happy birthday . . .

my 9TS!!

two years sweet 9TS . . .

end of february squish . . .

we have a poor unfortunate lemon tree in the backyard.  i barely remember to feed it and it is crammed in the shadow of much larger trees, but none-the-less, every year since we moved in, it has brightened our life with wonderful, juicy, large myer lemons.  the best.

i have learned through the years that unless i pick the last of the crop before the warm weather hits and it blooms, that it isn't quite as fruitful the next season. so last week, kidlet held a bag while i tossed her the yellow balls of juice.  and into the kitchen we tromped with the spoils.

my freezer is stacked with ice cube trays full of freshly squeezed lemon juice and for as long as it lasts, i can avoid using the dreaded yellow bottled goop lemon in my summer recipes.  yay.

spending time with photoshop . . .

i will kind of miss the cold dreary weather since it is so conducive to inside playing . . .  but on the other hand, i am running short of subject matter and have to get out and about with my new camera.  here are some of the fruits of my labor:

and this one is a work in progress.  i was following a tutorial but my version of photoshop is too old to follow exactly so i headed off on my own.  i have no idea where it will take me:

the end.

on living with kidlet . . .

kidlet's cocktail has had to be adjusted again.  she has not been on an SSRI since this summer but the cyclic nature of a major depressive disorder has risen its head and descended with a thud.  it will take four to six weeks for the new meds to grab hold.  she has hunkered down.

she feels like crying all the time.  where the hell is that damned fairy with her magic wand when we need her?  but in the meantime, kidlet is still auditing a class at the local college, learning to cook, crocheting, attending group, meeting with her therapist and doctor and that is one heck of a full deck when we're talking about someone who came home last march unable to feed herself.  so there MDD!

i will admit that it is sometimes not so easy living with someone with her quirks.  it gets dicey occasionally.  but it has its perks too.

today, since it is rainy and bone damp cold, she had trouble finding the motivation to go to the pharmacy to pick up some meds she was low on, so i offered to drive.  as the third of a trio of meds had not been filled, we waited around chatting with the young black woman who was handling our line.  cheerful as she was, she was having trouble because she had recently had some teeth pulled and was on a soft food diet.  we started teasing about the cheesecake company across the street and the wistful look in that direction told us a taste would be appreciated.  when broached, she admitted as much.  fast forward, our order is complete and kidlet and i race to the car dodging the rain.  as we pull out, kidlet asks if we can go to the cheese cake company and buy the girl a cake.  my heart sang when the girl came from behind the counter to give kidlet a hug.  take that MDD!

kidlet took her first test friday.  something she sort of had to be coaxed into.  she got an A.  YAY, kidlet, you rock!!!!   Does kidlet think she rocks?  no.  she is mumbling became she missed 100%

this is my kid.  over achiever.  empathic. quirky.  i wouldn't miss this trip for all the world.

nuff said . . .

over the river and through the woods . . .

a road trip has been way overdue.  nothing extravagant.  nothing expensive.  monday all things aligned.

mother nature turned up the heat, set out the sun, the top came down on the miata and off we tooled, over the river and through the woods to visit some beautiful water creatures.

isn't this girl amazing?  i just want to give her a hug.

 they just happily float around in the warm water and nosh.  what's not to love?

 a little air time maybe.  they are after all mammals.

 rut roh, the tub is getting full.  joanie and i probably saw about 50 of these lovelies.

 i thought i wanted to move right in

until i spied this guy

and then all bets were off. 

after leaving Blue Springs, joanie and i meandered through delightful, downtown DeLand, poking in junk antique stores and such, finally stopping for a late lunch before backtracking to our respective caves. 

it's good to get out and see the world even if it is in your own backyard.  done.

be vigilant . . .