Rowan's Journal

Well, at least I got SOME weeding done in between thunderstorms.

The gulleys between my rows had nearly filled up. I raked them so that the drainage will continue. Strawberry plants are doing great; asparagus is doing better than I'd hoped but the peas I started inside aren't doing too well. I haven't checked the ones I planted along the fence because I didn't make it over that far.

The goal this week is to re-clear the part that had been hand tilled and plant several rows of corn and some green beans. I'm still hoping today to get the potatoes in that I started inside. Then I'll pile more dirt on them as they grow up. I need to find something other than tires to contain them in; my garden isn't big enough to put a bunch of tires. Any suggestions?

Funny, I don't mind getting rained on when I'm working in the yard, just when I'm costumed or made up. I'm a cat; I don't like getting wet unless it's my idea! But I did come inside when the thunder and lightning started up, especially as I was holding a metal gardening tool.

Huh, now it's stopped again. But I'm hungry, time for lunch.

( it's all in the numbers )

Yeah, that's pretty much me, not at great depth though, and it does note the 'down' side in this meme which is proper.

*sigh*

So it's official; I have a bit of a cold. Boo. Stayed in bed this morning and just now got up. Ye gods, it's after 11 and I must eat something or crash pretty soon. Not good.

Then I just have to get the energy from somewhere to plant the rest of the iris bulbs today 'cause tomorrow the temperature is supposed to plummet.

The green tomatoes lined up along the windowsill are starting to ripen. Hey Mother, did you get all the tomatoes I sent to you? Prolly not yet. LOTS of green tomatoes! Nell is sitting amongst them like the delicate little flower that she is NOT; poor stupid Nell.

I HATE having a sore throat; makes me a big baby.

But last night we watched "Done the Impossible" that Bruce bought at the Shindig; great! Nice to see our dear friends the Bedlam Bards and hear their music, watch the excellent story of how "Serenity" got made and how the amazing fan base came together. At one point, Bruce said, "Hey, isn't that the Brobs?" And I said, "No, that's probably Emerald Rose" but I was wrong and happy to be so. But we also enjoyed the music of Emerald Rose and the other folk who were inspired to write and perform Firefly-inspired music.

SO, if you have not watched Firefly and Serenity, what's stopping you? Yeah, it becomes a cause. *chuckle* Thanks, of course, to Itzwicks who got us hooked!

Think I wanna watch Firefly again today....

...'cause that's how I seem to be doing everything these days!

I just wanted to share that I'm in an "attitude of gratitude" space today. I think going out and working in the garden this morning has something to do with it. Nothing like digging in the dirt and nurturing growing things whilst taking out one's aggressions by pulling weeds to put things into perspective. I think that's why I garden, really, in addition to being able to feed us with things I've grown and how much better it tastes homegrown; the grounding. Important for a fire/air/water sign, yep, grounding.

What I really wanted to say here is that never in my life have I had such an amazing collection of friends, loves and happy work to do. Yes, I'm crazy busy but I'm doing what I love in the company with people I love; what's better than that? I have excellent good health, all things considered and enough energy to do what I wish, and I never, ever take that for granted.

Life is very, very good indeed. Now I just need to hear some good news of archway to make my happiness complete. She's been on my mind a great deal today.

Oh yes, and the_jenny_of_oz dear, I found something in the laundry that you'll want back; obviously got mixed up in the suitcases. *giggle*

Sometimes ya just gotta say what's on your mind, ya know? And that's what is on mine right now.

If I could bottle this feeling, I'd be a millionaire!

I'm taking full advantage of the fact that although it is supposed to rain all week, it did not last night and it is not this morning. Surely, it'll be muddy but I'm gonna go play in my garden!

But first, I wanted to share a funny that I got via email this morning, you know, one of those friends who sends the "you're my friend and you can prove it by sending this to all your friends and back to me" stuff which I simply delete. *sigh* Absolute sweetheart of a lady but eventually I'll have to gently tell her to please not send those; my friendship doesn't require that sort of proof. Hey, at least she doesn't send the ones with the threats of bad luck at the end!

But this one made me laugh right out loud several times. It reminded my of my ex's nephew, Talley, who once put toast with peanut butter inside the VCR and who also, after showing the hammer to his Mommy and inquisitively saying, "AHbubrumowuba?" to her and getting an absent, "Yes dear" took a hammer to the glass-top coffee table. He'd be about 15 now, I guess.

Anyway....( things you find out by having sons )

And then to prove me wrong, I get this in the cover of an email this morning:

( cut for image )

First, ( Friday Five )

Next, ( Friday and that damned trim )

Finally, ( Other stuff )

Since I did a gardening update.( gardening and stuff )

Busy as snot finishing these costumes for the Saturday wedding. But two cool things;
We're going to the Miro String Quartet concert at the Tulsa PAC on Sunday afternoon.
http://www.miroquartet.com/about_miro.html

They're wonderful musicians and good friends as well, since they were one of the quartets I shuttled around and took care of and wined and dined for a whole week back when I worked for Cynthia Siebert at the Friends of Chamber Music in Kansas City. Pretty sucky job in some ways, but very cool getting to meet all those world class musicians like Andras Schiff, and Anonymous 4 and all those string quartets. They were at one of the week long seminar things we did with our partner audiences back in the 'bad-old-days' for me personally but some good memories anyway.

I hope there's a bit of meeet-and-greet afterwards, I'd love to chat with them again for a second since so much has changed since I saw them last. Sandy and I spent lots of time talking and Daniel is an absolute hoot; they're all great folk and amazing musicians.

It'll be the first time I've had a chance to attend any classical music event since I've lived in Tulsa; shocking compared to all the ones I used to attend in KC. But hey, I've got a life now and a busy one at that; I ain't complaining one bit! Come to think of it, the last classical concert I attended was the night before I left KC, Anonymous 4 on their farewell tour, if I'm not mistaken; with my darling and now we're going to this one together. It's string music, I know he'll have a 'fiddle-gasm' or two...guaranteed. One of the pieces is Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" ...yep, good stuff.

And second, Bruce just registered us for O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat. It's always a wonderfully fun time and well worth the money, in fact, very reasonable considering the intensity of the classes and the top-notch instructors who are world-class performers. Last year rocked, er, celtec! http://www.irishtradmusic.org/oflaherty.htm

The work is coming along, but too damned much of it in too little time, as usual. I haven't even been able to get out into the garden to weed but I must next week. The weeds are choking the corn, I have blossoms on both potatoes and beans and I have little yellow squashes already.

...like an hour's gardening, weeding and planting the rest of the potatoes to re-establish one's peace of mind.


Course, in the "two steps up and one back" department, yesterday I discovered that I'm growing two warts on the inside of the end of my left index finger. Great.

I was sewing in my sleep last night, too bad that doesn't translate into real work done. So I guess I'll get right at it today.

Oh, and had a phone interview yesterday with a nice newspaper writer we spoke with on Sunday out at faire, who's seen me at KCRF for years and QG at KCRF, Norman and OKRF. Nice gal with an SCA background, a real Renfaire fan; it was a lovely talk. After I answered her 'million dollar question' (which I honestly don't recall, you wind me up and I pretty much talk on topic) she said, "Oh, you're good at this!" *chuckle* I thanked her and said, "well, after 28 years if I'm not, there's something wrong, isn't there?" I told her about White Hart and she's going to do an interview with them as well; nice bit of free promo there for them which pleases me!

But I forgot to ask her when it was coming out and if we can get a copy so I'll call her back at some point.

OH yes, and at the Gypsy last evening when we dropped by after dinner, there was a 'new Celtic band' that played for open mike night consisting of 3, count them, three fiddler girls. I'll admit that we got a tad excited. One of them was good, the other two less so and the performance was very unequal but the last thing they played was 'Cooley's' which surprised us both. Of course, we went and introduced ourselves and they'd heard of Queen's Gambit. Turns out the 'good' one is a Suzuki teacher out of B.A and the one I spoke to last October when Bruce was emailing all the Suzuki teachers in Tulsa. She's too busy with solo weekend gigs, isn't interested in being in a band but would be interested in being paid to do individual gigs and recording sessions with us...ah, no thanks. But she does have a student who's really interestsed in Celtic music, dedicated to it and has an ear...and who is 14. *sigh* Doesn't it always happen that way? The fiddlers we hear of and the only ones who are available are 14 or 15. Ah well....

Three things and then I'm off to work:

It's frikkin' cold! The moon was gorgeous last night and this morning is bright and beautiful but as I look outside to the garden I can see thet the peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and tomato plants are hanging, all wilty and dejected-looking. Yep, the gardening is definitely over for this year.

I realized in the middle of the night that I've got to whip together this costume for Boare's Head on Saturday. What I wore last year won't zip. Dammit.

And finally, the dogs don't like it when I go up to sew and it's a problem. It's too cold for me to feel anything but horribly mean leaving them outside but then they come upstairs which isn't good. Pepper should *not* be climbing those wooden stairs and it's worse going down them. That makes it awfully hard for me to focus on my work. But I must. And then there's all the house-cleaning that must be done, too. Think I'm gotta have to get some help to get this all done. *sigh*

And I've got a monster headache poised right at the back of my neck, waiting to pounce.