OK. We’ve poked around on the Intertangles and have not found the kernel of info that I want to find: What top mulch should I put on my veggie garden? Various websites go into the relative benefits/costs of different mulch material, but there are various obstacles:

• don’t have an oak tree
• don’t have composted leaves
• don’t have buckets of coffee grounds
• never have seen buckwheat hulls for sale anywhere
• don’t trust my grass clippings to not have weed seeds in it
• have plenty of needles from my conifer trees, but I don’t know if that will make my garden soil too acidic for veggies
• not interested in plastic or landscaping fabric–too much work

I have gained a tiny modicum of experience gardening over the last two summers, but I still have much to learn. I’ve never mulched, really. I think last summer I spread some good compost from a bag I bought at the home improvement store around some of my plants. Did it work? I dunno.

Straw? Is straw the best choice? Where do you buy straw here, in Sacramento?

Argh. I wish I had grown up on a farm. That would make all this stuff second-nature to me.

"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." —Oscar Wilde

Paid for yesterday:
Effie Yeaw Nature Detectives camps (2 week-long, mornings-only camps) $180
CSUS Aquatic Center Water camp (1 week-long, all-day camp) $285
Ellen Springwind Art camp: Bookmaking and printmaking (1 week-long, mornings-only camp) $180

Yesterday’s total: $645
Hours of day care arranged for today: 82.5 minus driving time to and from

Other camps I signed Lucas up for:
Soccer camp: $68 (4 days, evenings-only camp)
Fine Arts camp: $73 +$18 materials fee (4 days, mornings-only camp)
Robotics camp: $287 (week-long, all-day till 3:30 p.m.)
Total $446
Hours of day care arranged for previously: 60.5 minus driving time to and from; not sure how much work I’ll get done during soccer camp.

Number of weeks off for summer: 13
Number of weeks sorted out for 1 kid: 6
Total spent so far: $1091

 Oy.

The Gourami did it. He’s the only one left. Bet the jerk is lonely and bored now.

Feeling kinda crappy. Rough night last night.

Spent the morning doing the only businessy tasks I like doing: figuring out my invoices and receivables. Well… I guess the businessy thing I like the BEST is depositing checks, but this morning’s tasks come in a close second.

It’s time to buckle down on my med term book. I have to send 17 chapters to production by the first week of June. Yikes. I’m so flippin’ tired.

Very soon I will be 37. 37? Really?

Paranoia? Probably. I’ve decided that although I usually post my photographs on Flickr and sometimes even make them public, I’m using another photo gallery website for sharing photos with our school friends. I’m not sure why, exactly, but it feels wiser to maintain some discretion and discreteness. Maybe parents of small children do not wish to see their kids’ photos next to pics of my hottie friends in corsets.

So, now that I’ve solved that dilemma, how do I get more pictures of my hottie friends in corsets?

Not Trek. Tech. For editors.

I’m posting this info here so I don’t forget about it. This is a gizmo that some freelance editors on a list I belong to swear by. They use this Graphire Wireless tablet instead of typical computer mousing, and claim that because of their injuries, without this gadget, they would not  be able to work. So, that’s pretty high praise from a bunch of picky, self-employed (irascible?) sourpusses like me.

Maybe I’ll need this thing someday. Anybody reading this ever used such a thing?

Remember, way, way back, when Baby Lucas decided that certain words were hilariously funny? Remember how he couldn’t stop giggling when you said "caterwaul"? (Or "codswallop!" Or "flibbertigibbet!" Or "flimflam!") Remember how people from all over racked their brains to bring us silly words in the hopes that their silly word would make Lucas giggle uncontrollably?

I have a list of them somewhere … ‘cuz I’m that kind of crazy. Let’s see …. Yes, here they are:

• codswallop (introduced by Grandma Sydney. Probably his favorite)
• snagglepuss (introduced by Suzi)
• fandango (introduced by a book and song around the same time—September ’04)
• bonzai (introduced by mom)
• caterwaul (introduced by mom)
• skedaddle
• suspicious (introduced by Grandma Sydney)
• balderdash (introduced by Grandma Sydney.
• namby-pamby
• willy-nilly
• mishmash (introduced by Grandma Sydney)
• flibbertigibbet (introduced by Grandma Sydney)
• scuttle (Lucas came up with this one himself)
• gaddywampus ? (introduced by Mario)
• bamboozle
• periwinkle
• pumpernickel
• froufrou
• gesundeit
• ridiculous
• hilarious
• persnikey
• loquacious (introduced by VoVo, 1-3-05)

 He was about the age Asher is now.

 Guess what new word Asher thinks is just too ridiculous! Can ya guess? Can ya?

 No?

 Cockleshells!

 As in,

 Mary, Mary, quite contrary

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells

And cockleshells

And pretty maids all in a row.

 
Tee hee.

IMG_2797
Originally uploaded by SarabellaE

The party pictures are on my Flickr. Here’s the robot that Ian and Lucas built. It greeted our guests as they arrived.

IMG_2597
Originally uploaded by SarabellaE

Delphinia this year was stupendous. It was wonderful. It was just what I needed and I’m grateful to all who made it happen, not the least of whom was Mother Nature. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.

My pics are on Flickr. Special thanks to Mars for taking this photo of me and Lucas.