Bulbs

In addition to the previously mentioned condiment obsession, J. is obsessed with bulbs. The kind you plant in the ground. Every year, he plants an assortment of bulbs - freesia, tulips, daffodils. Then, he waits. Patiently. Sunny days bring the hope of bulbs...and he starts his protection plan.

To keep the gardner from mowing over the daffodils in the front yard, he puts wood stakes around the leaves so the mower can't get near them. He goes out almost everyday to 'tend' to his bulbs - see what else has come up, how close they are to blooming. He treasures them - and I love them, too. They are a welcome sign that winter is abating and Spring will soon be here. Spring is my favorite season - green and fresh and everything's new. We were married in the spring.

Chloe is our 10 month old wire-hair miniature dachshund. She was a 45th birthday present to me. From me, though with J's blessing. She is quite possibly the cutest dog on the planet. And she knows it. She has all of us wrapped around her little finger. We deny her nothing. She is just too cute to say 'no' to (unless she piddles on the floor). She is busy, busy all the time. She never stops - until she collapses from exhaustion wherever she lands - sometimes in the middle of the floor, sometimes curled up in her blanket. When she's awake, she's on the go. Busy girl. She and her 'sister' Dani (4 year old not-so-minature dachshund who's blind) are on the go and keep each other moving non-stop.

She ate one of J's tulip blossoms a couple days ago. J. was displeased. He set out to protect the other tulip in the back - used all the lawn chairs and chaise lounges to block off the other close-to-blooming tulip to keep Chloe from getting to it. He emailed me to say 'YOUR dog is on my double-s&^* list today'. I called and he told me she'd gotten through his extensive barricade and ate the 2nd tulip. The 2nd of only two tulips in the backyard that have actually bloomed. And we're not expecting any more back there. Freesia possibly, yes. But no more tulips.

We haven't been all that successful with the bulb thing - we don't have dozens. We have a few of each that actually come up and fewer than that which actually bloom. So every blossom is very, very precious. And Chloe ate them. J. is not happy.

J. gave me a big bouquet of tulips for Valentine's day - they are my favorite cut flower. We are keeping them away from Chloe by leaving them on the kitchen table. She's too little to get up there - and of course, we don't allow dogs on the table, so even if she could get up there, THAT would be a BIG NO. The flowers are pretty and require no security measures to protect them. Which is a relief 'cuz we need to sit in the chairs around the table -not use them for security fencing.

I'd be really mad at her, too - but I can't blame her for liking tulips. I understand. I don't eat them - but I love them. And she does too - just in a different way.