spring fever strikes...

...which means an uptick in positives for gonorrhea and chlamydia at work...

just going with it...

I couldn't even begin to explain why it makes me absurdly happy listening to J. singing "Sixteen Tons" at the bottom of his range along with Tennessee Ernie Ford. I don't quite understand it myself, but there you have it.

Hop to it...

Dug up my hops vine this past weekend, because I don't plan on leaving it behind when we move. This is its second spring in its spot by the fence, it had just started coming up the week prior, and it had already grown about four inches so I figured I should get it up before it grabbed hold of anything.

You never really know a plant completely until you have to dig it up. This one had huge roots as thick as my thumb that didn't head down, but spread out like an octopus fairly shallowly under the soil. Roots headed out under my lavender, under the fence, and over to the roses. I thought I'd murdered it, because I probably reduced its root system by half when I dug it up. Then I had to coil all these snaky roots up to fit them in the biggest pot I had. It's four days later, though, and the plant's still going strong, except for one shoot that wilted. I even managed to leave a bit in place which is now happily climbing up its trellis.

home again

J. is back from NH safe and sound. I'm glad to have him back, and eternally grateful to my brother and sister-in-law, who helped out by watching the kids while I was at work this week. I don't know what we would have done if they hadn't been able to pitch in. Short of my going AWOL from work and pulling the kids out of school, I don't know how we would have been able to get J. back east.

It's there, as if one needed reminding, we can see that it's our relationships with others that make life meaningful. And knowing who will be there for you when you need it can help get you through another day.

For the record...

Details from one who should know...