Monday, May 20

So far May has been more like April used to be--while April was more like March used to be. We had a very brief appearance of sun but the clouds have rolled in again. The weather people say it should be cooler and cloudy today so I will get a couple of things done in the gardens. They think tomorrow will be blustery and wet so we will do our laundry. But, honestly, no one really knows how the systems will set up so we are winging it here.

I found this in a rather circuitous route. The Political Wire picked it up from the author's twitter feed but I went looking for a longer discussion. The knowledge that our number system, the one we are taught before we even enter kindergarten, is called "Arabic numerals" was, I thought. rather common place. Evidently, the term Arabic elicits a knee-jerk reaction. I wonder what the respondents think should take the place of Arabic numerals. Maybe Roman numerals. Or Mayan. I quibble with the last observation that, because more Democrats said no on teaching the "creation theory of Catholic priest George Lemaitre" Democrats are more anti-religion. They admit that Lemaitre isn't well known even though he first propounded what became the "Big Bang theory." I would say that the wording of the question was also incredibly misleading--certainly not as clear as the question concerning Arabic numerals. I had no idea who he was and would be against "creation science" as proposed by our Christian fundamentalists. I don't approve of teaching religion as science.

Update: won't get much done in the garden. Too cold. I did adjust the cover on the last transplanting of snake beans which are looking a bit worse for the chill, the wind and the damp. I may not get much more in before June. I guess I shouldn't be as bummed out as I am. I heard a report over the weekend that farmers in the southern plains and Mississippi valley are a month behind their planting.

Instead I have two new doilies working, a stack of finished ones to starch and stretch and one to wash before stretching and starching, plus four embroidery projects on hoops. I also have a number of books on the iPad I want to finish before I select new items from the list of potentially interesting books I might buy.

Tuesday, May 21

Today looks like yesterday. Wet, windy and chilly. I hope the transplants of snake beans survive. For the first then years I gardened on this patio I got nearly everything in by late May and my hardy plants were in by early May. But for the last five years the weather in April and, especially, in May has been so very chancy. On the opposite end I have been harvesting herbs and other plants into November. I took my hibiscus plants inside in mid November and they continued to bloom into December. I have them outside now and neither are looking all that happy though not as though they were going to expire on me.