After about two and a half years as an apprentice (though after subtracting injury, travel and work time, perhaps not much more than a year actually counts), I have been invited to start assembling the kit pieces necessary to dance out as a member of Smiffs. Assembling the kit will take some doing for while my old Seabright bells will serve admirably, the top hat and knee breeches have not been standard for any of my prior affiliations. On the up side this does justify the purchase of a new pair of shoes, something that has been a hard sell on the home front of late.

Other recent news includes the optimistic acquisition of 100+ tiny geraniums, fuschias and lobelias this past weekend. I was able to sneak in a rose ('Peace' as 'Prince' was not to be found) and one of the miniature rhododendrons with fragrant foliage that has such strong associations with sunny days in Seattle. By mutual agreement, two jasmine, a honeysuckle and a wisteria were also included. S_m potted the small ones in a marathon last weekend (with the sounds of the local marathon in the background) while I still have to clear garden space for the larger plants this coming weekend.