I got this great indoor garden kit from my sister for xmas this year!

It came with a bunch of ‘gourmet’ herb planters, and she also gave me a set of empty planters (supply your own seeds) and a packet of ghost pepper seeds!

So this year, I’m growing stuff! Edible gourmet stuff!

It’s pretty neat how it works; the seed pods contain a little column of planter loam stuff, and they are suspended so that they’re about 1/2 submerged in water.

The water is aerated (with a bubbler, like an aquarium) and you add fertilizer liquid to the water every fortnight. The florescent lights are mounted in a hood that can be raised as the plants grow.

The whole thing has a little timer and sensors to control the lights and the aerator and remind you to add water or fertilizer.

The only thing that’s going to take some getting used to is that it is BRIGHT!

The timing sequence for the herb garden is 17 hours on, 7 hours off. And the 17 hours on, is like 17 hours of noonday sun in midsummer in the sahara.

So my livingroom lights up like it contains its own tiny sun at around 5:30 in the morning, and stays that bright till about 10:30 at night. It’s so bright I can see the glow from my bedroom!

I’m sure I’ll get used to the brilliance (or cover it with a box or something when I got to bed), and really, it’s pretty gosh-darn neat and I’m all excited.

What do you get a cat who doesn’t really enjoy much more than eating and sleeping?

A cat toy filled with herbal sleep aid, of course!

Wait, what?

Misha is one of those cats who likes Valerian Root more than catnip. A LOT more than catnip, in fact.

You don’t often (ever) find valerian cat toys though, so I made it myself!

I hope she digs the DIY flair.

This has been another really difficult post to write.

A little over a year ago, my dad went into the hospital for the last time.

From just before the end of June, over the Canada Day holiday and a few days after, I spent several days driving to Orangeville and back to visit him in the hospital.

We talked a lot, mostly about business, but also about family things, personal things.

As big a part as he played in my life, I still never really understood how important he was to me, until after he was gone.

Fathers day was a couple weeks ago, and it was difficult. Things have remained difficult as the anniversary of my dad’s hospitalization came, and that of his passing fast approaches.

This time last year, my dad wasn’t doing great, but he was in good spirits, and I could go and spend time with him, talk with him.

I really miss that.

And since then… the best way I can describe how I feel is like a ship without a rudder or sails.

Like last summer there was a huge storm, and I sort of rode it out, but when the wind and waves died down, I was still afloat, but adrift.

I’ve lost my guidance, my drive.

And I haven’t figured out how to get them back yet.

I was trying to write a post about how Father’s Day was the holiday that suckerpunched me, after not really feeling too much on the other holidays over this past year.

The words aren’t coming. It’s too difficult.

I miss my dad.

p.s. Fuck cancer.

Almost the end of November and I haven’t posted anything yet.

Nothing to say I suppose.

Some health issues to deal with, and I still miss my dad.

Oh and one of my cats has been battling some sort of cancerous problem since last year, and it’s now catching up with her quickly.

Kind of in a holding pattern with her, every day wondering when the end will come.

She’s started using the once-dreaded carrier box as a bed… getting acclimatized to it, for when it’s time for the final journey.

Now I haz a sad again.

Wishing a blessed Samhain to everyone.

Tonight draws an end to the light half of the year, and begins the dark half; the veil between this world and the next will be at its thinnest. A time to think of our loved ones, and of those who have passed beyond.

Take care & blessed be.

Yesterday was the 6th of October, and I sort of missed it. It came and went and I didn’t really pay it any attention.

It was a fairly typical Monday, I had typical Monday things to do, and a small deadline that held my attention for most of the afternoon and early evening.

When the 6th of September came along, I was acutely aware of it. I knew it was the 6th. I knew the 6th was coming. The 6th of August started ok but then snuck up and caught me unawares, an emotional sneak attack.

This thing with the 6th started in July of course. The 6th of July was a terrible day, the culmination of a week and a half of terrible days.

Anyways, so yesterday marked 3 months. A quarter of a year. And it didn’t clue in, nothing really came up.

I guess this is that thing where time heals and all that stuff.