March 26, 2013

• Another Curveball

  I don’t even know where to start with today. Today has been all over the map. First of all, I really struggled again physically, which made it hard to get through Walmart and school and everything else. I kept having to lie down.

  One of the things I did do was raise the stakes in my ongoing battle of wills with Miss Wisteria. Once again, just like every other year, wisteria are blooming all over East Texas, while my stubborn Miss is conspicuously bloomless. I pruned her very severely during the winter, as I have done for the last three years, but since it didn’t work before I didn’t really think it would work now.

  So I got a shovel from the shed and prevailed on Spencer to use the shovel to thrust down into the ground and cut the roots in a circle about two feet out from the trunk. Then I had him dig up all the weeds that were growing inside the magic circle. I applied fertilizer and will follow up with mulch when I get the chance (about which: more later). Now obviously I don’t expect blooms to spring forth in the next few days. I’m thinking more of next year. But I am determined to have a blooming wisteria someday. That’s what I get for buying a fancy variety instead of the ubiquitous purple vines that would completely cover the state of Texas if given the chance.

  Thank heaven I did all the preparation for tomorrow’s classes last week. Well, except the cooking. Tomorrow we finally get Zambian food. The relish is simmering on the stove and I will be up bright and early making nshima. I am also signed up to bring food for the mothers and I am trying to figure out how to do that without having to get up in the middle of the night to turn on my roaster.

  This evening was my monthly writers’ meeting, which means I get a quiet hour and a half in the library while waiting for the meeting. I found and checked out books for Spencer and Lucy to use for their research papers. I got some work done on my computer. Then it was time for our meeting, and it was very encouraging right up until the point where I texted my husband to come get me, and he responded that the van was dead. Again.

  Yesterday, the van seemed to have trouble starting for me, and in the evening when Walter and Spencer tried to come home from work, it died. Fortunately, Walter was pretty sure it was the fuel relay (for the umpteenth time) and he had a spare in the van. He replaced the relay, the van started, and they got home. I went out on two errands today with no problems. Walter dropped me off at the library on the way to work, and got home without incident. It was only when he tried to come get me that the van refused to cooperate. We are out of relays. And honestly, it can’t be practical to have to replace that relay every day!

  Fortunately, one of my fellow writers offered me a ride home. I am so thankful for the kindness of others! And when I got home, I called our neighbor, who also goes to co-op classes, and he kindly offered to give us all a ride in the morning.

  So far, so good. The big “but” here is that Mary is flying into Dallas tomorrow, and we had arranged for Flynn to pick her up and then meet us at a halfway point so we could bring her the rest of the way here. Now I’m not sure what is going to happen!

   

  • 10:54 pm
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