We thought for a while that the Summer of Oh-9 might not ever make its appearance. It was cool into July, and blessedly rainy. It was rainy to the point that hearty Midwesterners who are used to cracked, dry clay were beginning to wonder if they were going to need to grow gills and fins. But, all good things come to an end. We have passed through the season of the pretty pinks and burgundies and pale peaches and whites, to the season of COLOR!
When it finally turns hot at Chez Buffy, Rudbeckia save the day. I have two types of rudbekia which are volunteers (thanks to the chipmunks), and a third that I’ve planted intentionally, called Rudbekia ‘Goldsturm.’ These are the plants that will carry us through August and into the season of chrysanthemums.
The plant in the picture below is the simplest of the rudbeckias. I think of it as a Black-eyed Susan. The petals are a little rounded, and it’s just gold and dark brown.
This plant, with the extra ring of burgundy on the petals, seems to be the one that is everyone’s favorite. It’s very tall, and unless you stake it, it will drop and flop any way it pleases, usually impeding the use of the sidewalk.
And this plant is Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm.’ I have six or seven of these plants scattered throughout the gardens. This is just one plant in the picture. Those that receive more water (or less heat, or more sunlight) are the biggest, but it grows under almost any adverse condition.
I have one other tall gold-flowering plant that has just been planted in the gardens near the front door. This year I bought a gold/yellow version of a purple coneflower. I may look for the “sunset” colored variety next year, to encourage the red shades in the garden.
Sounds
Sounds that quietly took over my thoughts:
The insistent rapping of a woodpecker’s beak on a tree in the grove.
The warning beeps of heavy machinery, backing up as they work on a road nearby.
The sound of birds chattering about that person in the pink hat keeping them from the newly filled bird feeders. (The goldfinch was fearless, or very hungry. It disregarded me and ate it’s fill.)
Laughter from women walking on the path to the east of our house.
A plane flying over as it nears the airport.
My ankles popping, when I stand.
I spent about an hour in the herb garden on my hands and knees, weeding. I haven’t even finished one quarter of the path. I’ll be going out for one more hour very shortly, but I wanted to note what a noisy place it turned out to be.
Noise or not, it was peaceful, and I appreciate the sense of accomplishment it gives me.
Monday Intentions
I am having a slow, lazy, procrastinating day. I cannot motivate myself. I know if I get up from this chair I will find twenty things that NEED to be done. If I stay in this chair, and turn away from the computer there will be another gross of things to be done in the office. I don’t want to do any of it. But I will… I think I’m going to start by putting the whites in the dryer, and then going out to work in the garden for an hour or two.
This morning, in the comments at L.A.Times Crossword Corner blog, one of the readers posted the parable of Leshon HaRa (I think I have that right.). Essentially it’s the story which shows that harsh words, once spoken, can never be taken back. When I was in fifth grade, I had an amazing teacher, and she stopped one day to share this lesson with us. I was left with an image of harsh words, like musical notes, flying from my mouth, never to be recaptured. That image has stayed with me lo these many years. I truly try to muzzle myself when I’d really rather speak my mind. I don’t always succeed, but I’ve gotten better at it. In the parable, the rabbi tells the unkind person, who wishes to repent, to open a feather pillow and shake out all the feathers. When he has, the rabbi tells him to now collect each of the feathers and put them back in the pillow. When he objects, and says it is an impossible job, the rabbi likens it to trying to take back harsh words.
There are too many harsh words in the world. Just too many. I believe that we have shifted from people who care about their community, to people who only care for themselves, and I hope that pendulum swings back, soon!
This same fifth grade teacher also talked one day about intentions. She said intentions were good, as long as you follow through on them. Otherwise, the best of intentions is worthless. I recall that she used this example: “I was going to take the garbage out.” She made her point in a way that suited a ten year old mind, and stuck!
My intentions for the day are to make my bed, empty and refill the dishwasher, start another load of laundry, water the inside plants, and the outside plants, work in the gardens, and work in the office. I also have to take Ed for a vet visit, this afternoon.
So, I’m going to sign off, and wish you a wonderful Monday, while I go turn intentions into gold.
Dueling Sisters
Well…not really. It just sounded like a good title. Frankie and I went to one of the classes offered by Sur La Table. This first class was on knife handling. Other than changing my grip on the knife, I have most of the technique down. I tend to put my index finger out over the tang of the knife as I cut. The instructor said that a pincher grip would be easier on my hand and arm.
It was fun to see how the chef handles basil leaves when making chiffonade. She rolls them up from left to right (or right to left….it doesn’t matter which direction) and then cuts narrow little slices crosswise to make thin ribbons. We used them in the bruschetta that the class ate at the end of the session.
The assistants brought us appetizer plates with three or four oven baked “French fries” and a dollop of aioli. Wowwwwwwwww, was that good, and what a simple appetizer to have ready when you plan to entertain. Cutting both potatoes and garlic were covered in the class. We practiced on potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic and basil last night. We had the start of a pretty good Minestrone, but almost everything was thrown out. Too bad they don’t save everything for a composting facility!
I have to admit that I am unable to work at that “Whack-whack-whack-whack-whack” speed that SOME people (rolling my eyes at Frankie) seem to enjoy. I value my fingers too much to mess around with a knife. Besides, it’s harder to control the size of the dice when you’re a speed demon, unless you have a lot of practice.
I bought some new cutting boards while I was there, and an inexpensive spring form pan. We both forgot the scrapers we wanted to get, so I may make another stop there tomorrow.
I can’t wait for the class on grilling in early August. I’m going to be sure to have my camera ready to go so that I can show you pictures of my oh-so studious sisters! *G*
It’s a LOT of fun to take classes with my sisters. I’m so glad that Frankie got us organized!
Peaches and Strawberries
FRESH peaches and strawberries. I am so ready for summer produce! Our grocery chain had peaches for sale, and as I walked by their scent wafted up at me. I couldn’t resist touching them, and discovered that they weren’t rock hard! I bought three or four, and then bought more the next time I was in the store. I’ve been eating peaches and strawberries at breakfast and dinner. I shared them with my sister, Frankie, of Just My Opinion, while she was visiting this week. YUM!!
When I was in my twenties, I lived in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago. The week after I was married, my parents and youngest sister moved to Table Rock Lake in Missouri. My father would make occasional trips up this way for business, and I asked him to bring me a bushel of peaches from one of the orchards in his area.
He made the trip, and had to wait a day until I could drive down to Joliet to meet him. I was rather surprised to find that half the bushel of peaches was gone! They were so ripe when he started out that they began to bruise before he got into Illinois, and waste no-want not kind of guy that he was, he pared away the bruised spots with his pocket knife and ate the rest. I found peaches on every surface toward the end of the room near the air conditioner. He’d really tried to get them to last for me, but FRESH peaches are fragile. I hope to make a simplified peach “pie” that was featured on the cover of Midwest Living last summer. I saved the color picture because it was so enticing.
I visit the L.A.Times Crossword Corner blog almost every day. We were talking about zucchini for some reason. It’s likely it was puzzle-related to start, but you never know what prompts some of the discussion. At any rate, I thanked the posters for reminding me that I needed to go out and harvest my zucchini, that there was a baseball bat sized one waiting for me. That prompted a flood of recipes to use up zucchini. I think almost everyone has a zucchini bread recipe in their files. Someone posted a link to Simply Recipes to the chocolate zucchini cake. I’ll be making that cake tomorrow! I wasn’t kidding about the big zucchini. It’s got to be about a foot long and my hand won’t close around the width. I may make some zucchini bread while I’m at it. I’ll be caring for Elegante Mother this weekend, so I’ll take some of both to her.
It’s that time of year. I suspect that I’ll have a lot to say about fresh produce in the coming months. Why would anyone eat a frozen dinner when they could have tuna salad with fresh dill on a tomato warm from your garden?
Coasting
That dreaded nap time has hit again. I have too much to do to take a nap right now! I’m just coasting a bit until I’m ready to get back to work.
Frankie is coming in tonight for a short stay. We have always wanted to take a class at Sur La Table, and things have worked out just right that we can do TWO this summer. We’re going to start tomorrow night with a class on knife techniques. I have a collection of Wusthoff knives that I love, and if there are better ways to use them, I’m all for learning about it. Besides, I get to hang out with Frankie!
Tomorrow, my CPA is coming to work on the quarterly reports for the companies. I used to do these on my own, but once we went to computerized books, she began to do the forms. I use the time to ask how to correct problems on the computer, and learn a little more basic bookkeeping. It’s a relief to know that the government forms are done correctly. I have never liked the thought of being responsible for errors that could cost money.
I’m not sure what else Frankie and I will do while she is here. I expect to have a “girl’s night in” dinner, tonight. Dear Husband is going to be away. We might watch a movie, or go to bed early enough that we can get a really early start on the day tomorrow. Frankie has to go home early on Thursday because it’s her oldest daughter’s birthday.
Which reminds me….I need to shop for a card….
So, I’m going to clean off my desk, to be sure that I am ready for the CPA, and my sis, and I’ll catch up with you all (y’all) in a few days. Have a good week!
Exercise
This past week I have been the guest leader of our exercise class. Our guru, Lynda, has become a grandma again, and she wanted to have a week with her daughter and grandchildren. I’m always pleased when she asks me to sub. It’s the closest I get to teaching these days. She first asked me to sub three years ago when her parents became seriously ill. She gave me the music for the class, and a list of the exercises she was doing during each song. I spent a long weekend counting out the beats of the music, to determine how many times we needed to repeat the movements. I copied that information onto large sheets of poster board, in what I call my personal “cheat sheets.”
We have upgraded exercise since then. We’re working harder and a little bit faster. Lynda discovered that we old folk are capable of doing more than she expected, so she has added more yoga and balance to the sessions. When I use this older set of exercises, we are all aware that it’s a bit less challenging. I’m at the point where I will have to spend another weekend counting out music and exercises and making another set of cheat sheets to upgrade the level of effort.
I was pleased that Monday’s exercise went well. Wednesday the room was full! Most of the class of forty turned out. Today, I thought we might be lucky to have six or eight people come to class since it was the start of the long holiday weekend. I didn’t stop to count, but I think we may have had about 26 people in class, and they were all there to work!
I feel blessed that my fellow exercisers are willing to have me lead the class, and further blessed that they make it so easy to guide them. I’ve really enjoyed the week. There were a couple of unexpected benefits. I’ve had some knee problems that are just beginning to improve. When I was leading class, I forgot to baby the knee, and I discovered that I could do more than I expected. And, when I lead class, I tend to work harder, so I got more benefit from the exercise than usual. I’ve felt really good all week!
So….Thank you, Lynda, for inviting me to sub for you. It was MY pleasure!
The kindness of strangers
Thursday, I was driving down to see Elegante Mother. I’d been to exercise, stopped at home long enough to water plants, and was on my way. I was about a third of the way there when I realized I was having trouble staying awake. That alone should have scared me into waking up, but I really needed to close my eyes.
I was passing the parking lot of a very large park district sports field. It was almost empty, so I thought I would pull in and take a quick nap. I’ve never done this before, but it seemed to be the best of the choices open to me.
I left the car running so that it would stay cool. I was parked so that I was facing away from the sun. I tilted my head back and was gone in a flash. About ten minutes later there was a loud knocking at my passenger window. A young woman was there, asking if I was all right. I’d fallen asleep with my mouth open, and she must have assumed that I had had a heart attack.
I was mightily embarrassed to have been caught like that, but comforted that a stranger would stop to check up on me. I reassured her that I was fine, and both of us left the parking lot. It seems that just ten minutes made all the difference. I made it to my destination without any problems.
I used to be the original sleep anywhere kid, but as I’ve gotten older my sleep patterns have changed a bit, and not for the best. I have a bad knee that makes it difficult to find a comfortable position in which to sleep, and it wakes me several times during the night. It addition to that, despite the fact that I want to be up at 5:00 in the morning, I still don’t have the smarts to be in bed at 9:00 at night. I really need to work on that. Short changing myself of sleep when I’m already deprived is just stupid! (Don’t tell my step-daughter I used that word. I’m supposed to be erasing it from my vocabulary for the sake of our granddaughters!)
At any rate, all’s well that ends well.
Yet Livin’ June 27, 2009
Yup, I’m yet livin’! I’ve been busy, but no busier than most of you. I’ve had a flurry of obligations followed by the calm of low tide.
I made a two day trip to Iowa, with my sister, Frankie, of Just My Opinion. It was a voyage of remembrance for me, and one of discovery for her. Our grandparents and their children lived in Iowa. My sister had heard stories of “the farms” all her life, and it was time for her to go see them, and get to know those who farm them better. I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, seeing the houses where my aunt and grandparents lived, and the house where my father was raised. I was astounded by the generosity of everyone we met in Iowa. They were generous with their time, their information, their smiles, and concern. This was perhaps the best quick trip I have ever made! Thank you, Iowans!
Monday, just past, I was scheduled for an insurance audit. I was prepared, but just to be on the safe side, I skipped exercise to be sure that everything was ready. Eleven o’clock came and went with no auditor at my door. By 11:22 I called, to see if she was lost and needed directions. No answer. I have still not received a return call. I believe a letter to the company is warranted.
I’ve started a new quilt top. I have a small wall-hanging-size quilt that is bands of four patches on point alternated with strips of solid fabric. I have it folded into quarters and Ed, the cat, lays on it when I am at the computer in the living room. I’ve always loved that little quilt and decided to make a larger version of it. True to form, I may be making two larger quilts. I started cutting up scraps and ends of small pieces of fabric before I had the design planned out. Of course, now I have more squares than I need for one quilt, so I may put together two to use up all the cut pieces. Pictures to come, sooner or later.
I have a great deal of weeding to do. I thought I was going to have help from a grandnephew, but that’s fallen through. I’m going to try to work tomorrow morning while it’s still cool, and the sun is not overhead. I may even work at it this evening once the gardens are in the shade of the house. If I can’t keep up with the weeding, I may see if my favorite landscaping company can give me a couple of hours. I’m going to have two willow trees planted this summer, so perhaps they can do it then.
Our exercise guru’s daughter gave birth to her second baby recently. Lynda will be going to spend a week or so with them, and I’ve been invited to take over the class next week. I need to spend a little time reviewing the music and the moves and create a new cheat sheet, if necessary, before Monday morning. I really enjoy working with the class, and they seem to be willing to have me lead them.
Thank you notes. I have a stack of thank you notes I need to write. Frankie puts me to shame with her beautiful, hand-written, notes. I think I’ll print up a list of the notes I owe, and do a few now and then through out the day. This is one obligation I really want to get done!
I finally stopped at the local upholstery place to start looking at fabric samples. Of course, I’ve waited so long that the color I want, spruce green, is no longer available. There is a sea of moss, tarragon, sage, basil or even lime green to be had. I think the people who choose what colors will be offered each year must have been very hungry. I had originally planned to have two chairs and an ottoman done in a solid green, but now that I think about it, It might be a better idea to have a chair and the ottoman done in a floral print, and then have the couch and loveseat done in a solid green. There are SO many variables, it makes my head swim. And this is going to be done piecemeal, so I can’t just order everything at one time, which makes it even harder. This is one chore I’m not enjoying.
I have finally repotted three plants that have been waiting for months for just a little dirt! Two plants for my bathroom, and a geranium that I wintered over are now the proud possessors of new homes! There’s a plant in the green room that needs to be killed off. It’s grown oddly and can no longer get enough food and moisture from the pot it’s in. It’s too leggy to save, so I’m going to have to do the unthinkable and cut it up. There is also a euphorbia, that I’m going to take cuttings from. This plant has grown so well that it can’t hold itself up in the little pot that holds the roots. Luckily, it’s an easy plant to propagate, so I’m going to get new pots and soil, and get started on that. I think I may give one to my Mother.
And the last bit of news…I cut off half my hair. I walked into the salon for my appointment and said….”Shave my head!” My hairdresser smiled, and said, “We can do that.” I back tracked a bit, and we compromised on cutting all of the lower length, and most of the sides. Now, I look a bit more like my sisters, who all have short hair. I don’t think it was a mistake, but if it is, it will always grow back.
I hope you’re all having a good day, and wish you the best for the weekend!
Little things
It’s a brilliant Sunday in Buffyland. We had rain Friday night and a good part of Saturday, and it’s perfect weather today to be working in the gardens. I’m going out very shortly, but I wanted to blog first.
Have you ever done something with the best of intentions and had it turn around and bite you? I get into that position now and then. My people skills have never been the best, and I rarely know what someone is thinking. I can put my foot in my mouth with the best of ’em, and I did…with one of my siblings. Another of them counseled me to let it go, and stop “looping.” It was good advice. There’s no point in wallowing in it. I might as well get on with life!
So, it fascinated me that an on-line friend had run into a very similar problem. The advice I had been given was perfect for her, too, and I shared it. Was this a coincidence? Pre-destination? Fate? I haven’t any idea, but I’m glad that I had a little growth spurt and was able to share it. *S*
Dear Husband is off boating. Second Son is at a convention. Edward Scissorhands and I are on our own for the weekend, and it’s been very quiet, but fun. I finished a ton of filing in the office (of course there’s more to be done), and read for a bit. I went to see “Angels and Demons” last night (a good pot boiler, that was fairly faithful to the book.). I’m going to play in the gardens for a bit, and then do a little grocery shopping. And then, I’m going to start making four-patches for a new scrap quilt! Yea! It isn’t often that there are so few demands on my time. I better take advantage of it!
Monday and Tuesday I will be traveling to Iowa and back with my youngest sister. This is a trip for her to see places that we have all talked about but she was too young when she was there to remember. My grandparents lived in Des Moines at the time Frankie was born. I can remember that she slept in a dresser drawer when we visited the summer after her birth. *G* So….we’re going off on a memory trip.
I hope you all enjoy a relaxed Sunday, and have a great start to your week!