105 days--almost 4 months of mostly staying home. Amazing how quickly the time has passed--and yet how long it seems to be since we've seen our oldest and youngest sons and most of our grandchildren. The Friday night Zoom meetings with my siblings is a bright spot in the week. This past Friday we talked about books we're reading (The Offing for me), our gardens, health issues and of course the coronavirus. It is worse where most of my extended family live, but so far they are all well although a few of them have had to be tested due to being exposed.
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| Two other companions during this stay-home time. They are always an hand to provide company. |
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| And so jealous of each other! Are all dogs like this? I think our others have been somewhat jealous, but not as bad as these two.. |
My youngest son is in Miami and if you've followed the news you know it's not good down there. He's getting a little stir-crazy so this weekend they took a little trip to one of Florida's springs. It looked like a beautiful place, and I hope one day to see it myself. I worry about them being exposed, but I understand the need to get some fresh air away from the city.
Today has been more furniture painting and some garden work. I weeded the walled garden. I was surprised to see grass coming up in the straw mulch around the melon plants! The mulch hay has had very few weeds but the straw, oh my. Most were very loosely rooted so a rake through the mulch pulled them up. We're getting read for the fourth planting of lettuce--this one will be shaded to protect it from the July heat. The flower gardens are doing pretty well, although the big bed needs some cutting back as plants are passing their prime--plants like iris, feverfew, and lamb's ears are looking a little ragged.
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| This is one of my favorite things in our garden--a stone column Larry build years ago, intending to make it a fountain. We decided against the fountain idea as just too much trouble and work, but it makes a beautiful planter. The liatris around it seldom flowers. I need to look up proper care for it because maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I like the way it looks anyway. |
The Schwan delivery came today. Ice cream! I also splurged on some frozen raspberry-white chocolate scone dough for morning treats. I will go to the grocery store this week--been putting it off--but the Schwan's ice cream is so very good. I am surprised to find I'm an ice cream snob! I really only want really good ice cream, and most at the store doesn't fall into that category.
One other change this year is that we are eating most of our meals at a table on the deck this summer. We would do that occasionally in the past, but now we take almost every meal out there. It's so nice, and I was surprised to realize how little we actually used our big deck. It takes a little more time to carry things out, which is probably why I didn't do it before. I always felt so pressed for time. I am luxuriating in this lack of pressure this summer. Have you also found yourself doing things you previously felt you had no time for? Or treating yourself to more simple pleasures than you used to?
Larry spent some time yesterday building a make-do divider in the chicken house so the little meat chickens can have more space. We had them in a large cage but they're growing so fast! More space means they will grow even faster. We've had them for 22 days, and they should be dressed out by 40 days, so we're over halfway there. He's finishing up the shelving in the cellar today, and tomorrow we'll get in there and get it organized. I can't wait. We also plan to defrost the freezer tomorrow. Yuck. But I keep putting it off, so now I have committed to getting it done tomorrow. Pray for me 🙂
No other exciting news today. We continue with our projects, stop to eat and talk. And have our wine in the evenings--out on the deck.
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| Love our evenings out here. If it seems like I use the same tablecloth all the time, well, I do. It's the only round one I have! |
Amazing how busy we become when staying at home. I have loved it and have grown my garden and tended some new chicks...along with flowers. Going back to "work" at the end of July. Interested to see how that goes.
ReplyDeleteLoved your day Sue - such a welcoming garden. Happy thoughts. Uplifting.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Joy
I've been spending time under the portico when the weather hasn't been unbearably humid. Piper has a big cushion next to my chaise, and the cats visit in between their other more serious activities. I bring my lunch, drawing supplies, yarn to wind, and sometimes even my laptop so I can listen to an audiobook. It's getting to be a lot of stuff to move outside and back inside! I'm thinking about making or finding a big tray with handles, so I can carry everything in one trip. I don't think I've ever owned a tray, and the ones I've seen at the local shop aren't big enough - I need a full-fledged Butler Model ;)
ReplyDeleteYour gardens look so beautiful & lush!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have a black lab. She passed away a few years ago but before she left us we got a Morkie puppy...my empty nest dog from my husband when our son got married. They used to be jealous of each other. Our old lab was on a special diet & both dogs always wanted the others food. So one day I put the lab's food in the tiny Morkie food dish & our little Morkie food in the great big lab dish....it was pretty hilarious how they gobbled it up! Dogs can be as funny & sweet as little children.
Every time you mention the Schwan truck I keep thinking I need to try it out. I'm doing all grocery pick ups right now.
We have spent more time on our screened porch this year. But we are much busier since March with watching our 2 yr old grandson every day. So many summer jobs have just fallen off. We can't keep up with it all....my husband still works full time as well.