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Crazy Daze of Summer



Can anyone believe it’s July already? I’m in shock. After going through a busy spring and with June passing by at lightening speed, I find myself on July 5th in a daze.  Where did the days go? Each individual day. Let’s see...

As I look back I see that we did some yard work. We, as in my daughter and husband, with me thrown in occasionally - well, actually rarely. The lovely mulch went down - without me involved. I was there for a bit of the weeding. But not for the edging.

I did choose a large Boston fern for the front porch to go on the wicker table between our two white rockers. My niece informed me Boston ferns are passe, the worst for shedding. Too late. It’s there and it’s staying til it dies. Which could be any day with my black thumb!



It still pretty much looks just as it did when I bought it. I'm holding my breath.


Then, I picked out a few potted plants for the deck, all of which are already looking sad. The red geraniums that were full of blooms with bright green leaves a month ago are getting gnarly, having lost most of their blooms and leaves. How did that happen? Weather? Me? Any suggestions? Help!
Photo is how they looked when I first brought them home!

The yellow and purple pansies that were so pretty six weeks ago and positioned on the table between the red metal chairs are straggly as well. I was attracted to them because of their colors and the arrangement’s name, wine and cheese. I’m calling them “whine and cheese” now for the way they are acting. All droopy and sick looking. They used to be lovely like the ones below. 





We’ve had nothing but rain off and on for a l-o-n-g number of days. Maybe that has something to do with the decline of my plants. I'm simply not a plant person. However I can't bring myself to revert to silk ones. Can you?

I’m sitting here at a clinic at 6 am with my husband waiting for his nerve block. We had rain all the way into town from the country. Lots of traffic too. Where are all these people going at 5 am when it’s still dark? I'd never be out at this time if it were not absolutely necessary. I know. People have to work. But it still seems wrong to have to go so early.

So back to my question. Where has the summer gone? 

Well, I'm happy to report that for the first time in a year, I’m healthy. Yay. I'm feeling good. I'm taking oodles of supplements and going to an alternative doctor and his program is working. So, now, part of my time has been spent organizing the house and cleaning closets. I’ve done lots of high powered dusting in corners and have completed a few other chores I won’t name. 

I’ve spent time sitting in the sun, drinking iced tea and reading. I’ve read several novels in the last few weeks and have discovered a new author. My daughter, Lisa,  found these at the Book Barn in NJ on her trip to Boston. One novel is called A Married Man. Another is titled The Wedding Day. Both by UK writer Catherine Alliott. Very good reads. Lots of adventures.

My own writing life is kicking into gear. A trip to visit a book club this week to discuss my novel, Vada Faith, gave me the much needed impetus to get back to my work in progress. I got sidetracked for a number of months. As I look back over this essay I can now see where summer has gone.

It helps sometimes to write it down. Pretty productive, huh?

Right now, life is good in our neck of the woods. Every evening a small deer comes to eat in the field behind our back yard. WE love watching him/her eat,  ears perking up when me rustle the French doors. Hummingbirds come zipping by occasionally stopping for a nip at our feeder.

What have you bloggers been doing this summer? Anything new to report?
I’d love to hear from you!  Thanks for stopping by. I'll be around more often now and will be visiting you soon. Blessings, Barb


Comments

  1. I'm glad to hear you're feeling well, but no, I can't believe it's July already. The days pass too quickly; heck the months and years pass too quickly. I'm convinced it's a conspiracy of some sort. No way the days are as long now as they used to be...

    As for your pansies, they don't like the heat. Here, I plant them in the early fall, and they bloom all winter, and then get all leggy and sad once the temperatures start to rise. The geraniums could be waterlogged if you've had a lot of rain. After all the years we've lived here, the squirrels (and maybe neighborhood cats) have dug up most of my plants that were in containers. The little boogers.

    Take care. Good to hear from you again.

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  2. Hey Barb, great blog. I'm wondering myself where the summer is going to so quickly. All this rain, horrible rain, frantic rain, miserable rain, unending rain, depressing rain. Glad you had a good time with th book club.

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  3. Geraniums enjoy it cooler and probably will rebloom..add some miracle grow, it might help! Pansies don't always last through the heat of summer. I live about an hour north of you and we're having the same rain pattern and I'm really getting tired of it! I did see some sun this afternoon though..thought I was in a different country for a minute! The summer is passing so quickly. We were so busy the month of June and work has been off and on busy too...I know I'll wake up and frost will be on the pumpkins and I'll wonder how the heck that happened! Enjoy the weekend and I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better!

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  4. So good to hear from you guys. It's been a dry spell writing wise but a wet spell with the weather. This too shall pass. You're right Yaya. Frost will be here before we know it. Thanks for the tips on my plants. I'll get the pansies out of the sun. As for the geraniums they have part sun so not sure what's wrong there. Don't do so well with container plants either.
    Oh well. Not gonna worry about it. I see the sun! OMgosh. I'm going out to catch a glimpse. Later, girls.

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  5. I could not reply to you email. I am sorry for your loss and your rough times.

    May your health continue to improve.

    Have a wonderful evening.

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  6. Thanks Gail. I feel things beginning to to get better all the way around. A good feeling when things start to look up.

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  7. So glad you are feeling good. Summer is flying by and it sure has arrived! Hot and rainy. I,too, am sick of all the rain. I am not good at growing flowers in containers, so I just plant them all in the yard.

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