Sahara soaks the strawberry starts.

Thank you for being such a good helper!

Later, she lines the seedpods from our wisteria along the bench.

Wow! Good job Sahara.

Tia Kara

Yesterday I was very brave and drove to Silverton with the two girls to visit Tia Kara. When we arrived, Sahara jumped out of the car, announced "I'm soooo excitied!" and ran towards the house, scaring Pandita (the cat) who hid under porch. Once inside, she settled herself quickly on the sofa with her Tia to look at BIG books.

After a yummy lunch, many books, and a short nap for Lydia, Kara took us to a lovely park for further adventures. Sahara chased a squirrel, jumped, ran, swung, pushed, pumped, spun around, balanced, talked on the phone with Tia Jenn, and looked for treasures in the gravel.
Whew.
On the way home she requested that we name our house "Silverton".
Today, during resting time, I put my ear to her door as I sometimes do to hear what she says to her dolls and her imaginary companions when no-one else is around.
"Hey, Tia Kara, good job."
I tip-toe away with a smile in my heart.

Bird Song

When we awaken in the morn, we hear the birds trilling their good morning singing songs. On Saturday we planted our peas and lettuce seeds. Sunday, after a lazy bagel breakfast and the paper, we headed out to distribute our 21 new strawberry plants in the east end of our garlic bed. Our main garlic bed is up front, but we got so excited about planting lots of each variety in October, that we used up half of our '07 squash/pepper/eggplant/ basil/cucumber/tomato bed for more ajo. My two other Sunday highlights were Onsen and Garrison. With Nana here for the weekend, Pablo and I got a little time for peace and relaxation. Usually, we go out Saturday night when she's in town, but this weekend I surprised Nana with a visit to the Hult for the ICCA West Coast Quarterfinals. Very fun!

I don't read Garrison Keillor's articles every Sunday, although I should. Yesterday's was particularly enjoyable and timely, what with the bird song and Valentine's Day this past week. If you have a moment, click on his name above and read before enjoying Roethke's poem below.

I Knew a Woman

by Theodore Roethke

I knew a woman, lovely in her bones,

When small birds sighed, she would sigh back at them;

Ah, when she moved, she moved more ways than one:

The shapes a bright container can contain!

Of her choice virtues only gods should speak,

Or English poets who grew up on Greek

(I’d have them sing in chorus, cheek to cheek).

How well her wishes went! She stroked my chin,

She taught me Turn, and Counter-turn, and Stand;

She taught me Touch, that undulant white skin;

I nibbled meekly from her proffered hand;

She was the sickle; I, poor I, the rake,

Coming behind her for her pretty sake

(But what prodigious mowing we did make).

Love likes a gander, and adores a goose:

Her full lips pursed, the errant note to seize;

She played it quick, she played it light and loose;

My eyes, they dazzled at her flowing knees;

Her several parts could keep a pure repose,

Or one hip quiver with a mobile nose

(She moved in circles, and those circles moved).

Let seed be grass, and grass turn into hay:

I’m martyr to a motion not my own;

What’s freedom for? To know eternity.

I swear she cast a shadow white as stone.

But who would count eternity in days?

These old bones live to learn her wanton ways:

(I measure time by how a body sways).

Lunar Eclipse

No way we'll be awake for this. We now go down when Lydia does, which lately has been around 9:00. Sleep is so precious these days that I can't imagine purposefully staying up late or setting the alarm to wake up in the night. Maybe she'll have a late night, and we will see it. Picture and a bit more info at NASA.

CAUTION - EXPLOSIVES

Care to change a diaper?

Heads Up!

Spring * = Seeding

The sun is shining! It is warm outside! I pull out many, many packets of little seeds and get lost in my favorite daydream of what to plant where. But now it feels real. I begin to prepare some potting soil to start a few things inside, and scope out some pockets around the garden for spring greens and peas.
The only problem now is that there isn't enough space to grow all we would like to.
Ohhhhhhh . . . . . . the garden calls.
If you live in this part of the world, see this helpful planting guide and visit Territorial for most of your seed needs.

* - 5 1/2 weeks to go but it feels like Spring today!

Kung Hei Fat Choi

Rats are perfectionists. They communicate extremely well, are quick-witted, level headed and always alert. They choose their friends carefully and dote on children. Rats are great strategists and make good politicians, but most importantly, their intuition enables them to suss out the enemy quite early in the game. Rats are shrewd and know how to amass wealth. They’ll gladly spend on their loved ones while outsiders will find them miserly. Their adaptability and clever manoeuvring will see them thumbing their nose at even the tightest spot. But they can be quick-tempered and overly critical, making them edgy, nervous and a downright nag with things don’t go their way. They have an opportunistic trait that will see them wheeling and dealing in exploiting situations for self-benefit.

Famous people born in the Year Of The Rat:
Antonio Banderas, Antonio Moreno, Ben Affleck, Bobby Avila, Burt Reynolds, Cameron Diaz, Carlos Delgado, Churchill, Colin Firth, Doris Day, Englebert Humperdinck, Fernando Valenzuela, Hector Elizondo, Hugh Grant, Juanes, Jude Law, Julianne Moore, Justina Machado, Kathy Bates, Kenny Loggins, Marlon Brando, Mozart, Pedro Armendáriz, President George Washington, Ron Moody, Samuel J Jackson, Sean Penn, and Shakespeare.

Quote of the day

"You care of Lydia. I'll care of you and Papi will care of me." -S
"Who will take care of Papi?" -T
"My doll." -S

When it rains it pours.

I should know after living here for so long. But this time I'm not thinking about Willamette Valley weather.
Lydia is finally getting over her first cold and I am on the mend from a bizarre virus which will hopefully skip everyone I know.
We were informed today that our internet will be out for a few days while they fix the problem that caused our internet to be out for a few days.
In my ten minutes of Toña time on Friday I did a bit of Valentine sewing.

Over the weekend, Pablo pruned the roses and Sahara did some repairs on my knee.

"Mom, I'm screwing you."