Hello again

This morning it is a drippy grey.

Someone is playing her piano upstairs and Joey and Eli are driving up to Squaw for a ski.

I've been enjoying working in the garden. Relocating some artichokes and beets to the sunnier, well drained end of the garden. Weeding. Transplanting some lavender and citrus whose feet were too wet. Have been contemplating building a greenhouse, and seed starting. Tomorrow we will purchase wine grapes, more raspberries and 100 strawberry starts for planting in the orchard. Joey has a huge load of soil in the back of the truck, waiting.

Lettuces, cabbages, broccoli and garlic are the only edibles growing at the moment. The chickens and ducks produced 60 eggs while we were away, so our meals have been egg and goat milk focused.

Sophia and Grace and I will make lotion today. We saw a lot of borax mining in Death Valley, and I was reminded of one of its uses in cosmetics. We've saved some of our bees wax too, and can add some comfrey, calendula and lavender flowers. Its a fun easy project, a little like making mayo in the blender.

I've enjoyed my work lately more. I've been doing more labor and delivery, which is rewarding, and exciting. I've enjoyed staying at Gretchen's house between shifts. Her coffee is tops, and her baby Ruby is sweet. Mike carries my bag down to the guest room and seems not to mind my intrusion on his weekends home from an intense trial he's working on now. Our new car got 48 MPG on the drive.

I think about next year some. How I might hold on to this place, the garden and animals, and the sweetness of the way we've opted to do things. I'm going to try to be more present in this time instead. There are options for grad school, or job change, but none of that needs deciding now.

Juliana