My first coneflower has opened. I have scads of them throughout the property, so I look forward to this every summer. To me, they are the perfect cottage garden flower.
How did we spend our anniversary? Mowing the entire front lawn and secret garden in very hot and humid weather. It had to be done, but we were pretty tired at the end of that chore. Don cooked a great breakfast, a picnic-type lunch (veggie hot dogs and burgers) and a great dinner. We listened to James Taylor’s On the Fourth of July, which seems as if it was written for us. Several years ago a friend sent me a link to the song on our anniversary and I fell in love with it.
By the way, all those thunderstorms that were predicted for Friday? 100% chance of 2-3 inches of rain? Zip. We heard lots of thunder, but no rain. That’s the second time that has happened lately. We really, really need the rain. Sigh.
We’re taking it easy today. Don’s back is bothering him – too much lifting – so he has been ordered (by both of us) to refrain from any of that work for the next week. He, like me, doesn’t always know when to stop. I’m much better about that nowadays, but I’ve had years of experience working outside and last year kicked my butt so I made a vow to ease up this year and I’ve been pretty successful. I also made a vow to know when to ask for help and I did that, as well. Don, on the other hand, is a little newer to all of this. He’s learning the hard way, just as I did. So he’s on back rest. I’m sure he’ll walk his paths, etc., but no dragging falling trees or lifting rocks or even hoeing.
I’m reading Faith Fox by Jane Gardam, a British writer that I discovered in Oblong Books last year. She’s a wonderful and funny writer who completely gets human nature and her characters are richly detailed.
Maybe more work on the dollhouse today. Or the puzzle (which is unbelievably difficult). Or both. It’s going to be hot and humid again, so I’m headed out to water everything after I finish this post.
Stay safe.
Happy Sunday.
I read Gardam’s “Crusoe’s Daughter“ 7 years ago and gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. I really don’t remember it, so I think I’m due to read it again soon.
She’s really quite wonderful! Stay safe, Laura.
hope don’s back is better soon and you both are rested. that’s a lot of work you’ve been doing … especially in high heat and humidity!
hope you get the rain you need and enjoy the puzzle, book and dollhouse.
i like a challenge (learning how to knit cables, trying a new paint medium/project …) because it takes a lot of focus and gives my mind a break from all the bad stuff going on and i find myself more relaxed and feeling better … worth putting off chores for a couple hours.
like your photo of one pretty coneflower peeking out of all that greenery.
my sister and i had the pleasure of hearing james taylor when he came to town (more than a dozen years ago) … lovely show of music from my growing-up years.
hope you have a nice sweet sunday. and always stay safe.
kathy in iowa
I met him when I was living in Cambridge. I was sitting in the Public Gardens with a friend who was visiting and this guy was roller blading near us. He eventually sat down on the bench next to ours. It was James Taylor! He was quite nice but I didn’t talk long as I respected his privacy.
Stay safe, Kathy.
oh how nice for all three of you!
i bet james taylor enjoyed and appreciated your friendliness and respect for his privacy.
kathy in iowa
I do that with everyone I meet who is well-known. Just a hello, a thank you, and then I move on. Sometimes, I don’t say anything at all. xo
I was just listening to James’ ‘Fourth of July’ last nite; it may be my favorite recording of his although I also really like his take on Joni’s ‘River’ (and, I mean, really, with James Taylor, how can you choose; it’s impossible; too many favorites). Coincidentally then reading about him and how when he was an opiate addict, he had to get in a lot of physical activity (roller blading!?): “For years, Taylor ‘had to have three hours of exercise every day, no matter what. It was the only way I could stand to be in my own skin. I did a lot of aerobics, cycling, hiking, rowing … exercise was the only thing that gave me endorphins, and gave me some relief’.” This VARIETY article went on to say that he’s drug-free for the past 35 years (the piece was written in March of this year when James debuted his most-current LP called American Standard which I recently bought). His music is the soundtrack of our baby boomer lives, since I was in high school anyway, and now we’re retired. He also had such an incredible background-vocal team who’d been with him since the late 1970s but now, at this age, a couple of them no longer go on the road nor do I think they record with him anymore (I’m thinking David Lasley; well, maybe, like LP before last).
Oh dear; I just read that Nick Cordero lost his long ordeal in the battle against Covid; that sweet little baby will never know his daddy. So very, very sad.
Makes me feel petty to even write this, but my husband and dog and I tried to have a quiet day today after the fearsome night of fireworks which lasted nonstop for seven hours, nothing patriotic or celebratory, rather hedonism and a letting-off of steam, or something. (My husband said, “Is this what they spent their stimulus checks on?”) The words on most people’s lips today were that L.A. and the burbs were ‘war zones’ of illegal fireworks and if you google and see the youtube videos of the L.A. basin last night, it was really quite unbelievable, the sheer amount of fireworks, to the point of pollution that lasted throughout the day today, so smoky in the skies that I didn’t dare go outside with my asthma; we had air-quality warnings with high heat and fire danger, so these people setting off these rockets (or whatever they were), were being very irresponsible, breaking the law. My husband and I shook our heads; really, in the whole of our lives, have never had to experience such a thing to where our house windows were rattling-popping and I felt my dog’s heart would fail as she was so afraid and shaking even though we turned on continuous air blowing with the a/c, turned up music loud and did everything we could to muffle sound but you sure couldn’t do anything about the vibrations. It’s like when thunder is so loud and cracks that it makes you let out an involuntary scream. A friend of a friend told me that the latest thing is to make a fireworks cocktail inside of a 2-liter empty-plastic soft drink bottle, close the cap but leave the tail free and it explodes in a whole different, louder manner; I suppose people get this kind of obnoxious info online, but my husband wondered if some of these fireworks were brought in from other places because we’ve certainly never heard before, to our memory, what we heard last night. Be glad you’re out in the country, Claudia. (It took a full 24 hours for one of my petrified outdoor/feral cats to appear tonight; he missed his dinner yesterday evening, poor little guy.)
It wasn’t as bad here, but living in the country does not stop fireworks. We had two nights in a row of very loud fireworks displays – one of which was very close to our property. It’s dry here. We’re in a drought. Animals in the forests are frightened, as are we. What if our woods caught on fire?
I didn’t know Nick, but many of my friends and colleagues did. Simply gut-wrenching. Rest in Peace, Nick.
Oh, I was thinking you might be saved from illegal fireworks but, yes, your dry woods could definitely catch on fire. An apartment complex burned down in L.A. on 4th of July due to fireworks. How’d you like to come home to THAT shell of a building, be out of your home and all your belongings? So selfish. And I did mourn for not just wildlife in all that deafening, going-on-forever noise and blasts, but also domestic pets left in backyards, that sort of thing. It’s when they harm themselves trying to get away, find some kind of safety; their ears are so sensitive.
What I found concerning with various social media commentary (as related to me by my husband, since I don’t ‘do’ social media and he sometimes just reads me things) and even youtube comments from videos taken of the fireworks going off, especially around 9pm on 4th of July here in the L.A. environs (unless I somehow misinterpreted), was the attitude of commenters, that the illegal fireworks were a fu*k you to authority, to our local leaders and governor, failing to see that any shutdown of public events, the beaches, etc. is for their own safety and not trying to take down their American freedom. So, again, it wasn’t about celebration but instead acts of defiance (for all the wrong reasons). Rebellion. And proud of it. Asking myself, who ARE those people? But I think I know the answer to the question.
They’re Trumpers.
Sounds like you and Don are having a well deserved rest. I read Bilgewater by Jane Gardam years ago but I can’t remember the plot!
Last night I watched Hamilton the musical on TV, I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t sure for the first fifteen minutes, mainly as I didn’t know of some of the historical figures such as Hamilton himself and Aaron Burr. (I do know about George the Third & The War of Independence) I got Wikipedia out and started to follow along, within forty minutes I was hooked! The singing and choreography are superb! It also led to further research as there’s mention of Theodosia and I thought is this the Theodosia from the novel by Anya Seton and it is!
Happy Sunday
It’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen – maybe the best. I saw A Chorus Line’s first National Tour as well and I feel the same way about both musicals. Groundbreaking. Both of them changed musical theater forever. Seeing Hamilton live was one of the thrills of my lifetime. I got to see it on Broadway.
Glad you enjoyed it, Dee Dee! Stay safe!
I discovered Jane Gardam a couple of years ago thanks to a friend who with her husband owns the Harvard Book Store. She recommended Old Filth which I loved. This led me to the other books in that trilogy; wonderful. Have also read Faith Fox, Bilgewater, and Queen of the
Tambourine. A great author that I have recommended to many reader friends!
I’ve heard great things about Old Filth and the trilogy and I think that’s what I’ll start on next. I also have Last Friends on my TBR pile – I got it on sale a while back. It’s part of the trilogy, right? She is a wonderful, wonderful writer and it’s amazing to me that I never heard of her until last year! Where was I?
Stay safe, Betsy!
I’m so glad you had a good day. I was going to say relaxing, but after all the mowing, I can hardly say that. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet…growing grass doesn’t wait for anyone. It does sound like both of you just need to take the day off.
After all the rain we got several weeks ago? It appears now, we are greatly lacking in precipitation. So…it’s off to the sprinklers for me! There is much to water. It is hot here, too. Stay safe and cool! ;)
It is so dry here! And our hose isn’t working – we need to replace the spigot – so I have to water everything by hand. Stay safe, Donna.
Oh…that’s horrible. Please be careful…water is heavy! ;)
I will!
Good you’re taking it easy today. Sometimes you don’t realize how the heat is affecting your body until it’s almost too late. It wasn’t bad if you stayed in the shade yesterday so we were out “socializing” with the neighbors as much as we felt we could. They’re all thirties/forties and I have to admit I was impressed when the family smoking the brisket for the shared meal wore face masks to serve it up. Everyone came up with novel ways to individually serve other foods.
There were around 15 little kids, riding red, white and blue decorated bikes, having their faces painted, playing games, and twirling sparklers at dusk. We went in fairly early, having no little ones because this was very much a child-centered celebration. The dads shot off low key fireworks, more sparks than bangs, and I’m sure those children will have memories of this the rest of their lives.
Stay cool.
Kay
It sounds like you had a lovely 4th, Kay. I’m so glad. It’s great to see kids having fun – it sort of makes the day. Stay safe!
Sounds like a smart idea to lay back a little. It’s hot here, 90s (maybe only high 80s or low 90s today) and so far the water is like glass. I may do my morning swim soon. I suspect a lot of the boat crazies have left for home, although there are boats out this morning. It was like Grand Central over the weekend — not quite our cuppa tea but take the heavenly with the hellish at times and overall, I’d rather be here! It feels safe with neighbors close enough to talk through the porches across to the deck, cooling water and now that the fireworks are done, a more social cat. Works for me!
I finished my puzzle last night with a bit of contribution from Rick. I think an old one of the NYSubway is next, since we have it here. I’m not sure I’m up to the Robin Hood one — I might need a year for that one! Take care and lay low!
Oh, I envy you your swim in the lake!
Stay safe, Jeanie!