Today, besides making shopping lists and carts for tomorrow, I did more garden work.

I laid down more cardboard on the paths in the veg garden.  I transplanted a red and a white achillea (yarrow) from the front garden to the back raised bed, where they’ll get more sun.  Then I worked on cleaning up the whole front entrance garden.  I weeded, pulled out strangling vines, removed the wire edging along the new section so it can be mowed, and other cleaning up.  I’m still figuring out my ultimate goal there.

I’ve see at least one hummer, more pollinators and butterflies, and some dragonfly-looking things, all good signs.

Tomorrow are the midterms, a very crucial election, with lots of progressive candidates running against the racist fascists.  There are many props and amendments trying to deceive voters as usual into voting against their interests.  Some of the polls I’ve seen are close but encouraging.  Lots of mixed feelings, trepidation with a dash of hope.

Everything about Y’s party was festive–except Y.  I’m not sure what’s going on, beyond the usual teenage stuff.  To look at him, you’d think he was in existential emptiness and despair.  Which, to be honest, is exactly how I was as a kid and teen, so it should be familiar.  It just worries me, knowing some of his history.  And there’s nothing I can do.

Anyway the party was a success.  Jess, Stacey, and J joined us, as well as a friend of Y’s, who spent the night.  The raspberry pie by E and the raspberry cheesecake by Stacey were wonderful.  Stacey and I and S hung out for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  We got Wingstop chicken for everyone.  Then Stacey took S home.  Avdi left for the night and I slept over.  I took some traz and slept all night.

This morning was perfect out–cool, sunny, and breezy.  E harvested a pile of veggies, which had doubled in size overnight from all the rain.  He also picked elderberries and made jam.  I got a lot of garden jobs done.

I organized the messy pile of pots and flats.  I put some (sycamore?) saplings in water.  I raked and cleaned up the front area along the fence, in prep for seeding in fall.  I laid down some more cardboard for paths in the veg garden, and weeded and straightened up some rows.  I weeded, trimmed, and cleaned up the whole herb garden.  I weeded some of the rock garden and transplanted a flower plant there.

Stacey dropped S off around noon on her way back to MI  for her last two weeks of field work and finals.

It’s been raining a lot, and it got much cooler.  Yesterday for erev I made roasted veggies mostly from the garden: zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, fresh basil and oregano, with sautéed beef, garlic, onions, red wine, served with pasta.  It was a packed house after all, like 9 people; we almost couldn’t fit everyone at the table.  Loucious did his challah tricks.  It was fun hanging out with the extended family.

Today almost everyone, plus Y’s friends, went to the zoo for his birthday.  E and Stacey are baking a raspberry pie and a raspberry cheesecake, respectively, as per Y’s request.  Later on we’ll have “festivities”.  I’ll sneak over while they’re gone and make it look more festive, and maybe play in the garden between rains.

Off I go.