gardens, blackflies, and new jobs

I've been remiss in my post writing recently. I've been trying to get out every evening after work and supper to tackle something, anything, outside. Our weather has been mild, warm, even sometimes hot and I already losing ground (so to speak) in the gardening department. I really do think that Rudbekia (black eyed Susan) could take over the world, if given the chance. I've been mercilessly ripping it out of a perennial / shrub bed. I've been edging and cleaning up perennial stems and such that I didn't do in the fall. I have barely put a dent in things.

I used my trusty rototiller on the vegetable garden. The area that is available for vegetables is quite small because now I have fully established strawberries in about 2/3 of the space. This year I created some paths (sacrificed some strawberry plants) which is a good thing because last June I was playing a game of Twister every time I went out to pick berries. Now with paths, I won't be stepping on plants or missing out on berries that I didn't even know were there because it was just too dense.

I will rototill again before planting. I am hoping to put in potatoes and lettuce very soon. I'll wait a bit on beans and tomatoes and whatever else I can squeeze into the small space.

Mother's Day was nice. We had my husband's mom over for a lunch (she has dementia, but is physically fit as a fiddle). She loves watching The Crown on Netflix with us, as she lived in England for a few years. Both of my kids were working on Mother's Day (grocery store), but met us at a restaurant when they were done after 6:00. My treat was the wonderful sticky toffee pudding that the restaurant makes. Soooo good and decadent! My gift was a fitbit, which is what I specifically asked for. My daughter also framed a nice photo of the four of us, something I never think to do anymore.

To get back to the great outdoors, I actually had to abandon my rototilling last night before I was done due to the blackflies. I truly have about six bites on one arm, as well as a very scary one on the back of my hand. I swell up terribly from blackfly bites and the itching is ridiculous. I took a benadryl just so I wouldn't scratch my arm off in bed. It amazes me how something so small can be so mighty. They fly at my eyes, nose, any exposed skin... Thank goodness they don't last all summer.

Lastly, our daughter just began a new job today (while off university for the summer). In addition to her job at a grocery store where she has worked part time for about four or five years now, she is part of the "fun squad" for a radio station. She gets to drive around our area of Ontario to attend events and hand out free loot, make draws, promote the events by making recordings which then air on the radio, and just generally be a bubbly, interested human. She is studying Communications in university, so this is right up her ally. She has also enjoyed doing customer relations at the grocery store, always competed in public speaking, and even M.C.ed a school concert by the seat of her pants. Talking with people and being friendly is easy for her. We are very proud of her and she's really excited to be doing this.

And if you care, when you reach 10,000 steps, the fitbit celebrates for you and buzzes against your wrist. If only it could chase away blackflies.