on her cell phone THE ENTIRE TIME, even while she was paying for her ugly wastebasket or whatever the hell it was.

After she left, both the salesclerk and I agreed that we cannot stand it when people keep talking on their phones while they are paying for something. Unless you are talking to a brain surgeon or the man in charge of the White House nuclear football, there is no phone call so important that you can't stop talking for five minutes to acknowledge the human being standing in front of you trying to do his/her job. It's called manners, people.

As I walked out of the store, I saw Miss Babe driving away in a white Cadillac CTS. I can't help but wonder, what kind of pregnant 30-year-old dresses like that and drives a Cadillac? Is she some CEO's trophy wife? A Packer girlfriend? Whoever she is, I bet she doesn't have a library card. Thank goodness.

Not such good news

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching TV one night, when Polly, who was sleeping nearby, went into a full-on seizure. With no warning, she went rigid, convulsing and drooling; the scariest part was that she stopped breathing. I had no idea what to do or what caused it, but after a few minutes (that felt like an eternity), she came out of it, gasping for breath and disoriented.

I had hoped it was a one-off sort of thing, but a week later, she had another one. Less scary this time, because even though she stopped breathing, I knew it wouldn’t last for long. Still, seizures are not to be ignored, so I took her in to see the vet.

The vet was very straight forward, saying that in dogs this age, seizures are usually caused by brain tumors. We ran some blood tests to rule out other things, and they all came back fine. Which means, in all likelihood, that Polly has some kind of tumor. To be sure, I’d have to take her to the university vet clinic for an MRI, and if I chose to treat her, it would mean radiation treatments there as well.

I’ve chosen not to pursue the MRI/radiation route. Polly is 12 years old, and I just can’t put her through that, especially if it would mean her being away from home for an extended period. Instead, we’ll focus on keeping her seizures under control. She’s started on Phenobarbital and for now, that seems to be working. She hasn’t had a seizure in that last week.

Polly is such a lively dog, full of contradictions. She makes me laugh every single day, but she can also exasperate me to no end. She follows me from room to room, but outside, completely ignores me. Sweet and loving, she can also be very bossy and domineering around other dogs. I don’t know if I’ve ever met another creature who so fully embraces life as she does. Every new activity is greeted with excitement and joy…we’re going outside? Awesome! A car ride? Oh boy! Nap time? ZZZzzzzzzzz

While she has moments where she is Horrible, they are pretty few and far between. She teaches me every day to be grateful and happy for every moment in life. I love her fiercely for that.

Reconsidering my vocation

If I didn't have my own livestock to deal with, I would TOTALLY consider doing this:

Apprentice Wanted
August 18th, 2010

Juniper Moon Farm is fixing to go through a growth spurt and it seems like the right time to take on a new apprentice. We’re looking for a someone willing to commit to at least a six-month stay, although a year would be better.
What you’ll get: In addition to room and board, plus a small stipend, you will gain experience and proficiency in all aspects of the yarn business. You’ll learn to give vaccinations, pull out a stuck lamb, fix a broken fence and trim hooves. You’ll watch lambs and kids come into the world and take their first shaky steps, something that still leaves me speechless after seeing it a hundred times. You’ll get to know the personalities on the farm and will be able to tell when something is wrong, just by looking.
If you want to learn to shear, we’ll send you to shearing school. And after the sheep are shorn, you’ll learn to wash fleeces and dye the yarn.
You’ll leave JMF with confidence in your abilities to run a farm- your own or someone else’s- and with the knowledge of exactly what you are capable of.
What you’ll give: Some days are ridiculously easy. Some days are so hard that every muscle in your body will ache. Most days are somewhere in between. You’ll average about 8 hours a day, including some weekends. Many nights you’ll go to bed exhausted, but it will be that good kind of exhausted, when you know you’ve done a hard day’s work and kicked some ass.
What you’ll need: Experience isn’t necessary. Just a strong work ethic, a desire to learn and a healthy curiosity. You’ll also need a good pair of boots, rain gear and warm clothes for winter, sunscreen and a hat for summer. A good pair of work gloves is highly recommended. A car in not a necessity but would make your life a lot easier when you want to get off the farm.
If you’d like to apply, please send a resume and cover letter to susie AT fiberfarm DOT com with Apprentice in the subject line. All applications will be carefully considered and telephone interviews scheduled with likely candidates. Please pass this post along to anyone you think might be interested.

Change of address

My mother has become a homeowner again. After several years of apartment living, she just purchased a brand new condo at a bargain price. She’s having the best time planning her move, buying furniture, and thinking how she’s going to decorate it.

When she and I were discussing her new home, she pointed out that for almost all her adult life, she’s always lived in new houses. With one exception (an old apartment complex in St. Paul, MN), she and my father always bought (or once built) new houses. Even the apartment she’s currently living in was new construction. I wonder how many people can claim that?

I was relating this to a co-worker who said, “Hmmm, she sounds spunky.” Yeeeeaaaahhh, that’s not really a word I would apply to my mother. Not really.

Mom, when it comes time (and it won’t be anytime soon) to write your obituary, I hereby promise the following:

I will be sure to mention that you were Engineering Queen and a member of KKG. It’s up to you if you want to include PEO.

I promise not to use the photo of you with the napkin ring in your eye.

I promise not to say that you liked to bake and play cards.

And I sincerely promise to never, ever refer to you as “spunky”.

You’re welcome.

Again with the new?

Do you know the expression "Your eyes were bigger than your stomach"? Meaning, you take more food than you can possibly eat? I have this problem all the time at the grocery store, especially in the produce section. Especially during the summer, when there are so many wonderful fruits and vegetables available. I see something on display and think, "Oh, that would be great!", bring it home, put it in the refrigerator, and then promptly forget about it.

Such was the case with a big wedge of watermelon that was ticking away in the fridge. I could have just cut it up, but there was no way I could eat it all before it went bad. Then I stumbled on the idea of making a granita with it. A granita is like a slushy sorbet, only lighter and more melty.

I adapted this recipe from the Food Network, switching lime juice for lemon (because I had a lime in the house. Also, I used a blender instead of a food processor). It was very easy to make, and tastes wonderful too!

The Spy Club

The other day, a couple of our Maintenance guys delivered a storage cubby for the children’s area. A mom and her two boys (about ages 8 & 6, I’d say) were there when all of this was getting set up, and those two curly-headed brothers thought that the big cardboard box the cubby came in was just about the best thing they’d ever seen. The mom asked if they could have the box, and the Maintenance guys said sure, why not. It would save them the trouble of having to break it down and haul it away. Those boys’ eyes lit up and they immediately started making plans for all they adventures they were going to have in this box as part of their Spy Club.

It was raining to beat the band, and the Spy Brothers were a little concerned about hauling their box outside through the rain to the car. I told the mother to drive around to the delivery entrance, and I would meet her there, where we could load the box right inot the back of her van. The boys followed me through the building; when we reached the boiler room (where the delivery entrance is), the younger one took one look at the HVAC equipment and said, “OH COOL!!!”

We loaded the box into the back of the van (with some excellent backing-up direction from the older brother), and off they went. These boys just absolutely tickled me—they were so thrilled with this oversized box, and I just loved the thought of all the hours of play and wonderful imaginative adventures they would have. That was one lucky box.