The City Mouse in the Country

In a lot of ways I feel rejuvenated.  It's a glorious morning as I am driving down to Pittsburgh with the local radio station playing a mix of old and new that elevates my mood, the sun shining strong through the sun roof.   I am on my way to buy plants.   I have a list in my pocket and I expect that I'll be coming home with a few of them.  I had hoped to buy spicebush and maybe serviceberry , in addition to what I did end up buying.  As I talk to people there, I use the term " food forest " because that's about the closest definition to what I'm trying to do, although it's also not the best one.     What I'm more interested in doing is creating a refuge.  A place for a weary traveler in the future to stop, rest under the trees and have access to wild strawberries and blueberries (which sadly didn't take last year), apples etc.   A place of respite rather than a place that can self maintain itself over time, although I do...

Pap's info is here .  It's a funny thing, when you know someone has only a limited amount of time.  You wait for that phone call with a mixture of sadness and relief.   Relief in that person has moved on into a better world, or that their suffering has stopped.   In that, you no longer have to worry about them.  It's also a phone call you dread, because that person brought you into the world...and now you are alone. This is an article that I've started and stopped a thousand times.  We always were worried about my dad, much more than my mom.  When she died, it was more of a shock.  Even after 2 + years I'm still not sure if I'm done processing it.  Mostly I just miss talking to her. My dad and I had a good relationship...but not much to talk about.   He was passionate about sports, where as I was more like my mother and was interested more in politics and world affairs.  Still though, we played catch for hours, he ta...