http://www.laspilitas.com/easy/easyeasy.htm

This site is HUGE with lots of articles, photos, scientific names, wildlife, etc. You can order plants to be shipped to you.

Tool for picking the RIGHT native plants for your temp, soil, light and water conditions. Pretty freakin’ neato.

http://www.mynativeplants.com/site

Sometimes I just gotta count up some current blessings. It reminds me everything’s OK.

I don’t have to look at any more icky skin disease pictures.

Asher fell asleep beautifully today with just one picture-book story. I love the symmetry of that and it’s rare.

Lucas’s Eurhythmy class today was really fun to watch. The kids have all grown so much; they are all just as boisterous as he is.

Lucas seems to be holding up well at school today, despite the cough. He even seemed pleased to see me; he is a beauty.

I have yummy leftover chicken for lunch that my husband prepared.

Some work things are turning out to be easier than I expected.

Asher’s preschool teacher

tara_bella

  very kindly informed me he is pushing and scratching another boy. I’m grateful for her gentleness and understanding.

I love deeply.

I am loved.

There is a vacant home on the corner of my street, where Dove meets Eagle. Not too long ago there was a family living there, with a couple of kids. They were older than Lucas and went to the neighborhood school, so we didn’t really get to know them. He isn’t really old enough to wander off unattended to play with neighbor kids. I watched from afar as the neighbors took down a little fence and opened up their side yard to view from the street. The home doesn’t have a typical front yard because of the corner. I watched as they planted six young redwood trees in the requisite triples. I watched them create a river-rock planter in the front of the house near the gravel driveway. They planted it with freesias, a hydrangea, some Spanish lavender. They hung a decorative sun wall sculpture above the front door and set out a patio table and chairs, with a bright red umbrella to keep off the sun. I was surprise the morning I drove past and saw all those signs of family life—table, art, toys, badminton net, cars—gone. Nobody ever came back and now the lawn is dying. The lovely flowers will die soon, too, probably. It makes me sad to see the home empty. It’s cute and I’ve peeked in the windows. I would like to fill it up with one or more of my friends. There is no sign out front: It is neither for sale nor for rent. This makes me wonder. This morning I drove past and was surprised again. The across-the-street neighbor (with the perfect dog who never leaves his yard) was out mowing the yellowing lawn, keeping the place up a bit. Perhaps he is motivated out of love of the neighborhood. Perhaps he just doesn’t want to look at the place as it dries and weeds take over. This makes me wonder, too.

It was a great weekend, starting with my birthday on Friday. I loved seeing my friends on Saturday evening. Some darlings whom I don’t see but rarely came to my party and it was a thrill. Chuck Norris ice teas (with peach schnapps) are fun; much thanks to Jason for introducing us to this concoction. White peach sangria is also fun.

Saturday and Sunday were mostly kick-it-at-home days, which was terrific because I needed some R&R. We worked in the yard a bunch, planting my birthday beauties. Ian shows he loves me with labor. And since he works with his shirt off, it’s a great show. I dream about my garden every night, you see, so having some new stuff to bloom and fill in the gaps is wonderful. Now I need another huge truckload of shredded redwood. Honey?

I worked just a little, wrapping up chapters 1 and 2 of my med term book developmental edit. Now the first half of it has been sent to production. This means some other schmuck like me has to copyedit it and then it moves on to layout. I have a lot of work to do on the second half over the next two weeks (8 chapters), but it’s doable. These are also the last two weeks of the school year, so with some diligent work and some good luck, it will get done on time.

So, summertime. I used to feel summer was the best season. Not so much anymore. What’s hard about this is that I’m all revved up from working like a madwoman for the last three months and I’m looking at a probable slowdown because I’ll have the kiddos with me more often. I should go and sign Lucas up for a couple more summer camps or I’ll be tripping over him too much. I’m in need of an attitude adjustment, clearly. Maybe I should move cocktail hour up from 5 p.m.?

At least this summer it looks like I won’t be completely broke like last summer. Knock. Knock. Knock. (Fingers crossed.) Ian’s whining about needing AC in his car. It’s broken. Whatever. It’s not like this is Death Valley or anything. And he wants to paint our house! Dude. Can you say "pri-OR-i-ties"?

Mom and Dad took me to Capital Nursery today for my birthday. We also cruised by Raley’s because they have plants, too, and there we found a lovely 5 gal pink flax for $20 less than the nursery price. I also spent my CN gift certificate from my mother and father in law.

1 pink flax (sculptural, unusual, unique in my yard)
2 spanish lavender (lovely purple flags)
4 evening primrose (baby pink blossoms all summer; hardy and drought resistant)
1 oregano (mmm)
1 lemon thyme (mmm)
2 rosemary (mmm)
1 barberry (purple foliage, new growth is pink; thorns)
2 roses (one called Watercolor that is yellow, pink, and orange; one called Black Cherry–a very dark red)
2 delphinium (the bluest flower you’ve ever seen!)
1 purple hybiscus (showpiece that I hope will look spectacular near our front door)

For my birthday, I also got a lavender from James and a gerbera daisy from Kat and Jordan. (Thank you!)

I have these sitting around waiting to be planted tomorrow:
2 purple osteoperum
2 pink pelargonium
1 rose
1 indian hawthorn
1 mandevilla
1 periwinkle? (I don’t know for sure; my neighbor gave it to me!)

I’m just thrilled to be filling in the gaps in my garden. I’ve needed both Ian’s muscles and his drip-system fu for a while now. He’s solving all my watering problems beautifully. Tomorrow I think we can get the rest of the plants in the ground so they can grow, grow, grow!

Colour Leaf Sun Star
Originally uploaded by e s c h e r (with new mojo)

escher (Richard Schilling) is my new favorite artist. I’m delving into his photos on flickr and loving what I see. He is largely inspired by Andy Goldsworthy and has recreated lots of Andy’s work, to learn from it and to see if it could be repeated. But this artist does lots with natural colors from the landscape, shapes, and leaves. I’m a sucker for rainbows of color, so this stuff is perfectly dreamy.

I’m taking the day off work today in honor of my birthday and in acknowledgment of the dire state of our house. We spent the morning cleaning and puttering. Lucas scrubbed the guest bathroom, so it’s safe for you to come over: Nothing grimy will eat you while you’re in there. My bathroom is another story.

At this moment the house is blessedly quiet, except for the hum of the dishwasher and clothes dryer. Asher is sleeping and Ian and Lucas just left for the grocery store. So it’s just me and my LJ. If I’m lucky, I’ll also have a moment to read my new gardening book. Squee! (I believe that’s what the Internet kidz say these days.)

I’m very busy with work … going on about three months now. It’s a super-wonderful-totally-great thing to be busy and earning. I must admit, however, I’m feeling pretty tired from the grind of it. Today is my first whole day off, with no working, in weeks and weeks. It’s frying out my circuits. Still, dear Universe, please don’t misinterpret. I’m delighted to have it. I’ve got big bills to pay; these children are anything but cheap. And some gloomy clouds are gathering on the horizon (state budget woes and how they might affect our household).

Today I get to see some friends and bask in their glory (See Glorious post). I can’t wait. Cosmos for all my merry men and las bonitas chicas! That’s my motto for today. A few darlings are away this weekend and I’ll miss them.

Yesterday I was showered with birthday messages and love. It was fantastic and made even my endocrine system chapter cleanup palatable. My gratitude for the attention and love is immeasurable.

My many boys took me out to dinner at Carmelita’s, where we had decent food and terrific margaritas. Ian’s right: It’s really not worth taking the children out to eat anymore. Which fortunately means more home-cooked, healthy dinners full of loving devotion and unfortunately means I am leaving the house less and less.

I’m making a resolution for my 38th trip around the sun: Build in More Fun.

Happy Birthday, my vivacious beauty! I hope your day is as fun, sparkly, and effervescent as you are! I love you and can’t wait to see you again soon. Party on, Princess!

Dude. I just got a call from my son’s school.

His class is going on a field trip today to a place called Color Me Mine, which is where you can paint ceramics. The kids are painting tiles that will be placed in the second hand-made bench that was auctioned off at the school fundraiser back in March. The bench with inlaid tiles painted by the first graders and crafted by a first-grade father was the highest bid item at the auction. $7,900 for a bench! Well the auctioneer did something tricky that night. He secured an agreement from the losing bidder: The first grade (and the first-grade father who crafted it) would make a second bench if the bidder would match the winning bid. Big bucks for the school!

So the kids are off today to fulfill their part of the bargain by making another set of tiles. I knew that. I signed the permission slip and everything.

The wacky part of this story is this: The call from school was made to inform me that an anonymous donor had paid for limousine transportation for the children for their field trip. No mommies and daddies will be driving them today. Twenty-nine kids and a suitable number of adults are piling into limos right now. Apparently, this is sufficiently atypical that the school administrator wanted the parents to know what was going on. 

What a way to end the school year for a bunch of 7-year-olds!

I love my friends. I mean, I love them with all of me. I love them laughing, screaming, sweaty, barfing, sleeping, running, overeating, dieting, hurting, reconfiguring, breaking down, building shit, creating art, high, sick, tired, gambling, pole dancing, frolicking, fucking up, drunk, birthing, waiting, rescuing, yearning, free and caged. In all states of wellness and hurt. In all hours. I can’t help it. They’re in my blood and wed to my spirit. I crave them in all their madness and beauty. They are my angels and the thorns in my side, and I choose not to disentangle, despite the pricks and scratches and grief that sometimes comes from loving so fiercely. They are worth it all. I’m loyal as a spaniel.

Just thought you should know.