George W. Bush, now retired, thank God, has lately been home, making paintings of himself. In my favorite one, he’s in his bathtub. We see only his legs in the murky water, starting at about mid-thigh and going down past his toes, to the running faucet. But a more substantial creation of W’s has also been on my mind: the Iraq War and its 10-year anniversary this week. By the time we’ve taken care of the last veteran, the war is projected to have cost us upwards of $6 trill

Wisteria. Fragrant, lovely, and a source of shade. Fond of all those qualities and seduced by a cool arbor at the nursery one sweltering day, we planted a wisteria in 2006. Over the next few years, it grew bigger and taller and sprawly, but never bloomed. Finally doing research, we learned it can take several years to mature and flower, it is a member of the pea family, its blossoms can grow 20 inches in length, and its branches can grow 100 feet long. Last year, the firs