Dear Diary: January 10

[lblanchard]

I woke up this morning thinking that my sister and jackiejj shared a love for holiday socks. In fact, my sister started wearing her Halloween socks in early September this year. Sigh. I had a bad night last night, thinking of my dead and the things left unsaid or the visits left unpaid. By the time my dead left me it was 2:00 am and now I'm groggy.

But the sun is shining and my Hippeastrums are sprouting along. The new 'papilio' has a leaf cluster peeping out of the top of the bulb in addition to what I am pretty sure is going to be a scape. The 'gervase' looks like it's thinking about sprouting, too. The class of 2006 transplants aren't doing much, except for two of them, but they're probably busy re-establishing their roots.

I have cat grass on the windowsill and it looks like it will be ready to serve up to The Scamp in a couple of days.

I have a batch of pink springerle dough (mixed last night) curing in the fridge. The experiment will re-commence this evening, when I roll and mold. The dough is a funny color, like the old "flesh" crayon in the Crayola box, but it's always yellower when raw.

The seed catalogs are starting to arrive. Park Seed would sell me fractal broccoli seed (ooh!), but wherever would I plant it? Perhaps if I had a really really big planter out front. Now that the elm tree is gone, the front of the house gets full sun.

Come summer we're going to broil.

I spent some considerable time dreading a monumental annual work project...that turned out to take me all of 45 minutes because I semi-automated the process last year. Need to sear that into my brain for when I dread it next year.

And so it goes. Two steps forward, one step back. I recall the first two months being the hardest and then the next four being less hard, with full function returning around six months. I don't know whether this pattern will continue but I'm hopeful. I sat in the light of the wolf moon, veiled by thin clouds, last night thinking about how my sister went out just as the moon turned waning. Two moons ago.

I've been saying prayers for jackiejj's daughter Kate. They were so very close...

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I know you don't NEED my comments.

but you know, Laura, that I am thinking of you.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Thanks. You can comment any time you're moved to do so, but I don't want folks to feel obligated to say "so sorry...." every time I write about my sister.

[clindau.livejournal.com]

I had a restless night last night too. Had to turn the radio on once or twice, using the low murmur to distract my brain to go back to sleep. It's amazing how often my thoughts fly to Jackie and Kate.

Can you put an awning of some kind over the window?

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

[Edit]

Ooops. I put the comment intended for halfmoon_mollie on your comment. That will add a bit of mystery to your inbox if you get comments mailed to you!

There are six windows on the front of the house, and I am not inclined to look for awnings quite yet. We're thinking about selling and moving so if anything we'd put up blinds. The next guy can put up awnings if desired.

Yes, I'm seriously bummed about Jackie, although I had a feeling when I saw that cane that it wouldn't be very long. Jackie was one of my snowflake people. I looked at her address on my Christmas card list this year, knowing she had moved, and wondered...but it's a p. o. box and Kate didn't say anything about them moving to another town, so perhaps she got it. I wonder if Kate's last name is Jernigan -- I'd like to send her a note.

[clindau.livejournal.com]

I want to say that Kate's last name is Jernigan--maybe a quick search of the local paper's online obituaries will tell. I don't recall off the top of my head where she was living at the last; do you?

[clindau.livejournal.com]

I found Jackie's obituary online.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/knoxnews/obituary.aspx?n=jacqueline-jernigan&pid=155347520

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It appears that her daughter's last name is Shaw. I will send a card to the p.o. box.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Also, Jackie's last post says "we bought," followed by a list of Kate's plantings. So I think I'm on solid ground mailing to the po box.