Salad Days

It was a banner week. Nice visit from the parents and all positive. Worked out some friction in my most important open relationship dynamic, and I'm really proud of us for that talk. Most unexpectedly, my ex finally tied up some loose ends between us that have been dangling for years (dude got married last fall!), things I have been increasingly upset about for a year and had just about given up on. Makes it a whole lot easier to be on good terms. And to cap last week off, there was a new special counsel for the FBI investigation. So life is good.

Three days of wicked summer heat nixed My pretty iris blooms but nothing died or bolted, and the lettuce patch is producing beautifully, not a slug or bug in sight. I'm getting a big salad out of it daily with enough to share. It's a bit of a mystery where those leaves come from while I'm at work but I'm not complaining. 

Last night I finally pulled the trigger on some good cedar raised bed kits, thanks to boy m who has sweetly gifted Me to make something special possible. I flirted with a light fixture but in the end, the garden won, so now I have 16 SF of new space in a proper container instead of the artfully random hodgepodge of baskets I've had thus far. Unplanted things will have a home, there's room for more new plants, and I can decommission some of the baskets to be used in the backyard. With luck, there will be another installment of raised beds within the year. It is a long narrow lot with the new brick retaining wall in front, and the plan is to make a shallow L of beds that runs along the wall on both sides of the gate. Flowers and stuff that can tolerate people reaching over the fence will be along the front wall, and veggies will be on the other legs of the Ls out of reach from the sidewalk. It was hard to pull the trigger but it feels good. Can't wait to go buy a bunch more bags of manure!

Today boy t surprised Me at work with a dozen tulips, which was a complete and fantastic surprise. Bless him, he really does work at serving from a distance. And I just love receiving flowers at the office early in the week. Then tonight I was one of four people on a panel for an alumni group, talking about the industry. It was nice to be reminded I could be part of that community, I forget about it. The constant fund raising requests make Me prone to toss both baby and bathwater, but I must remember that there is value there and really it far exceeds the occasional contribution. As if to drive the point home, there were three people there who are career counselor/ coach types, one of which is actually provided through the institution. I feel the Universe helpfully putting resources under My nose, nudge, nudge. It really did all just start from Me trying to be helpful, so I should keep doing that.

I love this time of year, and am thrilled the forecast calls for another 10 days of springy weather. The tomatoes would like more heat, sure, but I am happy with endless salad days for now.