1. Independence Day was lovely and went off without a hitch, despite my developing a nasty, nasty headache just as the evening was winding down. The food was a hit, and I managed to satisfy the vegetarians, the traditionalists for whom even blue corn chips are too adventurous, and the one overly-enthusiastic foodie who had been pressing me to serve nothing but various forms of buffalo meat. (How I wish I were making that last bit up.) My Crazy Aunt Joan brought her new Gentleman Caller, a man whom none of us even knew existed at the same time last week, and he seems to be a very nice man. I'm really happy for them; they're like couple of love-struck teenagers, even though they're both in their mid-seventies. :D

2. Had the most bizarre dream last night. I thought that was reclining in bed, rereading Good Omens, and I was just getting to the part where Crowley runs into Aziraphale's burning shop... and then I woke up and realized that I'd fallen asleep while reclining in bed, rereading Good Omens, and all the lights were still on. Oddly, I actually wasn't anywhere near the section of the book that I dreamed I was reading. (Why don't I ever have the sort of fantastically weird dreams everybody else has? My dreams are the most horribly mundane things you can imagine, always about reading books in bed and going to choir rehearsal and getting up in the morning and brushing my teeth.)

3. I have successfully made a dent in the preparations needed to pull off my Rowena costume, and if it will not be everything I hope to accomplish, I think that it will still be pretty good, and I can be satisfied with that for a first effort. I hope I'll learn from this experience and be able to be a better (hopefully sleeker) Rowena for Infinitus next year! In any case, I have the boots, the diadem, the raven and a masquerade mask all squared away, and I'm doing what I can to get the dress where I want it do be. I need to pick up black tights, methinks, and I still need to ponder a Raven Stabilization Solution, so that Rowena's dear familiar can be perched on my person somehow. Also, I am wondering: veil or no veil? A veil is probably historically accurate, but I think historical accuracy is sort of thrown out the window with Potterish costumes to begin with, and I haven't seen a single illustration of Rowena Ravenclaw where she's wearing one. Hmm. In any case, need to decide that soon, so I can get it done if I'm going to do it.

4. I have also successfully enabled both my mother and Younger Brother into the wonders of BPAL-dom! I ordered an imp pack for each of them some time ago, based on the type of things I already know they each like, and at least some of my guesses were accurate. (Go, me!) So far, Younger Brother has fallen for Wilde, Herbert West and (especially) The Caterpillar. Mom is partial to Belle Vinu, La Belle Au Bois Dormant and Endymion, and she proudly informed me that she plans to test Peitho this week. Hee! It's fun to share this obsession hobby with others. (Note to self: post the ten million and one BPAL reviews you have sitting around on your hard drive.)

5. If you haven't checked out awwol yet, you have no idea what you're missing! It's a community devoted to telling a story (Molly and Minerva-centric, but with SS/HG on the side) in a very creative way: using journal entries, personal correspondence, comments, etc., to blur the lines between structured story, improv and just plain real life. It's wonderfully funny (I've laughed out loud several times), all the characters are perfectly cast; they really capture the character voices. Best of all, you don't just have to sit on the sidelines, reading; you can comment to entries, putting in your two cents, speculating about the direction of the story and receiving very in-character responses from the various actors/writers involved. Go and read it now! The story seems like it's about to really take off. (Molly and Minerva are sick of taking everybody's crap and doing what they're told they should, and now have A Plan. A cunning one, even.) Be sure you read through the comments on every entry, too; there's a lot of great stuff there, as the story bleeds off the page and into real life.

I do so love seeing postmodernism being used for good instead of evil. *g*

6. Yesterday, when I met Best Friend for a quick pint and conversation, I was carded. This is not an unusual occurrence (frankly, it's gone beyond annoying and is now strangely flattering), but her wide-eyed, shocked reaction when she saw my driver's license (and hence, my birth date) was hilarious. She apologized profusely and admitted that she'd estimated my age at perhaps 21. LOL! I'm not at all a vain person, but I have to admit that it did have me smiling the rest of the night. :D

7. More dervishing to be done this week, but I am taking a much-needed break today to eat sushi, see a movie and enjoy the gorgeous weather by strolling around Partridge Creek. (Partridge Creek itself is an amusingly snooty open-air shopping "collection," but it is beautifully landscaped and a nice place to spend an afternoon.)

8. Mom also informed me yesterday that Dad no longer feels weird about holding hands with her, using his damaged hand, and in fact he does it quite regularly. This, I feel, is awesome.

Right, well, I'm off. Good Wednesdays (or Thursdays) are wished to all!

Myspace Graphics, Happy Birthday Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Happy Birthday to you, Ihkelele! You're such a lovely, warm, supportive person, and you offer so much understanding and encouragement to others. May your birthday be as lovely as you are, and may the coming year bring you health and happiness.

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Happy Birthday to a great intellect, a powerful spirit, a tireless supporter of others, an insightful beta, a fabulous late-night chat buddy, a wise and dedicated co-mod, an attentive reader, a brilliant brainstormer, a hugely talented author... but best of all, my friend. I'm so glad to know you! (And I can't wait for Azkatraz!!! There will be glomping. Be forewarned. *g*)

May your day today be filled with all the beauty, happiness and good will that you've brought into the lives of others, and may your year bring you health, contentment, stability and boundless success. ~big hugs~

(You will notice, I trust, that I couldn't resist working the duck in here somehow.)

Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Americans on the flist! May your watermelon be juicy, your fireworks bright and your hearts filled with gratitude for family, friends and freedoms large and small.

Because the 4th is not only the (observed) anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but also the anniversary of the passing of two famous friends, rivals and founding fathers who enabled that declaration to take place, I give you a little something featuring John Adams and Thomas Jefferson:



(Just see if that song isn't stuck in your head all day!)

And also some celebratory fireworks:



Good days to you all, wherever you are in the world!

Myspace Happy Birthday Comments

A virtual toast to juniperus, one of the most amazing women I know! May your birthday bring you every happiness, not to mention some peace of mind and the rest you so richly deserve.

(And just think: in two weeks, the toasts will NOT be virtual, and I can treat you to the pitcher of martinis you so richly deserve. :D)

So I am now officially panicking a bit in regards to Azkatraz.

( Cut for venting and general grouchiness, not all con-related )

But. But. I don't want to be a sour old grouch all day (I like to save that sort of thing for when I have to smite someone who deserves it), so I am counting the good things today--and oh, there are some very good things.

1. I may hate this weather, but the flowers obviously love it. Despite the depredations of Little Black Squirrel, they are starting to flourish, and by next week there will be mountains of blossoms.

2. These Snape HBP pictures look fantastic! (Thank you to calumfan for posting them.) Despite the OMGWTFFAIL of their design for Narcissa Malfoy, this is one thing the filmmakers got very right, and I could squee for hours about how perfectly realized Spinner's End is. It's so neglected, yet lived-in! So many books! And it kills dead any idea of Snape not being Muggle-savvy or otherwise being at odds with his Muggle heritage, because the details are so clearly Muggle. (The kitchen! The blinds! The clock! The ELECTRIC LIGHT!) It's exactly as I always pictured it, from the color of the kitchen to the untidy piles of books everywhere. (Also of note: he doesn't have his wand up his sleeve! It's resting on the pile of books beside him. Veeeeery interesting detail, because it suggests that he occasionally lets down his guard, or he wants you to think that he does.)

Alternate source for pics, if you can't access that one: Spinner's End and a close-up of Severus and Bellatrix at Spinner's End.

3. There will be falafel for dinner, and tabbouleh and hummous and crushed lentil soup and stuffed grape leaves and fresh pita. Nom nom nom nom. (Ooh, and garlic sauce--can't forget the garlic sauce.)

4. lariope posted her recs for the Fangirl Tour, and she was not only kind and gracious enough to rec my humble little Christmas ficlet, but she made a bunch of great recommendations for things that I have loved, and other stories and art that I know I'm going to love. If you haven't seen her recs yet, go and do it now! Really wonderful stuff there, and I'm so looking forward to reading through it.

5. I have discovered Good Omens fanfic. Now, on some level, I'm sure I must have known that there would be a fandom for it, because there are fandoms for just about everything under the sun, from perfumes to barely famous reality "stars" to particularly smelly cheeses to, I would imagine, some of the more compelling classes of bacteria. But I had never ventured into GO fandom before, despite loving the book and Crowley and Aziraphale to pieces, so I was quite surprised to stumble into it. I don't even remember how I accidentally found the Crowley fansite, but I poked around and they had an archive and I thought, "Ooh, there's FANFIC? Hmm, let's see."

And then when it turned three o'clock in the morning and I realized I'd been reading for hours, I knew that I was already hooked. (Crowley, no doubt, would be proud of the speed with which I've fallen.)

Anyway, there IS fanfic, and it is good--very, very good, and well-written, and (shockingly) well-researched. (I have no doubt that there's bad GO fic out there as well, where they call each other "Zira" and "Crow-Crow" or whatever, and they have all kinds of OOC hawt angel sex--but I haven't read it yet. Thankfully.) I've been sucked in, utterly. Worse, I've had ideas to write stories of my own. I have no idea whether I'll actually ever write them, but I've jotted them down.

I will put together a recs post at some point (and if any of you have recs, point me, please!), but I can recommend this one right away because it's gorgeous and observant and in-character, with a great character arc, excellent dialogue and a Crowley/Aziraphale dynamic that is deep and moving and way, way beyond friendship or even romance. It's called Bright With His Splendour, by daegaer, and it's fabulous. It follows the life and times of one Anthony J. Crowley, from his Fall (which he never intended to happen in the first place) all the way through to the aftermath of the events in Good Omens. Some kind of redemption is found along the way, and you'll probably never think about Crowley the same way again. It made me laugh and smile and tear up and stay up past my bedtime. If you've read GO, you should read this. Really. Tonight. Do it! You won't regret it.

Well, what do you know. The sun's come out! Well, a little bit. I'll take what I can get.

To the surprise of no one, the results of my Harry Potter Husband Test (stolen from everybody):

Who is your Harry Potter Mate Your Result: Severus Snape   You like your mate with a dry wit and a sharp tounge. You do not mind the emotional baggage that comes with him. You may have to drag him kicking and screaming from the potion lab, but once his love is given, it will never waiver.
Lord Voldemort
Remus Lupin
Ronald Weasley
Albus Dumbledore
Harry Potter
Lucius Malfoy
Draco Malfoy
Who is your Harry Potter Mate Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Though I am mildly disturbed at the second place finisher here. O.o Oh, well. At least I have Snape, and I know his love will never "waiver." I just hope it doesn't waver.

In other news, I have solved the perplexing mystery of who (or what) has been assaulting my flowerpots. ( Bluestocking and the Curious Case of the Flowerpot Fiddler )

I'm keeping my mother company this morning as her kitchen is being demolished for the repairs, and to entertain her, I've showed her some of my favorite sites on the internet. (You know, the mom-safe ones. *g*)

And then we checked Cake Wrecks and saw something that had us both hooting with laughter, hard enough that some of the workmen had to come see what was going on. And they saw, and they hooted. So in turn, I'm passing it on to all of you.

It's a (possibly not SFW) cake that was made for a NASA event, and it's very, very happy to see you. Very.

Check the comments section for additional hilarity, and be sure you take a moment to appreciate the gem of an inscription at the base of the cake, too. :D

~points to icon~ This is what it looks like outside right now.

I was out all morning running errands in the 100 degree heat, but the sky was darkening as I came home. I hadn't been back for twenty minutes before a HUGE wind blew up; I had to dash outside in the sheeting rain to rescue the pots and planters and stash them behind the retaining wall. When I came in, it looked like I had gone for a swim in my clothes!

I'm currently toweled off and in clean, dry clothes, storm watching and letting my wet hair dry while I keep one ear out for any potential tornado sirens. The cats completely freaked out and are huddled together under my bed.

And to top it all off, I got a phone call from my dad, warning me not to go out if I don't have to. (Like, thanks, Dad. I had no idea it was unwise to go out in a raging electrical storm/potential tornado!) But then the line went dead. And he just called back to let me know that he's stuck in the street, because a tree just blew down in front of his car. O.o

Before everybody yells at me for not resting my wrist enough, just let me say that 1) the resting I did yesterday helped a lot, and the right paw is less achy today and 2) I promise to go back to icing and resting in just a bit. Really. I don't want to screw this up just as it's feeling better.

But I forgot to mention yesterday that I got confirmation that I'll be doing a reading of "The French Connection" at Azkatraz, and as I think it unlikely that a short novella will fit into a half-hour reading time slot, it occurs to me that I need to select one long excerpt or several shorter ones for the reading. To that end, I put together a short poll for those of you who have read the story, to try and find out which bits you'd like to hear, and which aren't as important. (Even if you aren't going to Azkatraz, I'd really value your input, especially since I'm considering making an audio recording of the story eventually, which would be available to all.) If there's a particular thing I haven't mentioned, but you think it would be good, let me know.

Poll #1420531 What Should I Read?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

What section(s) of "The French Connection" do you want to hear read?

Okay, now I'm back to the ibuprofin and ice on the wrist... although given the heat today, a full-body ice bath might not be such a terrible idea. *g*

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Have a happy birthday, Lariope! I wish you a beautiful day and a beautiful year, filled with good health, peace and happiness. ~hugs~

My right paw is just aching, for no apparent reason. My fingers and knuckles feel almost arthritic, even though I've never had even a hint of arthritis. I know I'm not a spring chicken now, but I didn't think this popped up overnight!

It was bone-deep achy when I woke up. It has continued being more or less deeply achy and tingly all day. It is hurty, and I'm very sorry for being whiny when I know others are suffering much worse, but the chronic nagging pain is...er. Getting on my nerves. So to speak. (So of course I'm TYPING about it. ~facepalm~)

The most irritating thing, in the Cosmic Irony department, is that now that I finally have a good bit of story that I want to expand, extended typing just kills my hand. I suspect I need a few days to really rest my wrist, but I don't want to rest, damn it! I need to do things! ~pouts~ Why do all the things I enjoy have to be hard on the wrists?

I need somebody to take dictation or something.

On the other hand, I now have a great excuse not to do laundry.

In any case, if I'm slow responding to anything, now you know why. I can only take so much at a time.

...that somebody is going to have to die. Painfully. Slowly. With great deliberation and maximum extraction of screams.

I realize that I was whining just last week about what a cold summer we've been having, but this is just a touch too much irony for my liking. It was over 80 degrees at 8 AM, and by now, with the sun beating down and frying all hapless life forms in its path, it feels like the mid-90s. And did I mention the humidity? It's so hot and stifling that you feel filthy almost instantly on stepping outside.

So naturally, today would be the day renovations start on Mom and Dad's kitchen. ~eyeroll~ This means that the kitchen will be unusable for the time being, so I'm having them over here for meals in the meantime. I was going to attempt an actual dinner, but it is too hot even for me to muster enthusiasm to cook, so I'm thinking sandwiches, if I can motivate myself to go out and run down to the Italian market down the street.

However, despite the heat, the weekend was very nice. We had a lovely Father's Day yesterday. My brother is getting to be quite the barbecue master, so between the two of us, we make a good tag team. I do the in-kitchen work, he does the out-of-kitchen work, and dinner gets done. However, I did realize this Father's Day that I'm going to have to be careful about the greeting cards I select from now on, because a shocking number of them make jokes about Dads not being able to cook/causing smoke and flame. O.o Um, I don't think any of us are really yet at the place where I can give Dad a card with the punch line, "Where there's smoke, there's Dad." Suddenly, I find nothing funny with these jokes.

Also done this weekend: I finally got around to seeing the newest Star Trek film. My reaction, in a nutshell? SQUEEEEEEEE! Honestly, I think I squeed from start to finish. It was everything I hoped it would be. It wasn't flawless, of course, and I can see where certain purists will howl, but from where I'm sitting, this was exactly the kick in the pants this fandom needed. They needed an outsider to come in and make it fresh and recapture the zeitgeist, and I think J.J. Abrams succeeded in making a world that feels both more authentically futuristic and more palpably dangerous than it ever was before. ( Other thoughts about the movie, under the cut for spoilers. You have been warned! )

Okay, off to obtain sandwich supplies. When I come back, I can get a bit of writing done before anybody gets here. ~crosses fingers~ Oh, yes, and did I mention the best thing about this weekend? I'm writing again, for the first time in about two months, and it feels gooooooooooood. :D

It is rainy and humid and altogether disgusting today, the high mold count is making me wheezy and short of breath, and my hamstrings are still killing me after all the gung-ho gardening earlier this week, but I'm determined to be cheerful. So, things that I should be grateful for:

1. My order from BPAL is here! And everything smells lovely, and the illustration on Smoky Moon is by Beardsley, and the whole scent is inspired by Baudelaire. And really, I was never going to be able to resist something subtitled "Tristesses de la Lune." So Happy Birthday to me, because this was my present to myself, and I got me just what I wanted. :D

2. Azkatraz in a month! Sure, I'm sort of scared about how much I have left to do, and a juvenile part of me is doing the standard silly "OMG, what if I act all boring and stupid and nobody likes meeeeee?" wibbling, and I've never done one of these before, so I have no clear idea of what to expect... but it's Azkatraz, and I've been counting on this thing the whole year, through all the crap times, my roommates are completely wonderful people whom I adore, and my friends are going to be there, so how badly can I screw it up, really? Hopefully, I will be doing a reading from "The French Connection." I have the basics for my Rowena costume, and I'm going to do my best to specialize the way I'd like... and if it doesn't get done as perfectly as I've envisioned, well, that's okay, too. My primary reason for going is to tell the people I admire how much I appreciate them, to fangirl all those who inspire me and to give massive hugs to my friends, so if I can accomplish that, then it will all be well worth it. I am SO excited right now that it really outweighs any stress. Besides, I have been promised Disgraceful Behavior, and that just sounds like fun.

3. College A Cappella Groups! I've always loved a cappella singing--the music stripped down to essentials, the harmonies laid bare, the intense pressure of remaining in pitch and in sync and on tempo without any accompaniment to assist. (I sang in a cappella groups in high school and college.) I've also always loved the songs of Ben Folds. His newest album features both, as it focuses on excellent a cappella groups from universities around the country, each of them singing a different Ben Folds song. The combination of the amateur groups and this particular music showcases two things: 1) Ben Folds' skill as a songwriter and 2) the power, beauty and humor of the human voice. I'm really impressed with the skill, talent and enthusiasm of the young people featured on the album, and some of the arrangements will give you chills. Who wouldn't be charmed? It doesn't matter if every single note is perfect and auto-corrected; these people sing like this, without a safety net, for the sheer joy of singing, and that joy is infectious.

Want a taste of that joy? YouTube provides. Check out the videos behind the cut:

( You have to hear this )

So now I'm off into the rainy yuck to run a few errands... but at least I'll have a song in my heart (and probably stuck in my head) to keep me entertained!

...when you actually find yourself complaining about having to party too much.

Nonetheless, I'm still feeling a little ragged around the edges after three parties in as many days this weekend. Then again, it's been pointed out to me that this could be viewed as a training regimen for the rigors of Azkatraz, so I suppose I should be pleased and smug at only being a little wilted by the weekend.

( Why does everybody I know have to plan a party for the same weekend? )

So: very nice, but by Monday, I was ready for a vacation from the vacation. Instead I caught up with the stuff neglected over the weekend (laundry and yard work) and finally managed to mercilessly prune the holly into a state of submission. Ooh, and snapped a few photos of the hanging basket, which is actually doing well, despite the cool summer. Flowery pictures below the cut, to spare the flist: ( Flower pic spam )

And that's all I have at the moment, I think. Happy Tuesdays to all of you, wherever you are and whatever you're doing!

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Happy Birthday to a brilliant author, an accomplished artist, an unparalleled wit, a woman as warm-hearted as she is wise... and a fabulous friend. May your birthday be happy, and may the next year give you and Agent 78 all the bliss that married life has to offer, with none of the headaches.

A toast to you both!

~hugs~

1. I'm not sure that I ever appreciate feeling good as much as I do the day after a headache goes away. I lost most of yesterday to a killer migraine, which woke me up at 2 AM yesterday and hung around like an unwelcome guest until the middle of the afternoon. (Second time I've had one that bad in a month, so I'm thinking it may be time to visit the doctor.) I hoped I might get something done when the pain died down, but the combination of meds and interrupted sleep meant that when I sat down to watch a tiny bit of Food Network, I drifted off and woke up hours later with a fat cat draped over my legs, keeping my feet warm. (Thanks, Otto.) I feel shockingly lazy at hazing wasted most of the day, but at least it was the only non-productive day this week.

2. Mom's appointment with the contractor on Tuesday went very well. She'd made do with the kitchen the way it was and had put off making the appointment for so long that I think she'd blinded herself a bit to how much fire and smoke damage was still there. (Why she put off the appointment has to do with all the other stress of Dad's medical needs, not quite dealing psychologically with the accident, and so on and so on. I can't blame her, but this needed doing; she was tearing herself to pieces over what to do, and the kitchen was not entirely functional.) Anyway, it turns out that the contractor is a lovely man with a long list of recommendations and tons of expertise in these matters. Not only did he agree with us that the sink, refrigerator and several cabinet facings needed to be replaced, but he picked up on several other smaller areas of damage that we had overlooked, and that will be fully covered by the insurance. He put together a list of recommendations, got them all OK'd by the insurance people and submitted a timeline of what will be done when, so nothing should be a surprise. Mom was so relieved and excited after his visit, and I'm happy for her. It's about time she had a sink that wasn't filled with scorch marks and cracks!

3. On today's agenda: getting a haircut and finding outfits that I can wear to the one golden anniversary party and two graduation parties I have to attend this weekend. I'd like to find a few decent and summery pieces that I can wear for Azkatraz as well, but... well, looking at the styles that are out this season, my hopes aren't high. Why, why is there so much ugliness this season? The prints alone are enough to drive me to weeping! I don't even have the words to describe the horror; adjectives pale in comparison.

4. Othello has developed a bizarre fascination with the bathroom. I keep finding him perched on the sink, examining the faucet. He sits on the toilet while I'm brushing my teeth, so he can watch the water swirl down the the drain. Several times today, I've found him in the tub, staring expectantly at the taps, like he's waiting for something to happen. I'm too kind a person to demonstrate for him what actually happens when the taps come on. ;-)

5. Speaking of the kids having grad parties this weekend? In both cases, I stood up in their parents' weddings. How is it possible that they now have kids who are legally considered adults? ~horrified~

6. I thank everybody for all the good wishes for the Red Wings earlier this week, but as you probably already know, they didn't clinch the championship in that game. That means that everything comes down to tonight's game, and, well... do you mind one more round of cheering for them? *g* It can't hurt! In any case, I will be watching the game tonight, crossing everything that can be crossed and hoping that we'll really have something to celebrate at all those parties this weekend. Also, I am wearing my lucky Steve Yzerman shirt today. You know, just in case it all depends on me. *g*

7. By the way, did I mention that Snape!Pharmacist at the corner drugstore totally blew his stack while I was in there the other day? I still haven't managed a photo of him (I'm sorry!), but now I'm deeply convinced that it's really him. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, and the woman who provoked his temper was most definitely a fool. An obnoxious fool. An obnoxious fool who was holding up the line for good, decent, non-foolish people who just wanted to get a new box of Sudafed, dammit! Anyway, the sympathies of those in line were firmly on the side of Snape!pharmacist. He may have acquired a fan club. :D

Good weekends are wished to all of you, wherever you are. And Go Wings!

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So sorry I missed yesterday! I hope it was a wonderful day and that the coming year will bring you happiness.

I realized that I haven't had a chance to do this yet, and I'd be seriously remiss if I didn't, so:

I want to wish a huge and heartfelt thank you to all of the flist for your birthday greetings, virtual and real cards, beautiful banners, good wishes and naughty limericks this past weekend. You made my birthday (and, in fact, the entire weekend) a joy from start to finish, and I was touched and humbled that you all took the time to wish me well. I feel very loved, and very content with my place in the universe right now. :D

~hugs flist~

I've said it before and will undoubtedly say it again, but you, dear flist, are the finest, funniest, wisest, warmest friends a girl could have, and I consider myself very fortunate to know all of you. You have no idea how many times you brighten my day or make me laugh out loud or cause me to think about things from a previously unconsidered angle.

I'll do a bigger update later (hopefully), but I am in a big rush today, trying to get things cleaned here, and then help my mother get things cleaned up over there, because she's FINALLY having the contractors in for an assessment of the fire damage, so things can be repaired. In between that, I have approximately 1,001 errands to wedge between the cracks... and oh, yeah, I have a viewing party for the Stanley Cup finals to prepare for. (Go Wings!) In any case, suffice it to say that I had a wonderful birthday weekend, much merrymaking was had, entirely too much wine was consumed, and I was smug at greeting Monday unrepentantly hangover-free.

I have a strong feeling that my thirtieth year is going to be a good one.

Oh, and lastly: those of you who were kind enough to wish me a Red Wings win on my birthday? Um, could you do that one more time tonight? Because obviously you all have some powerful effects when you set your minds to the task, and they only need one more win to clinch it all. :D

Went to the farmer's market Wednesday and picked up loads of flowers, both for home and otherwise. There were so many lovely things that it was tough to pick and choose! I may just be feeling particularly appreciative this year, but I'd swear that things are blooming in exceptionally productive and beautiful way this year. At any rate, I picked up a hanging basket, some ivy geraniums (white and pale violet-pink), a mixed flat of lobelia (all violet blues and pinks and purples) and a flat of these really striking Merlin Blue Morn petunias, which look like they'll bloom insanely well. Yesterday, Mom and I took some of the flowers to the cemetery, and we spent the afternoon sprucing up my grandparents' graves and planting. It sounds strange to say that we had a good time, but we did--there's something meditative and soothing about gardening, at least for me, and there's also something deeply satisfying about working to make sure the grave site is not only tidy, but pretty. The last of my grandparents passed away nearly a decade ago, but I feel closer to them when I make sure that their final resting place is not only tidy, but pretty. It may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it's what I can do now to pay tribute to all that they did for me, and it's a nice opportunity to remember them. I only wish I'd been able to know them as an adult.

I planted the remaining flowers in my garden today, and although they won't be ready for their close-ups until they've had a few weeks to grow and fill out, I snapped some pictures of two other things that are making me feel inordinately happy: a pot of Sweet Williams from last year that managed to survive the winter and are now thriving, and my grandmother's clematis. She could never get it to do much of anything; after years in the same location, it had barely grown and had only produced one bloom. This year, I finally managed to have a bit of success with it, as you can see.

( Click for flower pics )

I adore this time of year. Everything's green and growing and flowering... what's not to love?

Okay, and now I'm off to scrub off and try to get the dirt out from under my nails, because I'm going out tonight for pre-Birthday celebrations. Tomorrow's the day, but it seems like everybody else already had plans for it, so everything was shifted to today. We're going out to have drinks and small plates and yummy Italian food on the lake shore, the sun is out and there are soft breezes blowing, so I foresee a good time to be had by all. I had the "OMG!I'm turning 30" freakout a few months ago, so by now, I've got it all out of my system, and I'm just ready to have fun. :D