Resplendent Day

Tomatoes

 

I have tomatoes coming in. Yes. Oh yes. At least fourteen cherry tomatoes are going to develop on this stocky little plant from the flowers I’ve been vigorously shaking on a daily basis. The reason I know this to be true is due to the fact that one flower came off because of my overenthusiastic shaking program and, when I pulled the blossom out to check the development of the tomato, it was on its way to becoming a new fruit.

 

So, I am going more cautiously now but I am still shaking daily until I get confirmation of fruiting in the form of blossom drop off. This is happening on the forty-five day old plant. The second, twenty-nine day younger plant is just starting to branch out. I should be docking it within the next two weeks or so once it gets bigger.

 

I am so excited to be growing tomatoes again. I loved doing it the last time notwithstanding the difficulty in getting them to fruit compared with peppers. When I grew the Jalapeno peppers, the flowers practically pollinated themselves whenever I walked past the Aerogarden. The tomatoes, on the other hand, require a good shake and/or usage of the pollinator to get good results in fruit maturity rates. I don’t mind, considering I love doing this. It is just something I’ve noticed.

 

Rainstorm II Socks

 

These socks are, at long last, nearing completion. I’ve knitted late into the night on them several nights this past week and I’ve finally made progress on them with only eighteen more rounds to do before I start closing for the toes. In future, I am not going to delay when making socks for myself. I am going to work on them right away, as often as possible and as long as possible until they are completed. Hopefully, this will keep me from having such a longstanding WIP.

 

There is more but I’m putting it in my hand written journal. Thanks for reading. Have a great day.

Autumnal Clearing

Currently my room looks like a Hurricane dropped chaos upon it. I am in the process of minimizing my possessions even further. I have cleared parts of my closet of boxes that haven’t been cleared in almost ten years. It is so empty in there now. There’s an echo in parts of my room that is spooky.

 

While clearing the shelf in my closet, I managed to find this little nugget of sunshine in a dust covered box, hidden under a plethora of old pen pal letters from decades gone by. I got it in 1995, brand new, for the 20th anniversary. I’m sitting on the fence about selling it. I saw one on a site in Mint condition going for $166USD and the non-mint averaging out to $35 for much worse wear and tear than my copy has.

 

 

All this stuff is going to be gone soon enough. With the exception of a few items, the rest is going out into the recycling/garbage.

 

The oppressive heat has not been kind to myself or my plants. I’m still struggling to breathe and have been put on stronger medications for the Asthma. Even more sad, most of my plants died in the heat event we just went through. Ten plants in total are now pining for the Fjords. I has a true sad. Some of those plants, I had from the early part of the 21st century.

 

The survivors are:

 

Sansevieria (Snake Plant) (Oldest of my plants, 1997)

Ananas comosus (The Pineapples)

Solanum lycopersicum (Mega Cherry Tomato Plants in the Aerogarden)

Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant)

 

Perhaps this loss is for the best.

 

For too long, my focus has been on so many things. Knitting and Crocheting, my plants, Autodidactic pursuits, volunteering, trying to maintain my health as well as other pursuits. I’ve had so many irons in the fire, perhaps my focus isn’t where it should have been all this time? Perhaps I would do well to remember the lesson of the oxygen mask?

 

Thanks for reading. Have a great day.

Fostering Positivity

The few of you who know me personally are well aware that I am often brooding to the point that Eeyore would have something to say to me in response to my mood. Comparisons have been made to some cartoon from the 90s called ‘Daria’ as well as a host of other comments.

 

Thanks to the intervention of QueerJoe’s blogpost, I’ve decided to do something about it. I am going to dedicate myself to fostering positivity in the world. Wherever I can and whenever I can, I am going to do good works for the sake of doing good. It’s my hope that this Positivity web/chain/whatever that started with QueerJoe expands outward and encompasses as many people as are willing to participate. I hope that there are a lot of people willing to join in on the fun.

 

First, I am going to dive into all these unfinished projects that have been accumulating dust on my desk recently. Not only is this not good for my asthma, it’s not good for my creativity, nor my allergies, nor my sanity. So, those are out of the way ASAP.

 

Next, I will do a vlog. This will be the first formal “sit down” vlog I’ve done in months. So many things have happened in my life between then and now. Hopefully, this video will be cathartic and just the right balance of entertaining with educational.

 

Positive news about the Maternal Parental: Her eyes are in magnificent condition right now. The surgery site healed well and her glaucoma is under control with the aid of medications. She’ll be fitted for glasses within a few weeks.

 

Tonight will be a night of reveling in movies. I’ve got Demolition Man, Dragonslayer and The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses. Last night was Priest and Legion. Hopefully, I can overcome my shyness to actually talk about some of these movies and shows I look at in greater detail.

 

About the only other things happening right now are three burgeoning friendships and the rise of the Mega Cherry Tomatoes in the Aerogarden of Serendipity. The Sweet Pickle Organic Peppers died due to my overzealous application of Neem.

 

That’s all. Thanks for reading and have a fantastic day, Everyone!

Updates In No Particular Order

The Maternal Parental has finally had her second and final cataract surgery. We’re seven days into administering the eye drops and today’s the first day we take one away, specifically, the antibiotic. Her vision is already really good. She’s able to read and see things with an accuracy not had in decades. Hopefully, her vision will continue to improve with time. After this, she’ll be fitted for eyeglasses. I’m incredibly happy for her.

 

The Paternal Parental has been buried for almost a month now. The burial was 2 June. Father’s day was exceptionally hard this year. It normally was but this year really dug in with the barbed mace. I suppose it will get better with time but that time has yet to pass, so it’s all still new for me.

 

My plants are all doing well. I just docked the peppers a few days ago and gave the basil another haircut last night. With the docking of the peppers they’ve begun to branch out almost immediately. I expect them to start flowering within a few weeks. With the basil (and associated Aerogarden of Serendipity plants), their days are numbered. I will be buying the new seed kit (Mega Cherry Tomatoes) in a few days. I may try to root the Genovese basil and grow it in a pot, as it’s very good, as is the Mint, but the rest I am definitely getting rid of.

 

As for me? I’m doing alright. I may need to write in the hand written journal a few times to unload some seriously bottled up stuff but, other than that, I’m doing well.

 

Thank you for reading. Have a fantastic day.

Peppers and Socks and Herbs…

Oh My!

An abundance of Sweet Pickle Organic Pepper seedlings. I relented and put them under the light hood of the Aerogarden of Serendipity as I’d been threatening to do for weeks now. I’ve noticed vast improvement in the short time they’ve been under the lights. This is the third day and they’re already a nice, dark green color and all straightening up.

 

I’m going to give them a few more inches to grow before I mercilessly cut the very tips from them. Bwhahahahaha. No seriously, it’s a good way to get an abundant harvest of peppers out of a plant. It causes the plant to take on a compact, bushy habit and produce more flowers. More flowers (if they’re pollinated) equals more fruit. At least, I hope it gives me fruit.

 

My progress on the socks. I’m about one quarter of the way through knitting the feet. Over the past month, I haven’t been able to touch this project owing to so much stress and grief but, lately, I’ve been doing pretty well at it. When I finish this, I’ll make another attempt at the Boba Fett amigurumi figurine before (hopefully) moving back to the Maternal Parental’s crocheted cardigan.

The Project list at present:

• João’s Hello Kitty Hat (Completed)
• Blodeuwedd The Hat for me
• Little Boy Blue Blanket
• Shimmer Stole
• Handschuhe Times Two: Bruce’s Gloves
• Cosmos Doily Madness: Doily Three
• Rainstorm II Socks (Loading…)
• Child-bearer’s Cardigan
• Boba Fett Amigurumi Doll (Loading…Daylight hours)
• Baby Groot
• Rose Doily #804
• Be a Friend/Have a Heart Shawl(Completed)
• In Love With Color Throw
• Bigger on the Inside Shawl
• Gloves for myself
• A scarf for myself
• Villimarjatar Shawl
• Large Pineapple Doily
• Monster Slippers for Valerie

 

One more picture and then I’m going to go read my book. Right now, I’m reading Darwin’s Origin of Species. Anyway, this is a pre-cutting picture of the Aerogarden of Serendipity taken 30 May 2016.

 

 

As you can see, this is a forest of basil. I’ve cut it back but it is only a matter of time before it grows back to wacky proportions.

 

 

I think, in future, I’m going to grow just about anything but the Gourmet Herb garden. I love growing Peppers and Tomatoes, so perhaps I should try those out a bit more?

 

Thanks for reading. Have a fantastic day.

Moving On

Ended a seventeen year long toxic friendship with my ex-boyfriend. Yay!

Helping The Maternal Parental quit smoking again. Double Yay!

Letting go of associated negativity from these subjects. Treble Yay! Squee!

 

Instead, I am going to focus on the positives in my life. I have multiple wonderful friends and family. I have varied wonderful talents. I have a wave of green plants growing in my room right now that will, hopefully, grow to full maturity and provide me with a bounty of fruit and herbs. I’m well medicated and fed. I have food, clothing, shelter, etc. I’m Literate in at least one language with the capacity to learn more.

 

In short, life is pretty good.

The Paternal Parental

A little under a week ago, I found out that my father died.

 

It’s very odd but the uncomfortable shackles of estrangement I’ve been used to my entire life now seem to be melting away. In their place is an emancipating comprehension that my destiny is my own and that I’m not, ultimately, responsible for other’s emotions, behaviors, or previous actions.

 

In a few days, I have a funeral to go to and quite possibly a lot (and I do mean a lot) of relatives to meet. When I went to my uncle’s funeral service in 2002, the place was filled to overflow capacity. I don’t really know my paternal family at all so, it will be very interesting being around so many people who are related to me for whom I have no living memory.

 

I was discussing with a friend of mine that I wished I could bring my knitting or crochet work but we both agreed that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea given that I am one of the next of kin of the deceased at the upcoming funeral. I’ve never done anything like this before so, please don’t take it as me being rude or flippant. I just tend to function better with something occupying my mind like knitting, crocheting or my phone. Otherwise, the anxiety kicks in majorly.

 

Another friend of mine offered to go with me despite living more than one hundred miles from me. He’s incredibly kind.

 

All my friends have been wonderfully kind and sweet during this time and I really appreciate each and every last one of them. They truly are family to me in all but blood.

 

I need to go make dinner now. Later.