#I deserve better than to having to constantly babysit my classmate

[purplecelestial-buddy]

After unknowingly becoming the leader of every freaking group I've had to work in (and let me tell you, my major is all about group work) I've concluded that being told what to do must be x100 times easier than doing your own part + being in charge of telling other's what to do (since this entails being fair and analyzing each team mates capabilities)

[hangonimevolving]

The earth goes around the sun

I think it's prob been nearly a year since my last post. As you might have gathered by the way I left off, I was going through some big transitions in my life, and had some big decisions to make. I've figured some shit out for the time being, but as the title of this blog says - I'm constantly evolving, so I'm learning to improvise and change courses when things don't work for me. Okay. So. What have I been up to this past year? Here is a completely non-exhaustive list, based on incomplete collections of pics in my iPhone. 

 Apparently, I've chased these two around a lot. Vev is now 4, and Dey has leaped to age 2!

Photo from last July

Woody and Buzz Lightyear from “Toy Story,” Halloween 2016

Futzing around the house, circa fall

New Years morning

Dayan’s first day of preschool, January 2017

Playground antics

Sidewalk Chalk Debacle

“Thing One and Thing Two” day at school, March 2017

The “I need to wear a bindi everyday” phase, March 2017

So yeah.  Most of my time, energy, mental effort, and life force has been spent in keeping these humans alive, growing, and evolving.

But there have been other things!

Okay.  I’ll vague-blog for a second and say I’ve worked through some crap.  

I also survived the end of the world back in November.  You know.  The election.  

I’ve done a fair amount of traveling this year!  

Disney Cruise with the family, including my parents, November 2016

Our first trip to India as a family - again, with my parents.  This deserves a blog post of its own - so many amazing pics and things to say about the whirlwind but amazing 2.5 week trip.

I flew solo to Washington DC for the Women’s March.  EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME.  My sister-friend FS was there with me.  

I have cultivated a NEW hobby - one with which I have quickly become totally engrossed, and that I’ll probably write many a-blog post about.  I started studying Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in October 2016.  This is also known as UFC (Ultimate Fight Club) style fighting, or cage fighting.  Yeah.  I know, it sounds insane.  It is a little insane.  Since the get-go, I began with rigorous training sessions twice a week.  I now go three times a week.  It is the most terrifying, exhilarating, exhausting, painful, amazing thing I’ve done, at least in a long time.  

Me and the CAGE

And here are some funny videos of me, LOL :)

MMA training, at least at the amateur level in my area, tends to be a pretty male-dominated activity.  But I am fortunate to have a wonderful (male) coach named Coach J, and also some great (male) classmates in my training sessions.  More important than their sex/gender is the fact that they all tend to have some prior experience in MMA and thus are not beginners, like me.  But they are kind, encouraging, and friendly with me.  They all are happy to help me learn basic techniques, even if it is old hat to them.  

I’ve worked on some “old” hobbies as well.  YES, I am back on the gardening train.  It is early days yet, but dare I say (and I am basically INVITING the snails, slugs, and caterpillars to descend upon me here) that so far, things are looking good.

I’ve changed strategies slightly this year - - firstly, planting a mix of vegetables and flowers.  I am also making better use of our backyard and courtyard, doing some degree of work to planting the right types of plants for each location’s sun exposure, access to water, etc.

Courtyard

Left: “Piñata” climbing rose.  Right:  Knockout rose in bright pink.

Spaghetti squash, planted from seed!  Blooming like crazy - will anything edible emerge this year?

I’ve also planted tomatoes, peppers, and have an eggplant all ready to transplant to a nicer planter once I get a hold of one.

Baby pink mini-rose, bought from Trader Joe’s!

Heavenly-smelling gardenias, also from Trader Joe’s.

Nanny S, who no longer works for us full-time as she used to (WAAAH, miss her!  She was such a bright spirit in our days, and became a true friend), still comes over occasionally to visit with the kids, and to babysit for me and Dr. Spouse when we go on a date night (and there have been lots of fun ones of late!  Another blog post I’d love to write).  She recently did a big babysitting gig for us for our 11th wedding anniversary, and she bought me this wonderful gift - gorgeous deep red hybrid rose, called “Christian Dior.”  I have no idea if its related to the fashion designer :)  But it smells EXACTLY the way a rose should smell - ambrosia for the nose!!!!!!  

I’ve got two varieties of jasmine growing from cuttings from my mother’s plants in New Orleans; no blooms yet, but fingers crossed that they’re on the way.  My tower gardens have been planted with forget-me-nots, zinnias, and pansies - all are at seedling stage, but I look forward to blossoms hopefully soon!  Lots of eye candy in that courtyard these days.

Extra eye candy - I’m on an orchid CRAZE.  I’ve always been afraid of orchids, considered them delicate and high-maintenance.  They’re not maintenance-free, but I’m learning a lot as I care for these beauties.

Vanda orchids - I have an orange and a violet.

My orchid was a few moments of way from going dormant - should have taken a better pic the previous week, when blooms were still on the stalk :(

Shades of purple mini-orchids

Beautiful phaleonopsis orchids planted in moss balls, from Home Depot.  I have an off white and a dark purple.

And I have two large phaleonopsis in my kitchen, a purple veiny one, and an off-white with violet center.  Photographed in backyard b/c it was orchid food day, and I don’t do fertilizer in the house.

I FINALLY PLANTED A SUCCULENT BOWL!  Oh, the months and months of Pinteresting, wistful Pinteresting.  Sigh.... I can die now.

Here is my herb garden!  IKEA plant stand and little painted tin buckets.  I’ve got a bunch of things like rosemary, lavender, cilantro, basil, oregano, spearmint, chives, cat grass, catnip (er are these the same?  Seeds look totally different), and baby carrots back here.  

And last but not least, I have two large rectangular planters and twelve 8″ flower pots planted with some colorful annuals.  Petunias, marigolds, and forget-me-nots; the planters also have citronella, b/c I’m hoping it’ll help with mosquito control.  Wish me luck!  The snails are probably gong to start wreaking havoc soon but I’m determined to try and best them.

SO!  As you can see, I’ve been wicked busy.

Okay, well, my eyes are rebelling against my heart right now, closing automatically and without warning as I type.  I better hit the hay.  But - in conclusion, just wanna say....

I’m back.