My normally greenish thumb has turned black in the state of Georgia. I’ve planted a garden each year since we lived here and have gotten less than five red tomatoes. The cucumbers didn’t grow. The green beans gave up when they reached three inches. The blueberry bushes didn’t even try. This year I’ve lowered my expectations/garden dreams then lowered them a little more. I planted three tomato plants, a pepper plant, basil, and a small number of flowers. The tomatoes look like they might make it but I say that in a whisper so they don’t hear and shrivel up. The dahlia patch I planted out front is somehow thriving. Every single day I go out to admire and photograph them.

* Sesame’s teeth are dropping out like flies. The tooth fairy forgot to come on Friday night but Ses told me, “The tooth fairy takes weekends off” which is good to know. When AB’s friend lost her second tooth, her tooth fairy (her grandfather) gave her twenty dollars. Annabelle still doesn’t have a great grasp on money and she happily told her friend that the tooth fairy had given her thirty cents. I’m sure the fairy gave at least two quarters. Surely she wasn’t scrambling for money at the last minute.
* I almost don’t know what makes me happier- AB reading to herself or that we can finally be in the library without a mask.

* Our favorite Willie got married a few weeks ago. We’ve known him since he was born and he’s like a fourth brother to us. He was one of the groomsmen in our wedding. The original groomsman wasn’t able to get leave so we asked Willie. He doesn’t know he was a second-pick groomsman and I will go to my grave with that secret. The stupid ‘rona meant we couldn’t go to Willie’s wedding. I would have traveled to deepest Peru for his wedding. Instead, we had to watch it from our living room. The dude operating the livestream never pushed the unmute button so we heard nothing. A man’s head filled up a third of the screen for much of the ceremony. I do not recommend zoom weddings. Too many technical issues and not enough appetizers.

* Last but most certainly in one way least, BABY OLIVER IS HERE. HE IS SO CUTE I CANNOT HANDLE IT. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A CUTER BABY NO YOU HAVE NOT. The fuzzy hair! The arm rolls! The little dimple in his chin! The look of longing for his favorite Auntie Sarah to cuddle him. Erika will never get him away from me. She doesn’t love newborns and I adore them so it works out well. I look at this picture seven times a day and have sent it to multiple people. I’ve all but ordered wallpaper with his face on it. I repeatedly offer to show it to Christopher and Annabelle in case they forgot how precious he is since the last time I made them look.