Merging Blogs

I have just arbitrarily decided to merge this blog into my other blog, "How to be a crazy music lady." I don't update either of them enough to warrant having 2, so. Yep. Plus, the nature thing is a huge part of how to be a crazy music lady! Cheers ya'll!

Like you needed another update on my frigging plants.

The oranges are becoming a veritable forest. I did have one finally die on me. Still, pretty good-looking:



I'm getting ready to put them into repurposed yogurt containers so that the roots have a little more growth room. ^^


AVOCADO, you are looking AMAZING. Have I mentioned that I haven't watered the thing in probably a month?... there's still trace amounts of moisture in the bottom of the pot. I guess it likes it dry.





And here... here we see... the pumpkin, complete with flower... which bloomed today...

As well as a random plethora of seeds my friend Beth threw together... which I kind of really like. There's some squash (maybe?) and a lot of peas and maybe a couple other things. I actually really, really, really like this and I think I will try it out in the future. It's more my style. A haphazard collection of growing green things and let it grow however it will.

And then there's also a painting by my sister (Godzilla's in it but I didn't get that part) and a couple of bags of potatoes slated for the compost bin.

Confession

I got a confession.

I didn't resign.

I admit it.

Because honestly, I took out my anger on the wrong thing.

I haven't really been taking care of myself. I won't bore you with all the details, but it became apparent to me when I ate both McDonald's and Kraft macaroni and cheese within 2 days of each other.

Ugh.

So I'm admitting it openly. I've been terrible to my own body. Which is not a great way to show gratitude for God giving it to me in the first place. And, of course, not a great way to show gratitude for the planet. McDonald's. Cripes.

No more excuses. I'm failing miserably and it's no good for myself or anyone around me. I've had a lot of minor health problems lately that probably would be fine with better nutrition, and I'm already aware that exercise is absolutely crucial to my sleeping patterns and general disposition.

And as mentioned - yeah, taking care of oneself is an act of obedience and gratitude to God. I have got to get the focus right. Nothing I do is really for me. Still such a strange place to be, still can see myself through the eyes I used to have. It makes no sense to the former me, and I don't blame anyone who reads what I'm saying and doesn't understand. I know how it sounds. I lived most of my life loathing Christianity. Regardless, I am telling you now that walking with God and following His lead in a personal and intimate way has changed everything for me. Any thing that you admire about me is only there because I put my hope and faith and dedication in God.

My Resignation

Yep.

I'm resigning.

From the Lifesaver program.


Backtracking a little: I'm a huge proponent of giving blood. More blood is needed and fewer young people are giving it. I try to set an example by what I do, and I'm by no means perfect, but I consider blood donation a dually-charged duty.

Today, though.

Today I went to try to give blood. For perhaps the fourth or fifth time this year. And was deferred, yet again, for iron.

I have done every. Single. Thing. To get my iron up. I was told that tea intake (not coffee, just tea) inhibited iron absorption. So I drank maybe two cups in the last month. I was told that cycle days 1-7 are no good for donation. So I scheduled accordingly. I was told that more leafy greens would up the intake, and vitamin C would help absorption. So I ate all those things.

AND STILL, I get deferred for the lack of the tenth of a point (that's 0.1, people) that would have qualified me as a competent donor.

The only thing I haven't done is eat red meat, or take a lot of supplements. I'm not dead-set against these things. But I will not up my red meat intake. And I generally prefer just to eat foods instead of taking supplements.

I eat lower on the food chain. Almost always. It's for the environment. Do any amount of research on CAFO's and you will discover why. (Two words: poop lagoon.)

I will not increase my red meat consumption because A) I am technically at a healthy iron level, I just don't meet the donation standard and B) eating too much meat just makes me feel gross anymore.

I will continue my efforts to increase my iron in other ways, but I just can't compromise on the meat thing.

I'll still try to give, but I need to get off the Lifesaver program. They call you when they need blood. It's just kind of frustrating to get called when you know you won't cut it, again, for the seventh time.

:( Hopefully a temporary defeat.

He hatched

... but...



His wings only unfurled a little more than this. When I woke up on Sunday morning, he was flopping around on the bottom of the tank. He must've fallen down and there wasn't anything nearby for him to pull himself up. There's a stick in there... but just one.

I feel really terrible about this. I actually woke up an hour before I got out of bed, but I turned over and went back to sleep. If only I had gotten up, he might've had a chance.

He emerged way too early... I've seen a few butterflies here and there, but no black swallowtails. Not sure their food source is even available yet, despite the early onset of spring... I'm not sure what I could have done. I did move the tank into a room with more sunlight. Maybe if I'd kept it downstairs he would've stayed...

But maybe not, since the sources I read say that it takes 2 weeks for them to wake up. And I don't think I'd moved it that long.

Anyway. He got to see the world as a butterfly. Which counts for something. And they always do this: you put your finger up to them, and they will crawl up on it. They'll hang on it gently as you move them out of the tank. If their wings are OK, they'll flutter off in the wind.

This guy, not so. I left him on a forsythia bush. Even as he was... he crawled up on my finger when I offered it to him, and he stayed there patiently as I walked over to the forsythia and found a good petal for him to perch on.

I got to see that yes, they're still alive. He was only in 5 months. The other two went in earlier, they might be about 7 months in now. But hopefully they'll take their time, and I'll put more things in the tank for them to cling to once they emerge, and it'll go well.

Black Swallowtail Pupa... hatchin' soon?!

The one seems a lot darker. If I'm right, it's the one that Beth gave me. Darkening might be a sign that the thing's forming up.

I don't have a "before" picture...

You know what they say, though, don't count your butterflies before they hatch. Or, if you want to be technical, eclose.

Whatevah.

Antsy

So I came home from work and did a little plantwork. The oranges need replanted in bigger containers (I may have destroyed one, but time will tell). The pumpkin plant DEFINITELY needed replanted:



Imagine that, but in a normal-sized plastic cup. Yeah. I think it'll like the repurposed ice cream container a lot better.

The avocado will get replanted once I have a suitable container. It's very water-sensitive. I'm nervous. I used to sprout apple seedlings. I probably sprouted 100, and destroyed them all. They are also water-sensitive. They pretty much all perished of root rot. I pretty much let the soil dry out completely and leave it dry for a few days before I water again.

For the time being, it seems to be growing nicely:





My house doesn't have many problem bugs. I get a few ants inside, but if I'm careful with cleaning up the dishes in a timely fashion, they usually don't flock.

I found a few on my plant table and I got nervous... mighta smashed a few... I was trying to think of why they'd have any reason to be up in my bedroom of all places.

Turns out they were only trying to do me a favor:



(These'd be the blooms on my strawberry plants)

Yeah, I don't exactly have any natural pollinators indoors. I guess I might be putting this plant outside sooner than I thought.