Get back to the gardening already!

So one of the many things I love about the Pacific Northwest is the fact that Spring actually starts around here when it is supposed to, i.e. months before it starts in the Midwest where I grew up. For example, there are crocuses blooming in the yard and the daffodils are about to pop. Can you believe it?! It is not even March yet! While the Midwest continues to get buried in snow and generally really f***ing cold right now we are planning the garden for this year. I have even already gotten to plant some seeds (granted they will be residing in the greenhouse in Colton where the family bee farm is) and will get to start a bunch of "starts" in nary a week. Did I already mention that I am super excited for the garden this year! I have never started from "starts" before and NONE of the seeds I planted directly in the ground grew last year grew - I am hoping it is just because it was bad year in general for gardening, not that I have some kind of black thumb. Either way, I am very hopeful that starting from starts is the way to go this year. My Mom is coming to visit this weekend and we plan to take her to the farm for some greenhouse fun. I am super excited for the flowers I plan on planting this year - getting a little closer to a cottage garden every year is my plan. In my imagination I can see out 'secret garden' already.... On the list this year are more foxglove (love it!), lots of sweet peas, morning glories, something that looks like a green flower from Mars called "Irish Bells", Mexican sunflowers, holly hocks and a few others I can't remember right now and don't have in front of me. We are also planting three rows of vegetables of all kinds and have raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, 2 baby apple trees and 2 baby pear trees. I will be sure to take lots of pictures of our progress.

"What fresh hell is this....?"

Well, maybe “hell” is a bit mellow dramatic but damn! it has been a little rough around here lately! When you are married to a beekeeper you quickly learn that are stretches of time in February and March when your loving man will be running off to California with a few truck loads of females and leave you flying solo for two weeks at time. This is because commercial beekeeping means you transport your bees to orchards and fields and such for them to do their work and pollinate. That is where the real money is – not in honey or wax but in the “sexy” part of what bees do. Which begs the question: did I marry an interspecies pimp?! Okay, I digress (the beekeeping community would also be horrified by me right now). Now is one of those times and it seems that we are cursed! A plague upon our house complete with illnesses and mechanical failures of all kinds. I have been struggling with a flu (which manages to encompass every kind of symptom you can imagine –yuck) for a good 9 days now, our asthmatic cat has been having a marathon asthma attack that has been flaring up for over a week and Little Buddy’s nasty wet cough is back again. My mother-in-law ended up getting sick too which meant she was unable to babysit this week so I had to take more time off work. If the truth be told this was not so bad since I am still trying to fully recover myself; a seemingly impossible task when you have an energetic, willful, dare devil of a toddler to look after all by yourself. The car is also now leaking transmission fluid like a mutha and various minor household appliances have been acting wacky. Now in the face of all this I do recognize that these are relatively minor problems that will all seem terribly small once my Honey comes home but in the meantime: OUCH! It makes me realize how truly amazing single parents are and I commend them. I think we should propose as National Single Parent Awareness Day where free child care and free drinks should be provided along with free massage, free movie tickets and free entry to sporting events to all single parents. Those guys and gals need a serious break a little appreciation! Who’s with me?