Rain, Rain Go Away
We continue saying it over and over, this has been the rainiest year in decades. The house is dark, and the lights are on. Two days of solid rain with the forecast for three more. I like rain when I am sleeping, and when the ground is dry, but today I would have preferred sunshine. My perfectly wonderful geraniums had just reached their peak in bloom. Now they look like this: Well, guess I am not in charge of the weather so I will quit complaining and get to work on something that makes me smile no matter what the weather brings. : ...
Critters
All afternoon I had noticed the number of yellow finch feeding on my cone flowers and black eyed susan's. Plan was when I sat out on the patio to eat dinner I would take my camera and get as close as possible for some memorable shots. Best laid plans just didn't work out. There was not a bird around tonight, almost eerie. So I turned my attention to something else quite by chance. This large yellow spider, I don't recall it's name, made it's web behind my rocker on the patio. How dare he scare me like that. So then ...
Summer in Bloom
Weather records measuring rainfall and temperatures have been broken back to 1905 this summer in the Kansas City area. We have had abnormally high rainfalls and cool temperatures that have been a welcome relief on our watering the lawn and flowers as well as our electric bills for running the A/C. Actually had a few people believing we would just head into fall when we were wearing jackets in the evenings during the month of July. Not much exciting or newsworthy here today, working on something special for my great granddaughter this afternoon. When I took my break I grabbed the ...
Opening and Closing Doors
One of my big pet peeves with my husband was he always left the closet door standing open. He finally broke me of complaining when he told me he would shut the closet doors if I would always put my shoes in the closet instead everywhere around the house. I have a bad habit of just stepping out of my shoes and leaving them to the point on occasions I might have several pairs by the door. Well of course I failed so we never nagged about those issues again. It is not those kind of doors that I am closing ...
Digging In to Dig Out
I wonder if you are like me and have so much "stuff" that when you begin to look around, open closets, peruse the garage, you are amazed at all the things you have accumulated. The worst part for me is how long it has been since I have used some of it. Today I dug out just a few pots and vases. These are just a few of the ones I am not using right now! I still have multiple numbers in the garden, on the patio, etc. David took at least a half dozen home already and Julie and Deb ...
Jul 09
23
House Guest
I have a very special guest for the next week. Just a wee one, but a very lovable, happy guest. 
Meet Maddie, I am baby-sitting my middle daughter’s dog she is so beautiful and easy to care for.
Her and I have a very special bond, we both love to eat! She is on a diet so I will have to join her to keep from offending her. Her favorite pastime outside of eating, having her tummy rubbed, loves it a lot!
Has a tendency to get so excited she tinkles!
Posted in family by .
Jul 09
22
Things That Make Me Smile
Some days seem to fly by and others seem to never end. This has been one of those never ending. Too many projects all non-related makes the brain tired from jumping from one thing to the next. Going to head off to my pillow and post up a picture, hoping you enjoy flowers in photo as much as I do.
Salmon iris this spring was so, so pretty
Siberian Iris gorgeous also!
The little elements that make you smile as they fill in the corners and nooks.
Posted in Gardening Reflections on Life by .
Jul 09
21
Sore Body, Continued
Well I didn’t think that bicycle fall caused too much suffering but….today I came home with a mission, to trim up some of the shrubs. I got the job done but I am already on the heat pad folks. “The old gray (dyed blonde) mare just ain’t what she used to be” for sure applies to me. My arms hurt from having them over my head trimming the topiary at my garage door which is why I always put it off for so long. The mock orange, and euonyomus got a shearing also. Perhaps the next time I have this task I will post up the need and some of those strong grandsons will volunteer to come over and trade a trim for an ice cream or cookies. I 
forgot to take before pics: )
Two bags full!
Posted in Gardening Uncategorized family by .
Jul 09
20
Monday Monday, so good to me,
I am really sorry for all of you who had to jump out of that bed and head to work today! I slept in until 9:30, because I stayed up until 1:00!! Not like me at all but the freedom of knowing I could sleep in this morning made it so-o-o-o enjoyable. Can’t wait for more Monday’s like this. Kaleb is still with me and like most boys, 11 years old, needs food every two hours! Today his request was for waffles for breakfast and and two hours later he wanted BLT’s. I put him off for one hour and then gave up and fixed lunch.
We went for a bicycle ride as the weather is so incredibly cool but—-as we were heading home Kaleb thought I was turning and rode in front of me and we had a wreck. I ended up on the concrete, big knot on knee, thumb extremely bruised and sore but no broken bones thank goodness.
I would love to hear about your “Monday, Monday” so please leave me a note.
New apron I made over the weekend. Cute, cute.
Jul 09
19
Four Day Weekend
My four day weekend is winding down. I have rode my bicycle last three days and oh my legs do know it!! Kaleb is here for the night and we just scarfed down a big burger with fresh garden tomato, yummie. Have had the camera out a little today so here are some views of what is blooming up close.
This shrub rose blooms heavy all spring, summer and fall.
Thank goodness the weeds don’t all show in this picture! Aren’t the blues beautiful though.
The snail doesn’t seem to mind that the sun has not hit the impatiens enough this year to have them outshine him.
Jul 09
18
Bicycle Weather
I am off for a bicycle ride…only a fool (too often me) would be inside on an incredible July day in the Midwest when the temperature is 73 and humidity almost non-existent. Hope everyone is enjoying the day!
Jul 09
16
Allergy Season
I am really down the last three days with allergy issues so just posting up a beautiful picture of some things from my garden. Hope you enjoy.
Jul 09
13
You Are My SUNSHINE
As a child growing up in a musical family I learned many songs. I think it is a little strange that I can remember the words to a song but not where I left my scissors, keys, purse, and the list is just too long and I won’t bore you with it. Today, after many days without sunshine, I actually noted this large yellow glow in the sky and the brightness out my windows and when I peeked outside there it was. The long, lost sunshine. This has been like no other summer I can remember in my ?? years of living in the Midwest, I can not recall such rainy weather.
Back to the song, so when I saw the sunshine, instantly the old song, “You are my Sunshine” popped into my brain! In case you want to know the chorus it is, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray, you’ll never know dear how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away.” Now whoever wrote that song knew the value of sunshine in their lives. After this summer all of us Midwesterners do too.
Jul 09
12
Elmer Fudd and Me
Bet most of you remember Elmer Fudd, 
carrying that gun, always after the bunny. A couple of years ago I began having multiple bunnies in my flower garden. They eat tulips as soon as they pop through the ground, they even eat the leaves off the rose bushes in early spring before there is more delightful treats ready. They nest under a building in my neighbors back yard so I am a little restricted on methods I can use to rid myself of the little multiplying pests. I have tried some of the following, sprayed rabbit repellent along my fence and garden edge, only lasts until it rains. Cayenne pepper sprinkled around my rose moss bed deters them but again rain washes it away. I went to the expense of buying a rabbit trap with the goal to catch them and take them out to the lake in the refuge area and “set them free in the wild!” Needless to say they were not even slightly interested in lettuce, carrots, or any of the other foods I left in the cage but continued to eat on everything else.
Today I was shocked into doing nothing as I opened the door to my back patio and lo and behold they were dining on my jute rug at the door. Now when I opened the door they did not even twitch so you see they think this is their home not mine, even though I have told them numerous times if they want to live here and have squatter’s rights they need to help pay the bills and mow the grass.
I decided today I should just give up because if these multiplying, starving rabbits are down to eating my jute rug I think I have to raise the white flag and call a truce.
DARN YOU 
WABBIT!
Jul 09
11
Farmer’s Market
Up early this morning and off to meet David and Deb downtown at the City Market. Picked up homegrown leaf lettuce for my sandwich today and a beautiful red homegrown tomato that will be the hi-lite of my meals today. I love going to the city market where there are so many produce vendors as well as durable goods. I took David’s new grilling apron I made him and my new Lady Priscilla Tote, cute, cute, cute. We always have a great time and have to make a stop at the bird feeder store for Dave. Today he bought a straw hat to keep the sun off his head, smart guy!
Hope everyone is in where it i
s cool and having a great weekend.
This is the picture on David’s apron, it also has a saying on it “Eat Chicken” I think he liked it 
And this is my new tote
it is HOT and Huge!
