BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Oh, yes, I have been busy… Then, too, trying to keep this place up and running and do all the other things I try to do – well, let me just say, I am aware I am not in my 30s anymore. And in 3 more months, I won’t even be in my 60s anymore. OMG! This coming number change is scary! But, I must act like I am going to outlive my father – he is 96… I long ago outlived my mother (gone at 42? 43?) Neither of my sisters made it to 50, so I guess I am doing OK. Now if the pain would just ease up a bit… The Lyme's disease has been reminding me of my limitations a lot lately. And I have had to adjust to not having my little orange 4 legged companion with me in the yard. That has been most difficult.  Spook usually stays hidden or he watches from the top of a barn roof. I have a young girl who is earning some money for RN school by working in my yard when she has a chance. I admire her work ethic and the fact that most of the money she earns is going straight into the bank. The account is in her name and mine. Smart kid. Most amazing of all, she leaves her phone in her car while she is working! Are you impressed? It is amazing how fast weeds grow this time of year. Sometimes I think I have more grass growing on the patio than in the yard. This got pulled yesterday! Someone suggested I use Roundup, but I avoid poisons as much as possible… it eventually goes into the ground water and we drink it or bathe in it… and the cats walk around thru the yard, then they wash their feet. Spook loves hanging out on the patio when no one is around. Nope, no Roundup gonna be used here. 

I had my OLD Adirondack rebuilt this summer. It is well over 100 years old having belonged to my great grandmother. It is a REAL Adirondack and came from those mountains back when craftsmen were real craftsmen and proud of their work. I grew up playing in this chair up in the Poconos. It was the first thing I brought here when we prepared to sell the little house in the mountains. It is very heavy. I can’t lift it anymore – have to get one of my rugged he-man friends to move it up onto the carport in the winter and back out in the spring. It is amazingly comfortable… it sits different than the new Adirondack-style chairs mass produced today. Note the width of the arms – perfect for a dinner plate when eating outdoors. The old screws had rusted and some boards were loose and there was a little rot starting. It sits up off the concrete because it is easier for my back to get in and out that way AND it keeps it drier – less prone to rot again. I did not plan on it being this bright red, but that was the only paint I had on hand when Charlie asked for some paint. Oh well, I won’t lose it!

The garden is coming along. Beans are up to the top of the pole, yellow wax beans will be ready to pick this week. I have baby green tomatoes…  Did you notice how tall the potato plants are? (top picture?) There are not many flowers in bloom this time of year compared to azalea and camellia season, but the little guys have flowers on their graves.

Ever since I moved here 27 years ago, I have wanted a bench out in this area… it just naturally feels like a good meditation spot. I will move a Buddha out here – or get a Kwan Yin if I can find one. Kwan Yin is the goddess of compassion… a female Buddha. I frequently need reminding of the values she taught. If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know I have a couple Buddhas and a couple St Francis statues in my various garden areas. My Buddhas remind me to Think, practice Mindfulness and Kindness. St Francis reminds me to love ALL the critters, we are all related. Anyway, I bought a bench on sale a couple weeks ago. A good friend put it together for me. I found a big piece of slate at one of the nearby garden centers and hired the young man who works there to get it out into my woods. For several weeks, I have been moving baby camellias out to this area. I give so many away every couple of years, I decided to just move some of them out here. A friend planted some azaleas for me this spring, too. In a couple of years it should look nice. Maybe I will have emptied those bags of mulch by then!

A couple years ago, a friend gave me these calla lilies. I have several different varieties now. Aren’t they amazing?

Well, thanks for visiting my garden… if you are in the area, drop by, we will sit on the bench – OR, if it is a cooler day, I will let you sit in the Adirondack and see how it feels! Sip a glass of iced tea… relax… ah, yes.