I had the idea to post images from our April, so you could peek into our lives lately. I got distracted with tulips. I found photo after photo of the tulips in a single row. Why am I so enamoured with these tulips? I don’t really know, but it’s cute. These bulbs were pressed tightly against a raised flower bed and had poor soil and poor exposure until a couple months ago when I tore out the raised bed and revealed them in all their glory.
Part of why I like them is because they were here before I was, and that’s like a gift! Part of why I like them is because these are beautiful and unique flowers. I particularly like the wicked jagged edges of the petals on some.
I am curious that the squirrels have not dug them up. The row no longer makes sense, so I hope to dig them up in the Fall and put them in a better place and better arrangement.
GUESS WHO STOPPED BY? Marlene at the blog insearchofitall was in town for a week and made it a priority to spend a couple hours with Pedro and me. I was delighted and floating on clouds. I got to walk with her and her daughter, H, around the house and the property, which she has never seen but for blog photos. She got to meet Jupyter, and say hello to the chickens (several she met when she visited me at my former home in Rainier).
Years ago, a spot of decay was found in the root of a tooth. It didn’t hurt, so we have merely watched it until now, when it’s bad enough that my dentist wanted to fix it. My VA dentist wanted a dental surgeon’s opinion of what to do so I was sent to one late last year. My dentist didn’t agree with that feedback, so he sent me to another dental surgeon that he trusted more, in December. That opinion matched the first, and my dentist still didn’t like it. The surgeons said something on the lines of: it’s a tiny tooth, the resorption is below the gum line, the problem is in the root, which is hard to get to. Don’t bother trying to save it, you just need to take it out.
My third visit at the beginning of 2026 was a regular hygiene appointment, and my dentist got to thinking that he could just handle it himself. I had another visit in March just for a checkup and x-rays and for him to make a plan. The first week of April they first tried a filling. This required removing some gum to get to it – ugh. Though the filling worked, the drilling had gone all the way into the nerve, which meant the filling would have to be replaced with a root canal.
April 13th I had half of a root canal. There was a complication halfway through and then the dentist ran out of time and I had to get a quick patch and was sent home. He moved on to the next person in the waiting room.
April 20th the temporary patch fell out and I freaked out but the office assured me it was not a problem as long as I wasn’t in pain. I wasn’t. Finally April 23rd I was able to come back in and get the root canal finished. It seems to have worked. There is no pain. I still have my tooth. My dentist said, “You probably never want to see me again.” I don’t.
The pollen this year has been severe, and my heart goes out to those affected. Luckily, I am not. The terrible allergies I had last year were due to New Zealand biology and luckily I can still breathe freely here.
Boh, the momma squirrel, still believes that we are responsible for her survival. She follows us around the yard like a puppy, which is cute and also annoying. Pedro and I have peanuts stashed all over in case of emergencies, and have accidentally washed many peanuts when we forgot we carried them in our pockets.
My kiddo has been excitedly daydreaming about buying a house in 2026. It is possible. They talked with a financial advisor last year who let them know that they were close, but not yet there. Their roommate Dane and Kellen both have good jobs but have not worked them long enough. When their apartment contract is up this Fall, they want to purchase. Their fiancé Cameron has been seeking and seeking, but all his work experience is in retail and customer service and he wants out so badly. But it is hard to be an entry-level worker in this current economy. He has shifted to full-time support, home maintenance and cleaning, as his main occupation while he looks for a paying job.
I hardly ever get joy from purchasing clothing items or accessories, but look at this DRAGON PURSE. I saw it on a TikTok ad and could not resist. It’s decent leather and kind of stiff still, but if I keep using it the feel and movement will be better.
Two years ago, I spotted a weak vine that had burrowed beneath the fence on the property line, and was struggling to thrive. The leaves looked like clematis, so I pinched it off behind some tiny roots it had put down mid-vine. I loosed the soil and added nutrients, reburied it, then watered. Last year I barely kept it alive. This year: my reward. :o)
We are members of only one winery here, Dauntless Wine Co. It’s a bit remarkable, because we live on the edge of one of the premier wine regions of the entire world: the Willamette Valley. With Oregon’s varied climate and elevations, nearly every kind of grape can grow here, as long as it’s planted in the right spot. But Dauntless is different. They are veteran-owned, veteran-staffed, and veteran-centric. They donate most of their proceeds to veteran organizations. They sponsor my Belle Brigade race-walking team of all women veterans every single year. So yeah, the money for membership makes me feel good.
Anyway! Membership means a free wine tasting every time they release a new selection of wines. So Pedro and I often make a date out of it. We did that a couple weeks ago before I left for my week of teaching in Annapolis. It was a marvelous day, that began with a hike on a new-to-us trail, Chehalem Ridge.
The weather that day was stellar, the trail had wildflowers, some sun exposure, some shade, and incredible views of Mt. St. Helens.
After that, it was only a short drive to Forest Grove, Oregon, and an outstanding dinner at a place right next to Dauntless, called Urban Decanter. Then we had our wine tasting. Then we crossed the street to Guidetti’s Marketplace for Italian gelatto. It was the perfect day.
Conscious Engagement 