This week's highlights...

Why is basil so impossible for me?  My husband calls me The Great Basil Killer.  He jinxed me.  Now, I can't keep it alive or fresh for more than a day.  It's very upsetting considering I view basil as a simple but fine luxury in my life.  Caprese sandwich, mmm.  Pizza Margherita, oh my heavens.  Pesto linguini with toasted pine nuts and cherry tomatoes, my eyes just rolled back in my head.  Delicious.  Basil, oh basil, please be my friend again.

This week has turned into a nature camp for me.  I have saved two baby turtles, conducted a funeral ceremony for a frog who had stretched out in prayer position and died (I returned him to the pond and he floated on his back with his little frog fingers clasped together like "namaste" while the big tadpoles swam below the surface.), I saw a snake, spoke to a man who petted a snake (no joke), saw a beaver, transplanted snails, watched the birds, scared yelping bullfrogs that kerplunked into the creek to hide from me, and marveled as a bunny rabbit ran away from one dog, skidded right by my three- luckily on leashes- and into the woods again.  Oh, and I dodged the five million squirrels that live in Edenton.  It has been an impressive exhibition.

Yesterday, I spent a portion of my afternoon baby-sitting my little pal Henry.  He's not quite a year and a half old.  He slept until the very end and then we had shake-your-maraca dance party.  His mommy pulled up and once he saw her it was Bye-Bye Beth.  This little lad loves his mama.   

Excuse me... sorry, I was just interrupted by a call from someone who got my name and number from a hotel registration and was telling me in a frantic way about a right-this-second promotional vacation.  I'm so over it.  "Really, give me your website, or email address, or phone number and I'll get back to you."  "Oh, no ma'am, we can't do that because if you call in two hours we won't be here.  I can't let you off the line because it's a secure connection and we'll be liable.  Blah, blah, blah."  I don't buy your sense of urgency madam.  I don't believe you called me from out of the blue to give me a fantastic vacation. Are these people really calling our cell phones now?  Give me the no-call list again, sign me up. 

Back to yesterday.  So, as my friend's children played throughout her house, she and I talked and on occasion were entertained by Henry.  He let us look in the  trunk of his push-truck.  Wow.  There is an eclectic mind at work.  Toys and jelly balls with tenticles, yes, but also in the mix- remote controls and child-safe bottles he asked for, and no telling what else.  He apparently finds must-have items all around the house and packs them in his trunk to take on his trips to the various rooms.  I asked, "So, when your missing things, do you head straight for Henry's truck?"  "Yep." It's so fun to observe tots.  They are full of wonderment and inventiveness.

Mark my words, this friend and I will take an exotic trip together some day.  I can see it. Eating, dancing, hiking, exploring cities, wrapping ourselves in exquisite silks... watching street artists, the whole bit.

As you all know, a horrible storm passed through the southern United States last weekend.  It was on our anniversary, actually.  (So was the Virginia Tech school shooting in 2007. Very sad.)  We watched Hereafter, an interesting but predictable and slow-paced movie that opened with a natural disaster, a tsunami.  At that moment in time, a natural disaster was in action about 10 miles from our sofa wrecking lives all over Bertie County, Chowan's neighboring county.  The aftermath is devastating.  There were many fatalities and the destruction is widespread.  I feel that there are many helpers coming forth though from all around and things will get better for these people and their families.  I hope so.  Bertie County was hit by a flood not too long ago.  And from what I hear, that was on the heels of another flood.  Maybe, there will be a nice, long break from disaster for these exhausted communities.

As a celebration for our anniversary Nick and I went to a Salt Spa in Williamsburg.  It was superb.  We relaxed in a salt cave and had massages.  Nick apparently is "a dream for people who do what I do" according to the massage therapist.  She thought he should be a trainer.  She thought he had the best muscle tissue she's encountered since she began massage in 1994.  "For someone with this much muscle mass, you are remarkably free of knots.  You must stretch and workout..." You get the picture.  I was proud to hear it though, as I stretched back in my reclining chair, inhaling salt air.  Trying to relax all of my body, I did succeed by the end of the hour, before my turn on the table.  I dozed off a time or two. I kept waking myself though.  I was cackling in my dream and then my eyes would pop open because I didn't know if I had done that for real or just in my dream.  I do that kind of sh*t all the time.  I jerk before I fall asleep sometimes.  Massive jerks.  Or sometimes I sleep on my arm until it falls asleep and is numb, I wake up, freak out because I can't feel my limb, reach over and pick it up with my other, working hand, and sling it.  Then, the deadened arm slaps me in the face.  Whack!  Ouch!  Miscalculation.  Anyway, it was then my turn to get a massage.  One minute into it and she was like "Oh. My. Gosh.  You are way over due.  I shouldn't be stopping right here (pointing to my wrist) from tension!"  She got to my shoulders and it was like a grunt fest. My knots were giving her fits.  She worked her way down to my feet... she's still baffled. "For such a little body, I can't believe you have this many issues going on!"  Now, you get this picture too.  I was an extreme opposite picture of healthy muscle mass to Nick's- I was seriously tight.  Muscle tension mania.  Sigh.  I looked up from my table at Nick, who had a sympathetic look on his face.  That quickly turned into a sly smile as he raised his fore finger into the air to show me that he, indeed, is #1.  Again.

Inhale, Exhale, Relax.  I need to tell myself, "Just breathe." I need to get back to my yoga.  I need to go exhaust my muscles by dancing until I can't dance anymore.  I not only need to do that... I want to do that.  Want is better than need.

China and Selma Lu Mela are being serenaded by a chirper as they sleep on the window seat. Curled into little balls, they snooze and sigh.  They love my writing days.  I do too.  Honey T'ea Lina spaced out two days ago and ended up getting the dreaded bath twice in one week.  (My other two run into the shower. They love it. Not the TeaLite. She freezes in fear.)  What happened was this- She was playing chase with Selma, ran into the woods which isn't a big deal because she does that sometimes, but she kept going.  Selma Lu stopped and looked back at us- she was not participating.  Then, Honey made her way all the way down to the nasty, muddy creek and stood there.  We called her.  She stood there.  (It was a while until we spotted her, she was so deep down in creek.) We kept calling.  She kept standing there, staring at us.  She must have blacked out.  She was frozen, blank.  Finally, Nick tossed a rock through the trees and into the creek to splash the water and she became unstuck, responding again to the world around her.  Then, it was straight to the shower.  Bet she won't do that again.

Last but not least- Earth, we love you.  Happy Earth Day.  And Katherine, I love you to the moon and back.  And past that even!  You are a special, wise, perceptive young lady.  I adore you with all of my heart and soul and will continue to do so forever.  Happy 10th birthday to you.  You make me proud every time I see your face. In my life's painting, you are a bright stroke.  You are a highlight.  You are a focal point.