Good afternoon!
I was out watering plants this afternoon and thought I'd take some pictures.
I still need to pick dead heads, but even half dead geranium blossoms are sending out new blossoms...kind of re-blooming over the dying parts. They've really gone wild this year!
The coleus planter on the left was completely tipped over in that last bad wind storm. I got it upright but some stalks were broken off. It will revive, I'm sure with the way they are all growing this summer. Even the marigolds have come into their own. :)
They all obviously love the heat and humidity. Glad somebody does.
****
While I am outside watering Annie parks herself behind the end table near the patio door and observes my every move.
She loves her new spinner toy now that I moved the two good balls she had into it. These harder plastic balls are lighter and Annie lives for speed. The new white balls that came with this new spinner (put one in her old spinner behind the tan chair you can see in the last photo) are heavier and she can't get the wild speed she loves. Guess I'll have to buy a new ball for her old spinner, too--LOL! Spoiled much?
****
Well, on Tuesday Leah went shopping at Cashwise and dropped me off some groceries and Caroline came to clean in the afternoon. Dagan went to work on Wednesday to help the first 1/4 of the office settle in. We've been in quarantine since then.
****
So, just the usual stuff since then. Laundry. Called my mom. She cancelled an outside visit from Kathy last week! Said she was too tired. I told her she needed to kick herself in the butt and get out of the apartment when she can.
****
She said, I have the wrong kind of shoes.
****
For going outside?
****
For kicking myself in the butt, she laughed.
****
Oh, you don't need any shoes for that. Even barefoot you can kick yourself in the butt, believe me! :)
****
Told her I can totally understand the isolation burnout but she has to push herself. Force yourself to do things when they feel overwhelming...or you'll never do anything at all. She knows I know about pain and exhaustion taking over your life...and that it is not easy. She agreed. I do hope she goes next time.
****
Had a Video Gramma Day with Ian on Saturday. Liam had fallen asleep on the couch so I read The Shy Stegosaurus all afternoon! We didn't finish the book until 6:30pm! Liam slept almost the whole time and I think Mama and Daddy may have been snoozing nearby part of the time, too. Resting their eyes? LOL!
****
Last night it cooled off so I had switched to using the fan drawing air from outside on the AC because it was cooler outside than in here. Anyways, laid down in my chair at 1am--and in a few minutes I smelled smoke! And not cigarette smoke...smelled like wood smoke. Strong. ???
****
Now, there are apartments all around me for blocks...no homes with fireplaces nearby and I don't think any of these apartments are fancy enough to have fireplaces. It had only cooled down to 65 degrees--not exactly fireplace weather. Might have been someone with an outside fire pit of some kind? But most apartment people don't have them or they are not allowed, you know? So--I couldn't sleep for wondering what was burning and where...and waiting for our fire alarm to go off...or to hear fire trucks. Nothing--LOL!
****
It finally faded away around 3am, so I got to sleep around 3:30. Pretty tired today, but I still wonder what was burning during the night. ??
****
Aha! I love the internet! I just thought--I may not have regular local TV anymore but I have the internet. The wind must have been just right for me to smell it all the way down on the south side of the city last night...yup!...like a campfire smell. :)
****
If you're curious click HERE.
(Hope the link works)
****
Whew! Now if I smell it again I won't worry. Not that I was fretting...I just turned Netflix back on--LOL!
****
Slow week again. I think I have covid burnout or the covid blahs. No motivation. Just days floating by--quite pleasantly--but uneventfully--and not a lot gets checked off my to-do list in my bullet--LOL! Oh well. I can count my lucky stars that my life is uneventful right now. Till next week...may your life be uneventful, too. ;)
****
"I'm happy to be reminded that an ordinary day full of nothing but nothingness can make you feel like you've won the lottery."
Susan Orlean
18 comments:
My comment to get your comments. :)
I love that quote. So perfect for the covid blahs as you described them. Your plants do look really healthy and happy! And yes, you are spoiling Annie but who cares? :-)
Rita, your little porch area is just so doggone sute and very colorful! Those geraniums are outstanding in their growth! // Back when we had our cat, he had one of those ball spinners. It was so hilarious to watchhim playing with it. I don't know who got more enjoyment out of it, him or us lol! // Our landfill does that burn burnoff once in a while -- annoying smoke and haze for days! Yuck! // Be blessed and stay well!
Isn't it a relief when you find out what it is you were smelling burning? I always worry about things like that too, especially in the night. Your flowers have REALLY grown! They are all beautiful. I bet it feels good to look outside and see them. I'm glad Annie likes the new spinner now. That was smart to try the other balls. Our cats have two spinners and love them both. It's fine to spoil our babies because they give us so much back in love and companionship. I hope your week goes okay. Uneventful is sure better than some things that could happen!
I can also smell smoke when it's in the air, so I was surprised by the fires at those landfills. My friend Sally has such a bad sniffer, she could die of smoke inhalation before she smelled it.
I love the flowers on your patio. They are so pretty and colorful. They have come back even stronger and prettier, I think.
Yes, Annie is one spoiled girl. Neither of my boys like their spin toy. They ignore them. Glad Annie likes hers. Hope you have a great week, dear.
Your flower boxes are quite impressive.
Your patio is gorgeous! The flowers are really doing well this year. I'm glad you had that encouraging talk with your mother. It is sometimes had to get up and do something when given the chance after so much enforced "sheltering". It's wild the smoke smell drifted that far. I know it's a relief to know where it came from. I love your closing quote. Excitement is over-rated ;)
Rita your patio is beautiful!! Hugs! deb
Your flowers are beautiful - so bright and cheerful in this hot and suffocating summer.
When I lived in Texas, my neighbors very frequently burned things in their back yard late at night (always after midnight).
It wasn't a barbecue.....I never did find out what they were doing.
What pretty flowers
Can't burn stuff here, well you can but if you get caught you get fined.
It is bloody cold here in Newie this morning
Campfire indeed! Your flowers look great! Hope you feel perky real soon...some days are real hard I know:(
Such lovely and colourful flowers!
Dear Rita, so glad to learn that all is well with you and your family. Also, that you and the two grandchildren are together reading. I'm glad that life is mostly unevenly for you and for me also. We are living through a once-every-hundred-years time and so we have no "playbook" for it! But you know so well how to live in solitude. Peace.
Your patio is looking so pretty with all the splashes of colour.
Awww....and Annie likes to keep an eye on you. Kya does the same with me when I go outside. Kya has a triple tier spinner toy as well as a single tier one. She plays with them occasionally. I think the novelty wore off a bit.
I hope you all stay safe and well. It must be a worry with Dagan back at work, even if he spends less time at the office than before Covid.
I like your Mum's sense of humour but I'm surprised to hear she cancelled an outside visit with Kathy. I hope she goes next time too as it might lift her spirits.
You must know The Shy Stegosaurus off by heart after reading it all afternoon. lol
So it was fires started accidentally at the Landfill/Compost sites. Good that they got it under control. I always feel unsettled when I smell smoke too.
I pray that you and your beautiful family stay safe and well.
Love and hugs xo
Looks like the patio blooms have done very well, Rita, and so nice to have all that color right outside your door as I sometimes miss yard flowers (but not the work). Nice to read that everyone is doing well and life is moving on with restrictions. I smiled at your mom's comments and yours as well. You are so right that we need to keep moving and not get burnt out, so I may go out for a bike ride today despite the warm temps.
We never smell any burning from our 5th floor apt and the fire alarms when they have gone off are so loud you want to leave the apt to escape the noise!
Beautiful flowers! Glad you are well!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hi Rita - the geraniums make your porch look larger this year. Great spinner toy addition for Annie - heavier balls seem to make her happy. Your video time with your grandsons is precious.
Hugs.
Joy
It is late Monday July 27...hope you are okay! No new post today!! :(
Post a Comment