Spring is coming soon to North Alabama.

Last fall I planted a bunch of flower bulbs and I’m starting to see the fruits of my labor. I also thinned out a bed of daylilies and relocated some.

Yesterday it was 70 outdoors. During my lunch break and after work I weeded beds and cut back the knockout rose bushes to prepare them for hopefully another robust year.

I’m as giddy as a little kid when I walk around the yard to see what’s happened since the last time I was out there. Molly is frustrated with me because she doesn’t want to go see if there’s another tulip popping up out of the ground. She wants to walk down the street and smell other dogs’ pee. So we compromise and do both.

Gardening gives me hope when I don’t otherwise seem to have much of the stuff. I’ve already grown tired of The Guy. He’s not much on communication and for someone like me, communication is vital. I told him earlier this week I didn’t think we were what the other was looking for. He asked me to not give up yet, and I agreed, mostly because I’m lonely. But nothing changed. So I’ve decided to quit feeding it and let it starve to death.

Once Molly recovered from her surgery we were back at square one. She’s started toileting in the floor again. I’m keeping her confined to her room (playpen) more often. She doesn’t like it, but she mostly sleeps anyway, and with me at home we’re able to take several walks a day. The last few mornings I’ve wakened to find she’s also peed in the room, so I’m going to try diapers at night. I bought some but they’re too small, so I’m going shopping today to see if I can find some larger ones.

I’m also looking for Fortiflora for Hissy Fit Jones. His colon has been inflamed and his poop runny and stinky. We went to the vet and I administered a round of metronidazole and probiotics. It helped some but he was still runny, so they gave him a steroid shot a couple weeks ago. After a bit of continued improvement we are back at square one with him also. He actually managed to splatter poop up the wall yesterday. If only that were an Olympic sport.

I confess to you that I am tired of dealing with all this. I am tired of cleaning up poop and pee off the floor and laundering cat beds that Hissy has used as litter boxes. The vet tried to tell me his problem was nerves, and maybe it is, but when I asked for tests to be done they saw how inflamed his colon was. You don’t heal that shit with meditation and yoga.

I hope I soon find a vet that I feel comfortable with. So far they all seem as petty as the doctors around here. If you’re a woman, it must be something you’re doing wrong. It’s all in your head. You’re crazy.

One day we will smash the Patriarchy. I wish I could live to see that day, and watch these wormy bastards slither into the ground where they belong.

But for now, the promise of spring will have to suffice.