We spent the 4th spending money, which seems patriotic enough for me.

Haaaa.

So, it's like the magical Buffista incantation, once you bitch about it on the board, it resolves itself! Probably within 15 minutes of posting my sad post, I got a call from a friend who I really like, who invited us up to her and her fiance's place for a gathering. It was super low key and Tom had a great time (though he'll be freaking out about it tomorrow, like the social anxiety DTs.) I also had a great time, but that's an easier feat for me than Tom. I just love it when he's relaxed and being himself around other people.

I had offered to be the DD so that he could use beer as a social lubricant.

Man, I am so glad we went out - got out of the city (went to the Northshore) and ate great food (the fiance is a chef) and it was just so much fun.

As you may have gathered from my post, I really needed something like that! Thanks for listening and reassuring.

Yay Nora and Tom! Glad y'all found some fun. Sorry I couldn't hang out today. But sooooon.

That's great, Nora! I'm so glad you guys had a successful outing and with cool people you like too.

That's awesome Nora! I went to a party where I knew no one but the host, and had a pretty decent time. Except my crush on the host got lots worse, and I don't think she's into me. Sigh.

I found out this morning that an aunt is going into hospice next week. She has an inoperable brain tumor, and while they were able to shrink it a bit, it's at the palliative treatment stage. My aunt's in her 90s, I believe, and she's had a heck of a life. Married my WWII fighter pilot uncle, then lived in interesting places until settling down to raise a family in a Michigan lake house. There's a picture of her in her 20s, with her hair in victory rolls wearing my uncle's leather flight jacket that's just so glamorous and badass. It looks like they'll be able to make her passing relatively peaceful and painless, but I'm sad to see her go.

Oh Calli, I'm sorry for the whole world that this woman's light is going out.

I'm sorry, Calli. I hope her passing is peaceful.

Glad you and Tom went out and had fun, Nora!

Sorry about your aunt, Calli. She sounds like an amazing person.

I found an interesting plant in my yard and saved it from the mower by transplanting it into a pot. It lived, to my surprise, so hopefully soon I'll see what it is. Hopefully, not a Triffid. The butterfly milkweed is also growing well in its pot, which I didn't expect, but it hasn't flowered yet. I'm not really a good gardener; I'm always surprised when my plants live. Oh, and the snapdragons survived the winter and are blooming again, another surprise. Mainly what my pot garden has this year is wild clover, but I like clover and it requires nothing from me, so it's a good relationship.

I was just out watering (rainbarrel, FTW!) this morning, and everything is blooming like gangbusters. The lillies in the half-barrels along the side are almost over, which is sad. The lillies in the front pots were spectacular, but short-lived. But now, all the herbs are blooming like their lives depend on it. There won't be an herb harvest this year--I didn't have the heart to cut the plants before they bloomed and deprive the bees, who are going nuts with the herb blossoms. For the first year *ever*, the Russian sage overwintered and came back from the root. It's taken till now for the plant to grow to triffid proportions, and it's only blooming now. Ranks of small bumble bees are hovering in place, waiting. They love the Russian sage.

H gets all credit for watering, feeding, and deadheading, plus he gets to bask when the neighbors enthuse on their walks past the house.

I couldn't plant the purple morning glory vine I wanted on the Buddha trellis--it's banned in the county. We planted two purple-blooming vines instead. One's trying to grow to the moon and can't be bothered to flower, the other is bubbling over with beautiful purple flowers, but it's so tiny--it needs to climb so it can show off a little. Humans, man. We're never satisfied.

I'm exhausted and trying to stay awake long enough for the on call doctor to call me back with test results. She's supposed to call back within 20 minutes and it's been well over an hour. Can't. Keep. Eyes. Open.