Bunday Munday- Napping and Grooming

Now that the afternoons are warmer, Maxie likes to lay down on this concrete base for one of the I-beams that holds up the condo ceiling. It stays cool to the touch even if he's been laying on it for a while. He tucks his rear into the I-beam; his back half fits into it perfectly. The summer doesn't seem to bother Cecilia as much- she still saves her lay-down naps for the cage floor, or under the sofa.

Future Pickles

Aren't these little babies freaking adorable? The plant is suddenly just exploding with teeny, weeny cukes. I expect dozens of blossoms by the weekend, judging from all the little nubs.

These are a pickling variety called Double Yield; can't wait to try them. The seeds came from my favorite seed company, Seed Saver's Exchange.

Changing course for school

(First sweet pea bouquet of the season, on my desk now- what a scent)
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My whole life, this is my pattern- I dive in, but do not hesitate to back out immediately if it's not working for me. And community college is definitely not working for me. I clearly dove in too quickly. I need to quit school- not forever, just for now. I'm not feeling this right now.

Algebra is kicking my can more than ever. For that matter, so is anthropology, especially genetics. They did not teach genetics in school 25 years ago, only Mendel.

It has dawned on me that just wanting a thing doesn't automatically make it mine, or even make it possible. And that thing would be the dietitian path. So I'm attending an introductory seminar next Monday to see about getting my K-12 certification to become an art teacher.

I already know art. I already know how to teach. I love teaching. But the memorization of an entirely different field after 20 years of art, design, and antidepressants (SSRIs are known to inhibit memory-- and believe me when I tell you, I can't remember anything) is not in the cards.

Garden, Mid June 2009

(green, but wee)
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Everything is behind again this year; just like 2008, it's been another cold, wet spring here in the Great White North. Last week it was still 68F during the day, and in the low 50's at night. We've had bursts of heat, but it doesn't stick- and then it rains, lots. It's been a decent year for lettuce, but for an early start on the hot crops, not so much.

I've yet to see a bee; pollinators don't usually find my garden until early July. But this weekend I'll be changing out most of the lettuce on the ledge for flowers (a.k.a. flags for bees). That will bring them in. Meanwhile, I'm hand-pollinating the squash with a little paintbrush. The self-pollinating cukes are finally blossoming, too. Tomato cages will need to go up very soon- this weekend, if I can find the time. I'm pinching tomato blossoms off, though- the tomatoes are still too small to fruit.

The Underground Fruit Economy

(Not necessarily forbidden)
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From today's New York Times, an article about the growing trend of urban fruit foraging. All over the US, folks are setting up backyard fruit exchanges, fruit expeditions, clubs that gather fallen fruit in public spaces- and then give half of their forage to food banks. Pretty cool, huh?

Sweetpeas don't care about algebra

It's a beautiful day in Detroit, and the sweetpeas just started blooming this week.

Can I just say algebra sucks?

I scored a 72 on my first algebra test. I thought I aced the freaking thing. I totally thought I was doing the problems correctly.

I scored a 72, mind you:
After 5 hours of tutoring.
After 30 hours of homework.

I'm totally doubting I can do this.

I failed algebra in high school. I wanted to be a biologist, and after I failed they told me to pick something else- look where that got me. Laid off in a dying field, that's where.

And today looking at my blasted 72, it's like I'm 13 all over again, crying at my desk- though today I had the wherewithal to leave the room to cry. I just feel like the dumbest girl ever.

Maybe I truly, deeply don't have the aptitude for this. We all can't have the aptitude for everything, after all.

Just, why did my aptitude have to be for-- oh, I don't know-- making butter?

I really am not looking for sympathy. But the thing is, I have to get all the way through calculus. This new path of mine is feeling terribly unlikely right now.