Wine and Wu

A very stressful day still ends well, with a glass of wine and the words of Wu.

Some Songs I Love

Walk on the Ocean - Toad the Wet Sprocket (Fear, 1992)
She Divines Water - Camper Van Beethoven (Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart, 1988)
Hole in the River - Crowded House (Crowded House, 1986)

Teeny Tiny Garden

For the past two weekends I have been working very hard in my garden.

Well, "garden" is probably a bit of an exaggeration. It's really more like a small patio, but it's so nice to have a little bit of outdoor space even though I live in a very dense city. I dream of living in the country someday, but until then I am determined to make this little spot as cheerful as it can be. It's actually really nice out there. For some reason we get a lot of breezes in my neighborhood, so even though the climate is generally pretty humid, it's very pleasant on most days in the spring, early summer and fall. And on summer evenings, too.

I found some really great pots and planters, wrought iron ornaments and garden statues at a discount store. I usually buy vintage or thrift store stuff, but I ran across these and couldn't pass them up. They were so colorful and interesting (and inexpensive, too). I also bought some Ikea hanging planters, garden chairs, a metal shelf, and a small metal table. It took a while to get everything home since I don't drive. I made several trips a day and carted everything home on the bus. I probably looked a little alarming, what with all the bags and things tied onto my cart and strapped to myself with bits of rope. Probably not unlike a decorator crab.

Here are the results of my labors:

View from back steps.

A variety of plants: lantana, geranium, sweet potato vine, dusty miller, rosemary, mint, etc...

A silver rabbit in my blueberry tree.

Another view.

Hanging planters and my neighbor's lantern.

Shrooms.

Shrubbery.

A little magenta celosia with creeping jenny.

The Most Wonderful Gift

For my birthday, I received this amazing drawing from a person so special that words cannot begin to capture my feelings. We share many things: an appreciation for sea creatures, music and snuggling. And right now we are both particularly interested in nebulae, galaxies, stars and the solar system. You know, a little thing called The Universe.

I first saw the picture in an e-mail, and was not so subtle when expressing my admiration for it, blurting out something totally inelegant like, "Oh my god, I want that so much!" But I didn't mean for it to actually end up in my possession. And yet it did, because the generous parents of this unique and sensitive being collaborated with him to make my wish come true.

I will treasure it forever.

In a rocket, looking at a comet (comet not pictured).

And for those who might share our fascination with the cosmos, I would highly recommend the Discovery Channel series How the Universe Works. It's available on Netflix. For the past few years, since moving to a new spot on Earth, I have been listening to it every night as I fall asleep. It's the perfect lullaby.

And here is another lullaby:
Under the Milky Way - The Church (Starfish, 1988)