Life & Lemons

I love lemons. I love Lemon Pound Cake, Blueberry Lemon Scones, a chicken dish finished with a buttery-lemon sauce, Greg Atkinson’s Three Citrus Butter to enjoy with Salmon ( I go a bit heavier with the lemon). Those California folks with a backyard lemon tree are lucky! In Washington, lemons are grown in pots on patios that can be protected during winter, or properly in heated greenhouses. The only lemons that occur naturally here are the variety that life throws.

It is September and this is my first post for 2026. In February, I was thrown into the deep end, heavily clothed, into the pool of Elderly Parent Care. My Power of Attorney switched on and I began handling finances, doctor appointments, hospital stays, Costco procurements and more Costco procurements. I’ve met the primary care doctors, the spine doctor, the heart doctors, the infectuous disease doctor, many of the staff on the 5th & 6th floors of Evergreen’s Silver wing. I’ve become proficient at MyChart, a horrible Windows desktop computer, their Money Guy and the BECU branch near their home. I’ve juggled care givers and drivers and most recently, assisted living options.

My schedule is set in January, at the time of farmers market registration. My schedule for the year. I schedule special events for The Tiny, for time away from the the market to vacation. This year, most of that time off has been spent doing accounting, touring properties, executing an estate sale, getting hearing aids attended to. When the landline rings, I cringe a little: what’s needed now?

In between all of this, I bake. I plan, I purchase, I mix cookie dough & bread dough. I deliver orders to Bellevue and tidy up my driveway for pick ups. I run the dog and walk myself. I fit time to clothesline. I shape and bake the shortbread, biscotti and sourdough. When I have the freedom to focus, life hums. When the phone rings, I cringe a little.

Perhaps, in a month, a little will be removed from my shoulders. In just over a month the market will close and classes will begin. The new apartment will be occupied. A few more large tasks will loom but perhaps with a bit more room around. It’s September and I’m finally writing a post.