I see that my last post was two weeks ago. It seems like two years ago. In the space of that time, I was rear-ended (in my brand new car) at a stoplight by someone who wasn't paying attention—the car is going in to the shop tomorrow to have the bumper replaced; I went to Iowa for four days to teach for the Des Moines Knitting Guild; and last week I drove over and back to pick DD#1 up from college, a ten-hour drive each way. Those are the big events. In between there was all sorts of packing, unpacking, gardening, cleaning, getting my computer fixed (the power supply conked out), taking the dogs to the vet, and scheduling my final exam for the transcriptionist program. It should tell you something that I finished my coursework on May 6 but couldn't schedule my final until May 31 because I needed 48 consecutive hours in which to take the final and there weren't 48 consecutive hours between May 6 and May 31 that weren't already filled with something.

I am so looking forward to my trip to Maryland in two weeks. I am scheduled to teach a couple of classes, but beyond that, my days will be filled with—nothing! I can sit out in the sunshine, eat crabcakes, and knit all day if I want to. And believe me, I plan to.

*************************************

I did enjoy the trip over to get DD#1—I like driving, although the traffic around and over Snoqualmie Pass is insane. I stopped at two yarn stores, each about 20 minutes from her school, and introduced myself. I'm working on lining up some teaching gigs for late summer when I take her back.

It is hard for me to believe that DD#1's first year of college is over. I kept walking around campus thinking, "But I just dropped her off here yesterday!" Then again, it was just yesterday that I put her on the bus to kindergarten. She loves college and has fit herself well into the community there. I truly loved my four years of college, and I am glad she is having a similar experience.

*************************************

The new garden is almost completely planted. The husband has really gotten into being a farmer, although I told him the other day that he was acting like General Patton because he gets into "supervisor mode" and starts ordering me around, which I assume is what he does to his employees on the jobsite. Every so often he needs reminding that I am the wife, not an employee, and I do not take orders well. I do have to say, though, that it is wonderful to have someone to do the heavy lifting. He is like a human rototiller. And this past weekend he scored some raspberry plants from a guy down the road from us.

I would have been happy to let a little bit of that garden lie fallow this year. However, the husband was determined to plant every square inch of it, so this is what we have:

Asparagus
Potatoes (reds and Yukon Golds)
Eggplant
Green peppers
Cucumbers (lemon cukes and Straight 8s)
Beans
Onions
Horseradish
Peas
Spinach
Lettuce
Beets
Tomatoes (Amish Paste, Ultimate Opener, Sweet 100s, and Early Girl)
Zucchini
Acorn squash (per DD#2's request)
Hubbard squash
Strawberries
Raspberries
Sorrel
Rhubarb
Hops (along the fence line for cover—they grow almost as fast as bamboo)

Whew! I thought we were done, but yesterday he decided that we could still fit something in to one of the spots. He wants pumpkins, even though I don't think they will grow up here. But who knows? We'll try.

Today I need to get my desk cleared off and some things taken care of so that I am ready to start my final exam tomorrow. The next two weeks are almost as full as the last two weeks have been, so I can't slack off just yet.