Green Thumbery Afoot

An entirely satisfying weekend was accomplished with the chief motivation being the decisive end of my geographic bachelorhood with the triumphant return of my Favorite Panamanian. It started out well on Friday afternoon with the return to a gathering to commemorate the First Friday of the Week. A number of people from the office joined me on Deckzilla for a socially distanced honoring of the First Friday. I was hard pressed to juggle that and the weekly First Friday family Facetime call, especially when one of my cohorts used some colorful language. I had to remind him that the FBR was also listening and her parents can confirm she never forgets a single word she hears.

Wife with her New Acquisitions Saturday

Saturday morning, after a hasty kitchen clean and laundry session, I beat feet up to New Hampshire to link up with the missing wife. It was obvious from the time of my arrival that she and the BRS had really connected over the past two weeks. The BRS was also much more social than earlier times. She is, probably like the rest of us, desperate for social contact outside of her immediate family. My son burned some dead animal flesh on the grill and we had a very nice lunch before we headed home.

BRS Greeting me Upon Arrival

BR3 Snoozing on ABFA

And Then Her Dad

The ABFA had revealed the location of another garden center nearby which was added to our route home. I’m still figuring out the new GPS system and it asked me if I wanted to go to this place via highway. I thought this was a no brainer until I found myself on I-95 with no exit as we passed by the garden center which was right next to the highway. A few turns chagrined backwards after that faux pas and we were in one of my wife’s prime hunting grounds.

Showing Grandpa her High School Musical Dance Moves

Atop her New Playground

No Fear

Already Climbs the Wall All the Way Up

I know I give my wife a hard time here about her vast garden complex but I love what she’s done. If I’m outside and someone is walking down the street I usually get complimented on how great everything looks. I’ll take some pictures this week and post them to show what I’m talking about. One would think there was no room for additional plantings but, again, they underestimate my Favorite Panamanian. We were soon the proud owners of a dozen new plants, including two very tall ones.

BRS Practicing for BR3

Technique

BR3, Now a Month Old!

Sisters

Son with BR3 in front of BRS Artwork

One is an American wisteria plant which we bought because it brought back memories of our home on Ft McNair in Washington, DC back in 1988. That was the haunted house where the Lincoln conspirators were tried and hung. It had a huge wisteria plant that covered a large arbor next to the house. We planted the new one next to Deckzilla and hope it will climb on top of that beast. All these new plants meant I was spending Sunday getting them into the ground. It was a glorious late spring day so spending the entire day outside accompanied by my newly re-acquired wife was more fun than it sounds. The backyard chipmunks were excited to have her back as well and actually ran over her feet a couple times while chasing each other through her gardens. I also re-stocked my rock bucket in my ongoing battle with the family of four grey squirrels who try to plunder the bird feeder.

We fielded the granddaughter calls as the BRS seemed to miss having her abuela time. She was apparently acted out a little more than usual Sunday morning. My son used the expression “at wit’s end” to describe his mindset. Predictably the BRS rallied in the afternoon back her more usual, cheerful self.

FBR With Some of her Own Art

FBR Also Returned to her Favorite Rock Throwing Location

The FBR was dominating local back yard pools over the weekend. She was very pleased to see her two grandparents reunited. She made a point of showing how big she was getting. I know it will be jarring to see her in person again after this long layoff because children her age seem to get taller with startling velocity. The FBR was disappointed that I hadn’t started a new jigsaw puzzle yet since seeing my progress was usually her first request during one of our calls.

Very Happy FBR

I did have some Man Cave time over the weekend, resting from flower hole digging and wife reacquisition. I knocked out the first two movies in my Star Trek journey. I also, unsurprisingly, started a new puzzle.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn