Pix and stories

Pastor's driveway tried to eat our van on Wednesday night. We were picking up the hog food since we're housing their piggies until they get a permanent pen built. Their driveway is being swept away underground. You can hear the water rushing under the gravel but since it's underground, you can't tell that there's nothing to support your vehicle until you've fallen in.
This is the orchid that the ladies in Mom's office got for us when they found out that Raisa was not going to make it. I'll fight like crazy to keep this one from dying. I've managed to keep Mom's Mother's Day Paphiopedilum alive for six years now so I might just have a handle on this orchid thing. This one is an hybrid of four different species so it is much easier to take care of than most pure species. It really needs to be repotted but I can't do that until it finishes flowering and contrary to past experiences, this one is continuing to flower. Most of my other ones dropped their buds as soon as they came into our house. I think maybe this one is going to make it. They also bought an huge bag of potting mix, especially for orchids and with the fertilizer already mixed in. That seems to be the worst thing for me, fertilizing my plants. I might just up and repot them all this year since I'm sure they all need it.

This has been my sleeping buddy since the girls left the Saturday after Raisa died. Grandma Kathy gave this teddy bear to Phaedra at the airport and she left him here when Kiki came and got them. I was like a crazy lady that night, trashing my own house, hoping that the girls had left something behind that I could hold and feel and be connected to them through. The teething toy was in Raisa's crib, exactly where she left it that sunday. I carry it with me when I wear a skirt with pockets. I know it sounds weird but it really helps keep me calm to be able to run my fingers over the scrapes her new teeth made. Knowing that it was something that she played with and something that she enjoyed helps her not seem so far away. Since Phaedra left her Dora doll behind on Monday it sleeps with me too but I am much more attached to the teddy bear.
Speaking of Grandma Kathy, (Tony's mom) she left Sunday night. The girls stayed with me from about 1:15 on Sunday afternoon to 2 or so Monday afternoon. I had a full 24 hours with my girls and it was just wonderful. India's spot is healing really great, she only has one more week on the antibiotics and her rash from the band-aids is healing up great too. She has had enough of MRSA! I hope she will be much more diligent about washing her hands now and not picking her nose.
Also, I am back on the "no poo" wagon. I've been using Desert Essence Organics for a couple of years but my hair was in really great shape when I was no pooing. I let a hairdresser scare me into going back to commercial products. I think that $10 each for shampoo and conditioner is really ridiculous when I can wash my hair for a year on $15 of baking soda, lemon juice and eggs. And my hair is healthier without even the most miniscule amounts of silicone on it. Also, I have decided to not get it trimmed again until it is the length that I want which is terminal length. I'm really curious about how long I can grow it. I intend to do search and destroy of individual split ends every day for awhile. That way I stop the splits without sacrificing length. Win-Win!!!!!
(Well, don't tell Jaime, but my real hair length goal is for mine to be longer than hers which is waist length. I'm not competitive or anything!)

Night,
~Pam