Some days, I feel like Cindarella, but only because I am surrounded by animals.

For the past month I've heard the most ridiculous bird call and have been running around the neighborhood (sometimes barefoot or in pajamas) trying to find the bird responsible. Luckily, last week, I decided to buy more bird food, and I lured the bugger in!  Turns out the bird I originally thought to be a red-headed woodpecker (when I saw it in trees) was actually a red-bellied woodpecker. Want to hear it? It's a pretty cool sound (the kwirr, but with no drumming, which was why I didn't assume it was a woodpecker noise).

I spent the whole day outside, which is silly, because I'm terribly allergic to outside right now. But, I've taken a medicine just to hang out with all of the animals in my yard, including a few bunnies, some chipmunks and squirrels, 2 cats, 2 pairs of Cardinals, some sparrows & house finches, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Downy Woodpecker, a Blue Jay... never a dull moment.

Carter & Matthew left for the weekend, so I've been busy enjoying life in a very quiet way.  I woke up this morning and revised some poems, then went to Lazy Jane's for breakfast and wrote there and read the Isthmus for the first time in a very long time.  Then, I stopped by the Children's Benefit plant sale and bought all of these plants!: 2 Peonies, 4 Cherry Tomatoes, 8 Romas, 1 Brandywine Red (heirloom), 1 Lady's Mantle, 1 spider plant, 1 large quantity of some kind of vine-like succulent, 1 Iris, and 1 Wild Geranium (pink).

So for Mother's Day?  I will get dirt and pots and gardening gloves and a small shovel. Perfectly domestic. Best Mother's Day ever. Also, we're going out for dinner or lunch, but I haven't decided where.

Last weekend, I visited my mom and she gave me this lovely columbine and some other pretty things to plant. Side note: We went out for dinner, and I had the most brilliant drink, the Octopus Margarita: sangria topped off with frozen margarita. When the Margarita hit the Sangria, it started to form tentacles. Funny and delicious.