you grow, girl.

today i decided to tackle to the overgrown sunflowers in my yard. i haphazardly pruned those suckers til they were nothin' but a tall stalk with random flowers protruding from every which way. leafless flowers, i might add. i went overboard because i really want these flowers to get all of the plants energy, so they can grow, thrive, wilt, and die. i'll be watching this lifespan anxiously, with a pair of pruners in my hand, ready to harvest sunflower seeds to bake and hand out to friends at my birthday/ housewarming.




all the while my tomatoes are burgeoning green babies, waiting to grow up and be featured in homemade salsa, or caprese.



this lil one has big dreams of being featured atop beans and cheese chips.






so life's been busy, but i've been spending every free second i get in the garden, or just sitting out with the pups while i chat on the phone, or sip a diet pepsi. oh, and traveling the town in my new prius. :)

today i start my 40-hour training for rainbow services. i'm really hoping this will reawaken my consciousness because i've fallen into this whole work 12 hrs a week, garden, sleep in, play with the dogs, relax thing i have going on right now. i haven't taken a picture of the planter in a week and the plant i use to keep measure of the flower seeds is now hidden beneath the greenery.


the ebay store is coming along- i have the room cleaned and organized... i just need to finishing steaming the fall styles and photograph them before it's winter.

i'm looking up sample statements of purpose because i'm pretty unfamiliar with social work perspectives.... i thought my 'unique' background would set me apart, instead it makes me literally a dime a dozen. i'm officially buckling down, scheduling and executing operation msw. the garden's kicking ass too; these shots were taken on tuesday and friday.

garden vi

the garden is growing as fast as the fire on the hillsides are spreading. my favorite plant right now is this ivy whose leaves are shaped like butterflies. i need to remember to take a picture of it. work has been crazy-- i start working with a new dr at the va on thurs, and am interviewing to volunteer with a local shelter. i figure why not beef up that cv while i can? researching programs thoroughly has me excited to apply. this feels so much more right than the last round i did; i'll never put someone else's opinion above my own because they're a "professional" again. also, i've been pinching pennies in case i move to pdx or silverlake, in which case i will rent a sfd and get another dog. if i stay in san pedro i plan on setting up a gate and getting a third. i can't do anything in moderation, but hey!. cool.

garden pt v and wildfires

the garden is booming with lots of sprouting flowers and aggressive mint plants spreading themselves far and wide in the planter.






on a sadder note, palos verdes was in flames last night. having grown up in that city it felt odd returning as an outsider; watching the flames take on the hillside, through my camera lens, with all the other onlookers lining the traditionally quiet coastline. chieks and i were just expecting some late night froyo and ended up in the action.







toks has been sleeping in yoko's teensy bed lately, it's cute.

garden pt iv

edit 3:21 pm
came home to a clean apartment. tutt's folded my clothes and hung up the closet dwelling items, did the dishes, cleaned up the dog potty, etc etc. it feels wonderful to bring home lunch to a clean place. on another positive note, i hit up michael's with my 40% off coupon and saved 12 bucks on my hunk o wax. i can finally get back to candle making so during the winter months i'll still have something to keep my cool.

making young love last and garden pt iii

i'm sitting on the couch watching tutti and yoks have a noisy conversation, with kitchen nightmares blaring. i've been ready to go to the va for the past hour but instead i'm hanging out here thinking about something my mom told me recently. she said all mine and tutt's whirlwind vacations and summer love is coming in perfect time. after this semester we'll both be in positions to hold legitimate 9 to 5's and these long, summer mornings won't exist. so i'm calling hooky into work until he goes back on the 31st. i need to enjoy young love while it lasts in this capacity. sept, oct, nov i plan on spending at the restaurant and hospital- for now i plan on spending it at the dog park with P[artner] and P[ups], eggplant parm at TRiO and 500 days of summer. oh to be 23 in love . i'm going to remember this forever.

not to mention the garden is kickingbutt

garden pt ii

this morning tutti and i started our day right away. normally we'll lay in bed for thirty minutes to an hour and plan out our days and snuggle with the animals. i do much better with planning, that's for sure. today i cleaned and picked up the garden some. i'm so amazed at how quickly the mint is flourishing. the wildflowers and tulasi are starting to poke through the top layer of soil, the succulents are adapting well, but my tomatoes aren't growing much and the plants are rapidly wilting. it'll be a happy day when i can finally harvest these babies. my favorite part of this whole gardening thing has been spending time outside with the dogs. this hobby has been mutually beneficial for both myself and the dogs; while i garden they sunbathe and run to give me a lick or two every few minutes.

in a surprising act of self control i took a shift tonight at the restaurant and in doing so will not be able to go to the michael's 25% off sale. i am beyond bummed but in doing so i probably saved myself a pretty pretty penny.


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garden pt i

life has been crazy and flying by. being conscious of the fact that every second is fleeting has helped me learn to absorb the things going on in my life and i've found myself completely entrenched in every second of every day. i've been actively trying to live this way for the past year but couldn't buy in to all the positivity lectures everyone in my life was swearing by. slowly but surely i found myself in every moment, and certain moments made so much sense as they were happening. i started saving these memories in my head the one on repeat lately is one of my mother singing. these stored moments make me cry, like most everything does these days. it's a pure, happy cry but it's verging uncontrollable and i'm starting to wonder if i should see someone or continue to cry during every episode of america's got talent and private practice. i'm very touched by special moments, otherwise i'm a nearly impenetrable emotionally. it's true, i have a sentimental and tender heart but i think i'd like to keep it that way for the most part. one of the things that makes me feel at ease has been gardening. my garden has been lush with lettuce and succulents, but the tomato plants have just begun to bud and the pepper plants are reaching two feet. the planter downstairs has been overrun with mint and hideous shrubs from the home depot clearance section. i 86'd those bushes and laid down black garbage bags to kill of the mint to no avail. i tore back the bags to find dry dry soil and deep green mint leaves. fuck it. i relocated the succulents, whose planters lined the stairway to my apartment, to the large singular planter in our shared space. i planted handfuls of wildflower seeds and am choosing to embrace the mint. although my methods are amateur, they sooth my soul and i've been able to absorb positivity. ironically i've been spending the past few years searching for a hobby, and finally i stumbled on it.



before