Between winter and spring

Walked by my tiny garden this cool morning and reached down to pull out weeds. A closer look showed me rows and rows... wait a minute, that was rows and rows of mesclun, one pair of "starter leaves" each plant. Didn't I plant those just 3-4 days ago. Growing conditions must be perfect. The birds residing in, and visiting, the evergreens outside my windows begin their songs and their chatter at an early hour; sometimes by 4 AM if I happen to wake The noise doesn't seem to bother me. Maybe because the dog down the street has been quiet for several days. Wonder what's wrong with the dog. Pea plants are about an inch high.

I've been digging in dirt and handling worms inside, too. I found an unopened bottle of Karo Syrup in my cupboard and went online to find a use for it. Made "Worms & Dirt Cereal Bar Treats" early this morning... light corn syrup, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate crispy cereal, gummy worms. Although it didn't call for them, I think the taste would be enhanced with a teaspoon of vanilla and a dash of salt. You get to cut up some of the gummy worms and stir them into the mix, then press the remainder into the top of the mix after pressing it into an 8x8 pan. When I cut it into bars, the worms tended to "dig" into the dirt, so I left them that way, some with their "heads" sticking out of the ground. Wish I had a tiny garden trowel to serve it with.



There's the dog! A basset, which means its bark is more like a howl. Poor thing is lonely. Poor me has to listen to it, some days hours at a time. I've called the dog control officer so many times, he doesn't call back anymore. I call; it's quiet for a week or so; the dog starts again; I call...

Daughter is flying to Florida today for a four-day visit with her half-sister. She looks forward to the beach, massage, tattoo, clothes shopping, and a long break from the little (2 & 6) guys. She deserves a break. With her gone, It'll be very quiet around my place. Love her, love them all, but I need my peace and quiet, too. Lots of writing this week, I hope. No meetings.

Weight Watchers tonight. Speaking of weight, I looked in the mirror yesterday (the full length mirror) and saw my mother. Now, considering my mother was only about 5'5" and tiny framed, and I'm 5'8" and big boned, that was quiet a feat. But, although I've got my father's height, I did remind myself of her. Might have been partly due to the white shirt and white cutoffs. She was a Florida gal and dressed like that a lot. I, on the other hand, have been in coats and sweaters and slacks that covered my changing body since mid-October. I sometimes "hear her" when I laugh or cough, but this is the first visual I've ever had. Strange, yet pleasant.