A New Flower Farm in the Neighborhood, the Frustrations of Health Stuff (When All the Doctors Are Quitting,) Trying to Write a Poem a Day and How Is It August Already

Glenn and I in a field of sunflowers

Welcoming a New Lavender and Flower Farm to the Neighborhood

Sometimes there are unwelcome changes in your neighborhood (like a local horse farm being turned into condos) but sometimes there are welcome changes, like a sod farm (with an excellent view of Mt Rainier) being turned into a gigantic lavender and flower farm down the street from your house! JB Family Growers decided to covert a large (and I mean, bigger than several football fields) stretch of sod farm—which has been there as long as I’ve known anything about Woodinville—into a farm, starting with planting thousands of baby lavender plants, as well as patches of sunflowers, wildflowers, snapdragons, and dahlias, all of which are “u-pic” for little bouquets. It’s something that adds so much beauty (not to mention pollinator-friendliness) to our neighborhood—I can’t wait to take friends here, especially when the lavender fields grow up. And they’re expanding into a larger pumpkin patch, corn, and sunflower farm around the corner this fall. So we have that to look forward to in October. I swear, growing up on a farm in Tennessee means I feel more comfortable on farms than in the burbs—I love talking to the people that work there, buying local, and supporting their businesses.

I had a whole week of frustrating health stuff (lots of doctor appointments, lots of trying to track down new doctors after my old ones have quit/retired suddenly) but on Friday we had perfect weather—about seventy-five degrees and sunny—and decided to plan a visit to the new Flower Farm. It was so exhilarating just to feel immersed in so many flowers! I couldn’t put down my camera!

Triple pink lilies from my own garden!

Trying to Write a Poem a Day

I am not usually a write-a-poem-a-day type of person—I tend to write poems in groups—but I hadn’t been writing as much as I liked this summer, so I was happy to join a few friends in the venture. I’ve only written a couple I’m happy with, but the writing part is good for me.  I get a little cranky when I don’t write for long stretches.

I also need to catch up on submitting poems—and I’m trying to do some “new book” planning for next year as well. I still haven’t found perfect cover art for Flare, Corona, yet, despite a lot of looking. I need to order new business cards too (the ones I have use an older e-mail address) in time for next year’s Seattle AWP! I’m so excited to be seeing friends next year!

Anna’s hummingbird closeup

Frustrating Health Stuff (When All Your Doctors Are Quitting)

So I may have mentioned I had a different doctor’s appointment every day this week—and trying to track down new hematologists and an Ob/Gyn who’s experienced with bleeding disorders—both of which have been really hard. I’m sure a lot of people are dealing with this, as there’s been a bit of a mass exodus of doctors of a certain age—and even young doctors—after the burnout and frustrations of the last few years. And certain specialists are difficult to replace, especially when they have the narrow experience you need. So that’s been a lot of time on the phone and portals. On the plus side, no skin cancer (all of my immediate family has had basal cell carcinoma, so getting that skin check is important) and the dermatologist didn’t try to sell me any skin treatments! I felt a little disappointed, given my age. Shouldn’t they be trying to upsell me a bunch of stuff? LOL. Anyway, still thankful for the good doctors that stay and hoping I find a good fit for some of the more difficult specialties.

August Sunset from our deck

Can You Believe It’s August Already?

Yes, it’s August of 2022 already! Still dealing with Covid emergencies, and now Monkeypox has been declared a national emergency. Hey, can we get over one pandemic before starting another? Also, the realization that this is almost the end of summer, which seems literally to have just begun (right after July 4th, I believe). My garden is providing vases full of sweetpeas, roses, and dahlias, and I’ve got to start laying a foundation for promoting my new book next year for BOA. It really does take a lot of advance planning to launch even a little poetry book! Also, all of our outdoor projects have to get done before the rain starts again. The last couple weeks I’ve had various illnesses and health troubles, which always sets me back in my summer ambitions, but August tends to be a weird time for me, health-wise—maybe it’s the heat? Anyway, who’s ready for September?