A Little Over Five Months

Green?

I have never called myself 'green.' But an article I read recently sure did make me think...

"Our Oceans Are Turning Into Plastic . . . Are We?", by Susan Casey. (click article name to read article)
Found in Best American Magazine Writing 2007.

It starts like this... " A vast swath of the Pacific, twice the size of Texas, is full of a plastic stew that is entering the food chain. Scientists say these toxins are causing obesity, infertility...and worse."

Warning. After reading this you may:

1. Forever be considering how many nurdles are in your soup.

2. Be shocked when you realize how many plastic products you use on a regular basis (I was).

Confession

I have a confession to make...

Every time I strip my sweet boy down to give him a bath, I stop by the full-length mirror on the way from his room to the bathroom to look at his naked little bum while I'm holding him. I like his naked bottom so much!

My Plants

The other day I decided that our courtyard was too small for all the potted plants that sit out there. So I choose two large and one small one to move and had Mike put them in the street on either side of our gate... I thought maybe they would look 'welcoming.'

Within five minutes the man from two gates down rang the bell and asked if we wanted them. Mike told him "Yes, my wife thinks they look beautiful out here," and the man left. Within the next hour one of them disappeared. It was the ugliest one, so that was okay. We actually got a kick out of picturing someone grabbing that huge pot and hurrying down the street with it. Anyway, I quickly wired the other two to a pole. It wasn't a lock and chain or anything, but at least it would send the message that we did actually want the plants to stay there. I was pleased with how they looked.

In the morning I was happy to see they were still there, but I noted that the leaves looked a bit thin. The morning after that the leaves off the big plant were all gone and the small plant was gone in its entirety (but the pot was still there).

It took a minute to register. Of course. No wonder no one else has plants sitting outside their gates. The neighborhood goat eats them. That silly goat that wanders the street ate my plants.

I quickly unwound the wire from the plants. Now I would be thrilled if someone would walk off with them. No luck yet. One empty pot and one plant with just some scrawny stems. Any takers?

Tipsy Baby

He was doing really well sitting up until he saw something he wanted...

And I Quote...

I think I have mentioned before my husband's state of delirium at night. He often stirs in bed until I settle down and fall sleep myself. Well, one night (mid-stir) he turned towards me with eyes closed and said very seriously...

"I love you, my wife. You can have all of my micro-machines. I have a lot of them."

Wow. Now that is love.

(Course he doesn't actually have any micro-machines... but it's the thought that counts, huh?)

Ants

We have been battling ants. The last battleground was the length of floor between our bedroom (where the desk sits) and the bathroom. I have filled countless holes with caulk, glue, ant powder, etc. And they persisted for a couple days, but it seems I won the fight on that front.

There are medium black ants that have pinchers that sting. There are small super fast ants that run in crazy patterns. There are small fire ants that has a long-lasting sting. There are teeny food-loving ants that would scale Mount Everest for one solitary crumb of anything.

They number as many stars in the sky and grains of sand in the desert. In fact I believe our house may be held up on nothing but their tiny (but oh-so-strong) backs.

They come out from the grout between the tiles. They come out from teeny holes in the wall no bigger than a pinpoint. They come out from under metal stripping. They come out from behind the washing machine. They come in from windows that don't seal. They come out of anywhere and everywhere. And today, they were coming out of my laptop. Many of them. In fact I am risking some painful stings at this very moment.

The desk is strewn with ant carcasses. I smash them with my finger when they unknowingly exit from the depths of the computer to the open expanse of the desktop where they have no defense.

Ooh... Maybe I am shrinking their colony with each key I press!!

D-I-E A-N-T-S

T-A-K-E T-H-A-T !!!!

(uh oh, that means that the inside of my computer will be strewn with ant carcasses?)

What's a girl to do?