Beautiful little maple leaves. I can’t believe how quickly every tree has leafed out this week. I suppose it’s a combination of the bizarre hot spell and rain – which we’re getting today. Now, almost every tree has leaves. The catalpas – always the last to leaf – are still bare.
I overdid yesterday. I started lopping off brambles, trying to open up some areas of the back forty that have been overrun by them. They’re like the cockroach of the plant world. They just keep going and multiplying. And then I mowed the back forty and the corral and the grassy area behind the kitchen.
I took a break, had some lunch, thought about showering. But then I looked at the front lawn, which was getting quite long very quickly and knew it was going to rain today and I wanted it to look good when Don came home. So I mowed it.
At the end of the afternoon I was well and truly exhausted. My arm muscles ache from using the lopper. My leg muscles ache from mowing.
And the irony? Don asked me this morning if I could come there, rather than him coming here, because he’s tired and his legs ache. That’s fine – he deserves to rest and he’s really sore at the moment.
But that’s why I mowed the dang lawn!
Anyway, I’m going in for the day and night tomorrow and I’ll come home on Tuesday. I have to plant seeds, weed, and mulch this week. I can’t put that off. And there will be a rainy day or two, so I have to get cracking. Soon, everything will be potted and planted and mulched and I’ll be able to pull way back and just enjoy. And spend a bit more time in the city with Don.
More pretty pink crabapple buds.
Happy Birthday to my brother Dave, who would have been 71 today.
Happy Sunday.
Goodness, you DID overdo. Well, rest up today for your trip into the city. We were outside all day yesterday as well, going to the nursery, bringing home plants for the pots and new ornamental grasses to plant, cleaning and moving out patio furniture, etc. One day soon though we all can sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor and let the warm breezes blow.
Yes, soon! I have a few more things to do then, other than lawn mowing, I can relax.
It makes me so happy to see all of the beautiful blooming around your place! I feel you on doing too much, though. But glad you’ll be together in the city for some downtime. Around here, it’s all packing and shuttering and locking and crossing things off lists—except when I get sidetracked by things like sewing new sofa cushions—What?? (Ability to stick to the task at hand is going away with every year that passes!)
I get distracted very easily, too!
You were busy, weren’t you? Hopefully you can relax before your trip into the city. I’m going to have to work around the rain, too, this week. And…I’m afraid I’ll be planting things earlier than normal this year. I just can’t resist…on this. I can #resist! ;)
It’s raining today, so I’ve been forced to have some downtown. That’s a good thing.
but just think… when you come back it’s all mown and cleaned up and beautifully waiting for you!
but it does make me think of murphy’s law. as sure as you plan it one way it goes another!
the marine is my brother. because ‘once a marine always a marine’. he is also my best friend
and my only family now. your happy birthday to your absent brother touches my heart.
have a wonderful time in your lovely little NY home with your very own Broadway star! xoxo
He died when he was 44. Almost 30 years ago. Thanks, Tammy.
xo
Enjoy your reward…time with Don. As Tammy J writes, it’s done and will be awaiting your return. Nothing like a good reason for motivation, even if the reason de-materializes. Not equal at all to your labor, but I finally finished sewing my sofa cushion protectors yesterday. I was procrastinating like heck, and when I finally sat down at the sewing machine, boom, I got them sewn in less than 20 minutes, and onto my sofa in less time than that. Why was I waiting around? Yes, I know, because it was a boring chore. Happy birthday to your brother, Claudia. I know you miss him. I’m fortunate to have two brothers. And we all get along splendidly.
Thanks, Wendy.
Happy Birthday to your brother. I hope enough time has passed that you can enjoy the good memories.
I do. It’s been almost 30 years, which doesn’t seem possible. I wish he and Don had had the chance to meet.
Claudia, Happy birthday to your brother. Oh dear girl, don’t you wish you had a Jacuzzi hot tub?? I sure wish I did, at times. You sound like me , once I get outside working, I just keep going….not event thinking of sore muscles and aching feet. Oh boy then we pay later. Blessings to you, enjoy your city time with Don. xoxo,Susie
I do. I could use a hot tub right about now! Thanks, Susie.
you’ve been extra-busy, claudia! hope you have been able to rest and relax today and the aches have disappeared … then soon enough you will be in nyc with don! and when you return home, you can enjoy all the pretty green grass, buds and blossoms, the result of all your efforts. :)
safe, quick travels!
kathy in iowa
And do even more work when I get back! Thanks, Kathy.
Overdoing it seems so crazy when you look back at it “why in the world didn’t I stop when I knew I should” ~ but seems totally logical when you are actually in the moment of doing it!
Pruned all of the hydrangeas today. Still much cleaning up in various garden beds is ahead. With a bad knee, I just have to pace myself, so I have no choice but to stop every little bit and put my feet up. Usually I give myself 30 mins to regroup and head out again. It is a lovely day here. Only about 71* and no humidity. I’d call it perfect!! Safe travels on your journey into the city. Enjoy!
Good that you pace yourself, Chris! That’s smart! Thanks.
WOW! You sure have done a lot. Mowing the lawn is one thing I only do in a day. I do not do anything but mow and save the rest for another day. You put me to shame. I will probably mow the lawn tomorrow,if I feel alright. I have a cold and it is starting to wind down.
Marilyn
Feel better, Marilyn!
The little crabapple buds are so pretty; I don’t know anything about crabapples.
You could run circles around someone half your age, Claudia.
I’m still coming down off the ‘high’ of watching the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on HBO last night; last thing I’m watching on HBO before cutting it off on Monday to reduce expenses (I waited, looking forward to this show). Bon Jovi didn’t disappoint although I wanted them to play ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’. But the showstopping highlight, for me, was Ann Wilson singing “Black Hole Sun” in tribute/memoriam to Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. It seems like such a hard song to sing and the guitar accompaniment with someone of whom I wasn’t familiar, Jerry Cantrell, was haunting…and I felt really stirred, saying to myself, “This is epic.” (Epic, as in epic performance. Like, five years from now, a youtube video of her singing that song will have how many million hits, just like hers of “Stairway to Heaven” when Heart did the Zeppelin tribute at the Kennedy Center Honors sometime back. She is 67 years old and a ROCK DIVA.)
Last night I pulled up Rolling Stone (online):”Wilson and Cantrell honored Cornell with a sparse, faithful rendition of Soundgarden’s ‘Black Hole Sun.’ The two veterans played without a band and eschewed fancy visuals – the backdrop suggested a night sky speckled with stars. Cantrell recreated the song’s swells and crashes with echoey, mournful lines on guitar, while Wilson handled Cornell’s dour lyrics, growling through the verses and surging through the track’s yearning hook. As the track progressed, Cantrell became Wilson’s backup singer, and the two brought the song to a close with solemn rounds of call-and-response.”
(I was on my feet and had to switch on the ‘pause’ button and go do something else before I continued with the show; just had to take a moment after all that – – and, ironically, in the later 80s to mid-90s or so, I was listening to other types of music entirely and didn’t even know who Chris Cornell was [Soundgarden, Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam were all a generation below mine; they had a younger audience] but it’s been a real treat to discover some of this music in later years…which is the wonderful thing about rock music [any music], in that the good stuff lasts.)
Claudia, back to the post (sorry to get off topic again, this time music), does Don have to stand/dance for most of each performance; does his character not sit much; is he onstage for the entire show or does his character come & go during the show – – such that between on-the-feet every night for the musical, plus all the stairs he’s going up and down at the theater and/or apartment, this is what’s getting to his achy legs (and not enough rest for them because the days off are so few; is this a common Broadway-actor thing, ’cause I can see where it could be – -of course, like me and my husband, both of us with aches & pains now in these older years, we’re all not 30 anymore). Too bad he can’t soak in a tub of hot water although I know you said they have a physical therapist on staff. Heating pads? Or ice? Poor guy. Poor YOU. How can you now BOTH not be achy after all this mega activity! I know too few people in our age group who are as physically active as are you and Don; it amazes me. (Maybe I just live among couch potatoes!)
I skipped over your words about the induction ceremony because I haven’t seen it yet and I’m going to save watching it until Don is home on a day off and can watch it with me.
Lots of steps, a past injury – this is what all the people in the show wrestle with. Everyone is getting PT and many of them have chronic injuries to deal with. He’s going to look into an appointment with an orthopedic specialist, just to get some ideas on how to handle it.
Oh, shoot; didn’t mean to be a spoiler about the Hall of Fame thing.
Poor Don – – because this could go on for awhile yet with the show.
I needed to be outside today putting new plants and seeds into pots plus I have plants that need transferred into bigger pots…unfortunately it has been a rainy day and much cooler…We have better days ahead this coming week so I hopefully will get all of this done…No wonder you are aching girl…you definitely over did it!…The crab apple blossoms are so pretty…I never was aware that crab apples could be eaten Claudia…do you eat yours?…Have a nice visit with Don…sounds like the the two of you need to just kick back, relax, rest and enjoy each others company…