Home Show

This afternoon I went to the Home and Garden Show put on by the The Building Industry Association of Whatcom County at our local fairgrounds.


Walking from where I parked towards the Jansen Building at the
fairgrounds.  To the left is the water tank, painted to resemble the
local landscape.



Today's weather.

I went there to see Ciscoe Morris, the Pacific Northwest's favorite gardening expert. I didn't want to use a flash while he was talking, so my pictures of him mostly came out kind of blurry.

Ciscoe.

I did ask him a question: When is the best time to prune a contorted filbert? His answer was that the best time is winter or mid-summer, but really anytime is okay. He also advised to be sure to prune away any suckers because they might be a completely different kind of filbert and take over the contorted filbert.

A recent picture of my contorted filbert.

So I'll  have to get on that.

Effectiveness

Well, so many mornings when I had to go to work I would rather have stayed home, but it's a strange feeling when it comes true. I tried to think of and accomplish some useful things. I called my state's unemployment department to talk about my status and get some questions answered. A very nice lady gave me good information, helped me out, and also told me what was required of me, which I then fulfilled.

I ran a quick errand to the bank.

I did a load of laundry--which reminds me, I need to put it in the dryer and hang up those items that I don't put through the dryer. I own a lot of cotton clothes because I have highly sensitive skin. It's all part of being the delicate flower that I am. I generally don't put cotton clothes in the dryer for fear they'll shrink. I may be delicate but my build is (ahem) sturdy, and I can't afford to have my clothes shrink.

I did some work on my needlepoint/cross-stitch pillow while watching two episodes of "House." That Hugh Laurie is a good actor. I saw a commercial for a drug that is supposed to help you quit smoking, but the side effects seemed to include mental illness and a heart attack. As Dave Barry says, "So basically, the message of these drug commercials is: 1. You need this drug. 2. This drug might kill you."

I drank some coffee.

I finished reading The Woman in Whiteand began reading The Moonstone. I tend to get on author tracks; however, those are the only two novels I own by Wilkie Collins.

I made a reservation at a local restaurant for my family to celebrate a family birthday.

And I realized I didn't have to wait until late at night to blog.

And now it's the moment my dog has been waiting for since 3:00 p.m.: time to feed him. Oh, what an exhibition of delirious joy is in store for me as soon as I stand up and walk toward his bowl. Then will come a walk in the cold rain, also a subject for delirious joy on his part, less thrilling for me.

R & R

A day of rest and recovery. Today is my first day "between jobs." The conclusion of the job I held through February 29th was as amicable as a parting can be between employer and employee, but the final days still subjected me to considerable stress. I felt last night that I had slept the whole night, but this afternoon I still felt the need for a nap wherein I slept deeply. My spirit is exhausted, my mind is worn, and my body is fatigued from the tension I went through.

It's like the weather outside. Winter is ending. Spring will be here in just a few weeks, but it snowed on February 29th, and the snow is melting slowly and messily, and the temperature is still cold. Nevertheless, spring will be here in a few weeks.

Over

Today was even more trying than yesterday, but it's over, and February is over. Tomorrow will be the 1st day of March, the month of spring, of new beginnings, and a new epoch will begin for me as well.

As I go to sleep tonight, this is my chosen meditation:

Psalm 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Non-firing synapses

A rather trying day, starting with a mental lapse whereby I thought it was an hour earlier than it really was. I am weary.

Perfume and incense

Went out after work with a very kind and encouraging co-worker. Also, smart and funny. God brings wonderful people into our lives sometimes. He gives us (we humans) the gift of each other to enjoy.

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother (or sister) is born for a time of adversity.
Proverbs 17:17

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
Proverbs 27:9

Winter winding down

I took this picture yesterday (Saturday). It's a bit blurry, but I think it's a clump of female catkins from an alder tree, and alder pollen was the likely culprit of my allergy attack Friday night.

I also took this picture, showing that the deck is still a bit forlorn in the late winter, drifts of leaves, wet surfaces, moss in the cracks.

I do not have Marianne Dashwood's passion for dead leaves.

But because this is the Evergreen State, the yard stays nice and green all winter. There actually are buds in some of the trees and shrubs. Spring is almost here.