The bee balm is in bloom – Don’s favorite. That vivid red is never easy to photograph. You can see some milkweed off to the right. I’d say there are at least 12 milkweed plants scattered through the gardens. It used to pop up in the back forty, but it’s moved to the garden beds for the past 4 or 5 years. (And the front lawn, which is problematic.)
It was very hot and humid yesterday, so we mostly stayed indoors, suffering from allergy/humidity brain fog. Today will be stormy and I just heard a rumble of thunder in the distance. Don isn’t going to be at the Farmer’s Market today, because they are now in a parking lot out in the open and he can’t get that vintage camera wet.
The theme for this week seems to be redressing the girls. Yesterday was Imogen’s turn:
Later, I remembered that she has green eyes, too, which complement the stitching on the dress and the shoes.
We finished Borgen (the first series) last night. Excellent on every level! Tonight, we’ll start watching the new batch of episodes of Stranger Things. And I’m reading Spook Street the next book in the Mick Herron Slough House series.
Above all, I’m trying to stay grounded and find some peace. I didn’t watch or read any news yesterday as I seriously needed a day off which I’m pretty sure will turn into a weekend off. I’d rather scroll my Blythe feed on IG. Or read my book. Or water my houseplants. Or listen to my husband play guitar and sing.
All of which will take place today.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
Have a peaceful weekend!
You too, Barrie!
Stay safe.
that bee balm is beautiful.
too bad the farmers’ market setting changed. hope don is seeing more business (when the weather cooperates). i’d love some storms (as long as everyone is safe) … enjoy!
your plans for the weekend sound both wise and fun … trust you will enjoy them, too!
low-key plans for the weekend and holiday here (time with family, a walk and car ride, some cooking and chores). that is nothing new… and fine with me!
hope you all have a nice day. stay safe in every way!
kathy
So far, I’ve avoided the news and I’m going to continue that through the weekend.
Stay safe, Kathy.
I can see why the bee balm is Don’s favorite…it’s beautiful!
A peaceful weekend sounds perfect. I intend to sit on the porch and read…no news here either.
Take care
No news continues all day today and tomorrow, Marilyn!
Stay safe.
Love bee balm! Gorgeous photo!
Bee balm generally isn’t bothered by deer & rabbits. :)
Quick errand to run before noon, and then I’m in for the remainder of this hot, humid/sticky day.
Music and reading are my afternoon plans.
Have a peaceful weekend.
You too, Amy!
Stay safe.
My trend is to take the weekends off from news headlines. It’s working for me.
That bee balm is some amazing stuff for sure. Vivid color!
I don’t want to go anywhere for the Fourth; too much traffic since Thursday and the drum-up for the holiday weekend. I wish I could otherwise look forward to a quiet weekend, too, except that we’ve having ‘way too many fireworks already, although that’s been happening since June 1 and I expect to still be hearing them at Aug 1, because that’s just the stupid people in my stupid town (ouch, I’m being negative, but I resent how those ‘bombs’ going off every night are frightening my foster dog; he’s already so bothered by panic and anxiety as we continue to try to rehab him; thankfully his ThunderShirt is proving to help quite a lot [that comforting, swaddling effect] and we’re looking into ear muffs for him today).
I’m making a lot of typos these days; it’s my eyes and the darned cataracts which can’t yet be corrected/operated on.
Worried about the husband of one of my best friends of 47 years; they just live 15 miles from me here in Southern Calif; anyway, he’s got Covid. They took a vacation to Western Canada and were in airports, ferry terminal/boat, restaurants, hotels. She’s 75 and he’s 77, both completely vaccinated/boosted, but the virus broke thru (and she’s never without an N95 mask; thankfully she hasn’t herself tested positive; and, even more gratitude, the husband’s symptoms are mild except for a lingering cough; he still works full time so has been able to work remotely; this all happened in just the past two weeks; he came down with the cough the very evening they returned to Southern Calif); it’s still the risk of travel with so much additional virus exposure. (HER very best friend [from being childhood neighbors] took a cruise to Mexico and that woman’s husband got Covid on the ship. This is just in the last 45 days or so. She had to leave him in a Mexican hospital while she returned to Calif to sort out all the medical-insurance woes/logistics, finally able to transport him back to the states to a hospital here with the help of their adult son, and then the husband died from complications of the virus, so now she’s a widow and her son is fatherless, all over a vacation and was it worth it…)
For me? Of course I’m uber-cautious, but I just am feeling it’s not so safe yet to be taking these trips although my sister-in-law and her husband did go to Europe over Easter and managed to stay Covid-free. I just read online that the numbers are going the wrong way in France and they may institute more mask mandates soon (again); the same thing is going to happen in L.A. We’re expecting it any day.
We had a family wedding last week in L.A.; I didn’t go because of a few reasons although a big one was because the couple didn’t require masks of guests. The rest of the ‘family’ (groom’s family) didn’t entirely agree with this (the unmasking), but the bride’s family were basically in charge and they’re all from an East Coast state where apparently they’ve dealt with less Covid worries (I don’t know all the details). A senior cousin of ours wanted to attend from out of state, but she’s already had Covid and was very ill some six months ago (and for like three months afterward; the breathing thing) although she STILL refuses to vaccinate, so nobody really wanted her to come out for this wedding (I mean, they did, yet they didn’t); isn’t that just the saddest thing? Her own adult child wouldn’t ‘host’ her and risk Covid exposure to his own family. May sound harsh; but I can understand it. He’s in the medical field; he knows the dangers.
I lose track of all the specifics since I-myself don’t go anywhere or do much of anything, but I guess you don’t have to wear a mask right now on commercial jets; so, she could get on the plane despite being resistant to masks and vaccinations, but then she’d have not only the flight cost, a car rental cost (because nobody here wanted to be shut up in a car with her, chauffeuring her around), hotel cost (because nobody else in the family wanted her to stay with them, viewing her as a Covid liability; and, again, our numbers out here aren’t improving lately; what might have been good a week ago, is now worse; you have to be flexible and shift plans with the change); so, she just stayed home, back in the Midwest, missed the wedding, as the trip out here would have just cost her too much money, age 73 and on a limited fixed income.
So, you can call the rest of the more-immediate family ‘mean’ when it comes to Covid, but everybody has a right to assess their own risk. What a shame it all is, though; when our worlds in the past were so different, and we all could just be normal and live normally. (I had a guy yesterday want to shake my hand and I said, “I can’t; please don’t take offense; I have immune risk with Covid.” He was okay with it.) I think my out-of-state cousin could have yielded a little in these wedding plans, as much as she expected everybody else to yield to HER; like, what is so hard about wearing a mask, to protect others (your loved ones!) even if you’re not concerned about yourself? A mask is a simple and reasonable compromise.
(I have to clear my head of all this today because it IS sad. In another time, I would have loved seeing her [my older cousin] myself. I feel badly that the rifts had to occur within the family when a wedding should be such a happy time.)
With the friend of mine of whom I spoke several paragraphs back, whose husband is just now getting over Covid from such quite-recently being stricken, and she still hasn’t herself tested positive, she had a routine doctor’s appointment on Friday and they asked her to stay away; did a tele-med instead after she told the medical office she’d been exposed to Covid. They didn’t want her coming in! But what I don’t understand is that, for Fourth of July on Monday, even she and all their extended family are holding a big holiday bash/BBQ in L.A., like 20-30 family members. Is this wise? I didn’t say anything. My friend’s recovering husband will have his 98-year-old mother there, and I just have to believe they all know what they’re doing. I hope they all test first before gathering like that!
They’re not thinking. Willful ignorance is fueling their decision making. I wash my hands of it!
xo
I know. And they’re really intelligent people; both CPAs/Controllers of companies; investors themselves; became multi-millionaires. But what price health?
xo
We cannot afford any trips, but if we could, we wouldn’t go. I have a couple of coaching jobs ahead of me and I will definitely be masked.
Stay safe.
Smart girl, you; don’t take any chances. Thanx for being safe, Claudia.
xoxo
We already had fireworks last night via the neighboring campground. I’m sure we’ll have more tonight and tomorrow. Scout was terrified of them Collies have very sensitive ears. We could never control her when that happened so we always stayed home with her to try and comfort her. Thunder shirts were not a thing in those days.
Stay safe, Vicki.
Yeah, we can’t go anywhere. Our community fireworks (legal) can be seen from much of town or even our front yard, so we’ll stay put; never would leave the dog. I was standing with him in the daytime/outside yesterday when a big one went off and, poor thing, he cowered and tried to squeeze thru the slats in the fence. Terrified. Could have hurt himself had I not been right there with him. In the days before ThunderShirts (and by the way, it’s helping our big boy but certainly isn’t 100 percent success as it is for some breeds and dogs/cats; the rescue group says it gets about a 50/50 positive response-effect for the rescue dogs in the kennels onsite at the shelter; but, you know, ANYthing that helps these traumatized animals is a blessing), when my parents had a small dog before we kids were born in the many years ago, their doggie would froth at the mouth with fireworks; they felt she’d pass out from the fright/fear. So Mom would throw a big (lighter-weight) cotton quilt over the dog’s head and body; just hold the poor sweet thing in her darkened cocoon til the worst was past. (I feel so sorry for outside pets; it’s bad enough for inside ones with the awful, startling booms of these dreaded fireworks/’bombs’.)
We’ve had fireworks for two nights running and I’m sure we’ll hear more tonight. Sigh.
xo
Sounds like a lovely weekend! I am going to have my annual root beer float at sometime in the next three days. Have plenty of ice cream (it was on sale) but the kids and grandkids come over so it can go fast. Will put one container near the back where only I know where it is at. No news for me this weekend either! Happy 4th you two!
I love root beer floats, Tana! Enjoy!
Stay safe.
Happy 4th
Love the flowers
Brenda. B
Thank you Brenda!
Stay safe.
Your bee balm is gorgeous. I bought a starter plant that hasn’t once bloomed. Alas. I will revel in yours.
Smart of Don to keep the camera safe but sorry the rain hit on a market day. It’s windy and cool up here — 70s but feels much colder with the wind. First world problems…
He ended up going as the rest of the rain held off until late afternoon.
Stay safe, Jeanie.
Hello friend, here’s to you meeting Don those many years ago on the Fourth of July! 🎆❤️🎇🤩
Thank you, Ann Marie!
Stay safe.