I planted a tiny pot of hen and chicks in my garden in 2008. I can’t imagine why I didn’t take a picture of the little succulents. They were adorable in their micro-pot, probably three inches in diameter. The botanical name for hen and chicks is sempervivum, which, in the dusty old Latin, means always alive. Try saying that six times real quick. Sempervivum, sempervivum, supercalifragilisticexpiali…Go ahead. We’ll wait.

June 2009

These chicks have tripled, quadrupled, super-sized. Lookin’ good, chickies.

May 2010

Mama Hen is putting on weight and multiplying. I think she ate one too many peanut butter whoopie cookies over the blizzard months. Okay, that might have been me.

End of May 2010

Uh, oh. What is happening here, Mama Hen?

July 2010

Mama Hen, I thought we had the talk about safe…

Oh, Mama!

Days later, July 2010

You never listen!

Reap what ye sow, Mama. Reap what ye sow.

Okay. I’m just having a little fun with you today. It comes under the heading of procrasti-writing. But our time together here is over. Muse Boy — remember that hunk-of-burnin’-mat-master from yesterday? — He’s hovering. Hovering, I tell you. That can only mean one thing.

Write or die!

Elen