The weeding has kept me out of my library this summer. Maybe I care more about my flowers this year, or maybe my priorities changed. Writing has not been at the top of the list.
I was not even making a to do list for each week as it seemed the list was monotonous. Weed, water, weed, dead-head geraniums, start over. I also was trying to pay more attention to the pet bonding and make sure someone was not being picked on. Unfortunately, Charlie has decided that because Crush runs, Crush should be chased. Poor old Tom cat. Actually, I don’t feel sorry for him. Only enough to tell Charlie to “leave it!”
We lost three pets this year, Autumn, Eva and Cocoa. That is nothing in comparison to my cousin loosing her mother. I think I wrote a blog once about my Aunties. And my Aunt MaryLou and I had so very much in common. We just seemed to “get” each other even though some in the family did not get her. We could talk so easily about just any thing. We both had her mother’s eyesight disease. We both had two daughters. We both had intensely funny husbands. We both loved reading. We both loved ALL kinds of music. We both loved to talk about the little people in our lives. I just can’t imagine how her close family will live without her. But they were blessed to watch her grace and poise during her last years of painful living. Knowing that she is no longer in pain helps some.
My allergies have been somewhat more in the “controlled” state. Another reaction to bread that was “tainted” with barley has kept me away from the slices. So far the wraps that we buy have been okay for me. I had a close call the other night choosing gluten free wrap only to find out that most of the time they use potato in the dough. Real close!
Today is the hottest day of the year, maybe… I think they said the head index has it over 100 degrees. The breeze is generous and feels lovely. Though I am not working in the heat, I still am trying to get outside and soak up the warm. The bitter winter wind will be extra harsh this winter when I look back and think about today. It’s crazy how the flowers, the tomatoes, and the zuchini love the heat. What a lovely surprise to walk into the greenhouse and see one of the Amaryllis in full bloom.
The west Fig tree in the greenhouse is doing well. I have made fig preserve three times already. It is worse than candy. So addicting. We eat it with graham crackers. I have not made bars yet. There just never seems to be any left after I fill a couple of jars. OOPS!
One baby blanket this summer is completed. Probably won’t start another until fall weather. I am still enjoying making the back pack bags. A few dishcloths found their way off the hook. I have yarn for a few other projects, but all is too hot for this time of year.
Meanwhile, the back walkway past the propane was getting to be a tripping hazard, so I picked it all up and laid out some brick edgers to contain the wood cookies. Yes, I know not the best idea to have such a “flammable” path next to the propane tank. But I am using what works for me, what is cheap (except for hubby’s labor) and what I have. Several how to vid’s showed mixing up crete or mortar and pouring in when the chips are are down. Will see how permanent that would be, so probably just doing the chips again.
We have a few other projects of clean up nature and just putt-zing around the acreage. This will be kind of a forever thing. Kind of like how owning a house is always some maintenance project or another. Right now it’s the overgrown cucumber patch that is keeping me overwhelmed. So here I go to cut up some more veggies.