ECONOGAL

This last day of May 2026 is one I will be happy to see over. In other words, the month lacked enjoyable experiences. Wacky weather created wacky garden developments. A quick trip to Houston yielded mostly positive outcomes, until the final day. And a surgery with complications hopefully will not leave everlasting damage. So, June will be a welcome arrival.

Decades have passed since I was last in Houston and even more years since I lived there. Early May is a nice time to visit. My goal for the trip was to help set up a nursery and wrap up storage organization after a recent move for one of my offspring. Everything was great until the final day.

A trip to a nearby quilt shop yielded two fabrics perfect for curtains in the nursery. An old-fashioned Winnie-the- Pooh allover print and a brown plaid to coordinate. The fabric was spotted within five minutes of entering. However, due to a shopper buying two yards of nearly three dozen fabrics it took over an hour of waiting before we could check out. Things went downhill from there.

Since arriving, I had looked forward to going back to one of my favorite restaurants from my days as a resident. As usual the food was great. Noise from the table behind me a little loud; they were having a fun time. But just as we were leaving someone at the table scooted their chair backwards into the server. Plates teeter-tottered and came crashing down soaking several people including me. The day ended as it began, with a failure of customer service.

After unseasonably warm weather from late February through April, May brought snow, sleet and a hard freeze. Exactly the opposite of what a gardener wants. Blooming plants froze and the ground temperature regressed below ideal. Now my peach trees, including the half plum one are dropping yellow leaves. Somehow, one still has peaches growing.

The cherry trees are a bit smarter. They did not blossom as early. But the wacky weather has red fruit in May 2026. About three weeks too soon.

Fortunately, we just had an all day drizzle that has perked up most of the plants. Much better than the usual downpours. (Although we had one of those this past week as well.)

Unlike the very successful heart surgery in February, the May eye surgery has been much tougher to deal with. Although my eye is no longer tearing non-stop, it is still matted shut each morning. Even worse was the allergic reaction after the surgery. A five-year-old in the family likened me to a zombie. Since switching medications, I once again look human, but not yet back to normal.

I attempted my first audio book this month. I failed to complete it. Perhaps the local library will have it. The online order quoted over $20 for a paperback book released several years ago. Too much for me.

Naturally, reading was slow due to compromised vision.

However, Mary Kubicka’s It’s Not Her was just completed. It follows a trend I am uncomfortable with. Tweens misuse of social media or AI leading to death. Culpability By Brice Holsinger was my first encounter. Unlike Holsinger’s early disclosure, Kubicka’s story retains the suspense. So, the book was nearly finished before this reader figured out the triggering event of the Tweens. I have yet to finish Culpability.

I am very disturbed by this trend of blaming actions by children for deaths; accidents or murders. Is this truly a reflection of society? A subtle indictment on modern parenting? Surely alternative plotting exists.

The May babies of 2025 are now one. Time for the next grandbaby to arrive. So, a return trip to Houston as well as a trip to Kentucky to see babies of another kind. And perhaps a quick trip to Wyoming are all on tap. The plane trips will give me time to catch up on reading, but I will need to keep my eyes on the road to Cheyenne.