Don — Page 104

Friday

May 26, 2017 at 9:06 am by Claudia

Seen on a poppy bud the other day – a tiny visitor.

Rain and rain and rain yesterday and this morning, but it is going to stop within the hour, I believe. I felt housebound yesterday. I’d planned on taking a drive (that’s twice this week that my plans have been foiled!) but it was raining so hard that it wouldn’t have been the relaxing trip I had imagined. So I stayed home.

I did listen to the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Anastasia, however! It doesn’t come out until June 9th, but Entertainment Weekly is streaming the entire album all weekend long. Here is the link, if you want to give it a listen.

It’s glorious. I dropped everything, donned my ear buds and was once again transported by the music.

Don’s show opens on Sunday and rumor has it that Jimmy Buffett will be around this weekend. What fun!

Fleabane at the back of the house.

This plant has self-seeded in the big garden bed. It’s not virginia creeper – we have a lot of that around here – but my research tells me if might be foamflower. But I really have no idea what it is. Any ideas? It has tiny flowers. (Now I’m thinking it might be Clustered Black Snakeroot, which grows in damp places and it’s been a very damp spring.)

I’m always intrigued when something new shows up in the garden, other than all the wild mint and dandelions.

And look what’s growing in the bed in front of the house. Milkweed. There are two of them. It grows in the back forty, but I love that it’s shooting up in the garden beds. We like milkweed and we definitely like Monarch butterflies. So, it’s all good.

Today I am getting out. I have a little drive planned. I’m trying to keep myself busy and entertained while Don is away because this time apart is damned hard. That’s the only way to describe it. So I either read, or work outside, or do something adventurous to break up the day.

Happy Friday.

Birds, Buds, Flowers & Parrotheads

May 22, 2017 at 10:06 am by Claudia

Let’s just stop for a moment and take time to honor the favorite flower of yours truly.

They’re on their way. I walked down to the edge of the property to where the peonies were planted years ago by a former owner of the property and there they were: nice fat buds, complete with the requisite ants.

This bud is on the peony bush I should have moved last autumn, but didn’t. It’s under the shag hickory that is growing so tall and using so much energy that the peony can’t compete. But there’s at least one bud this year. I thanked the peony and promised to move it this fall.

Our other shag hickory, one of the four trees that made us fall in love with this property, inexplicably died a few years ago and the other shag hickory, which was a tiny baby when we moved in is growing by leaps and bounds. Don calls it Hick Jr.

Catmint.

Three poppy buds so far.

I did a lot of work outside yesterday – I’d say I was out there for six hours, off and on. Mulching, moving things around, mulching again, planting, watering…it was a spectacularly beautiful day and I knew it was going to rain today, so I kept at it until I’d finished what I needed to. I felt nicely tired and finally came inside, whereupon I promptly indulged in a cupcake.

Don told me all about the audience they had for Saturday night’s show. It was full of Jimmy Buffett fans, some of them had traveled to La Jolla all the way from Texas. In true “Parrothead” fashion, they partied before the show (a conga line was formed) and they were a fabulous audience! They “got” everything, cheered, sang along, and loved every minute of the show. Don talked to several of them after the show and really loved their joy and enthusiasm. Sort of your dream audience!

Finally, I’ve stopped by the bird nest a few times lately. Right after I found the dead babies, I stayed away for a while. Then a week or so went by and I peeked at it. There was still a trace of the bodies and the unhatched egg remained, but there was also evidence of new nest materials. I thought I was seeing things, but it looked as if the birds had been adding twigs. I checked a few days later – even more twigs. I could still see the blue egg.

Yesterday, this is what I saw:

All traces of the remains and the egg have been completely covered. It looks like they’re going to go for it again. Such resilience!

I had a lovely bit of Face Time with Little Z last night. That boy makes everything magical.

Happy Monday.

Missing My Husband, Garden, & Little Z

May 20, 2017 at 9:42 am by Claudia

It’s a good 15 degrees cooler today than yesterday. I must confess, I did a lot outside yesterday, culminating in mowing the larger part of the lawn. This is tiring on an average day, but yesterday, it was extremely tiring. Maybe because it was warmer and humid? I’m not sure. But I had to stop more than a few times and hydrate myself and rest. I felt frustrated by the whole endeavor, though I did finish. I’m not one to back off of chores like this and the fact that it was harder than usual ticked me off.

Anyway, after it was all done, I came into the house, took a shower, plopped into a chair and a wave of missing Don completely engulfed me. It’s been over 2 months now, with a month and half yet to go, and I felt overwhelmed with loneliness. And I knew I couldn’t call him because he was in the middle of rehearsals, so I had to wait until later in the day to speak to him.

Most days, we both handle this pretty well. But there are some, like yesterday, that are too much. We often say, “If we could just give each other a hug, everything would be better.” Not being able to do that is just plain hard.

Today is a new day and I’m better, as I knew I would be.

So far, I see three poppy buds. There will be more. And you can see that the catmint is just starting to bloom.

Forget-me-nots in the Memorial Garden.

I received an item in the mail yesterday that lifted my spirits. It was addressed to Aunt Claudia.

From Little Z.

We spoke briefly last night. He hadn’t had a nap and he was tired. After a little back and forth, he said, “I can’t talk because it’s raining.”

Oh, that boy! He makes me laugh.

Happy Saturday.

Friday

Birds, Buds, Flowers & Parrotheads

Missing My Husband, Garden, & Little Z

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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