Wednesday 13 July 2016

Wed. July 13

I'm still wiping the sleep out of my eyes as I type this. Yesterday we headed over to a soccer field about an hour and a half away (how are they even part of our league??). Our son drove the "new" third vehicle and did very well. Husband sat in the back seat and I sat in the front because he has a hard time not saying things and really doesn't like it when somebody else is driving (including me!). The game was very good, but I wasn't paying close attention because I was talking to some of the other parents. One parent I have known for a  long time. She is interesting and informative. Both she and her husband were born in Holland and they have worked very hard to establish a large pig operation here and are successful farmers. The parent to the other side of me belongs to a religion where the women are required to wear long skirts all the time. I was constantly surprised at how uninformed she was of very basic, simple things in life. I did not have much in common with her. She spoke of how she didn't want her children to grow up and she wanted to live with them when they grew up. I couldn't hold my tongue and told her that it is important to let our children live their lives and become independent people with self-confidence enough to go out and become individuals in the world. I am not big on naivete and ignorance and I found it all a bit grating.

It has been incredibly hot here. I like hot. I don't complain about it because it is so infrequent. I also remember winter and what it feels like and I'd take hot any day. The lawn is crunchy and dormant. I water my planters and hanging pots daily. I have soaker hoses set up in my little vegetable garden. I don't bother to water my big flower beds. That would be a never ending job, so my perennials and shrubs just tough it out.

In bloom at the moment: spirea, hollyhoks, delphiniums, hydrangea, unnamed tall  yellow flower?
My front bed has become quite overgrown. There is actually a path that runs through it, but you can't really see it at the moment.


This plant is in a different bed. I do not know its name, but it is doing very well and puts on a nice show right now. It is a tall plant, generally over three feet in height.

I love this daylily. I'd have to go look up the name, can't recall at the moment.

How goes my gluten free world? Pretty good so far. The pain in my hips was quite diminished two nights ago, but I still have considerable pain in my tailbone region and am very stiff and sore when I wake up. I would not say that I have noticed significant changes yet. Here is a cereal which I bought. It is o.k. The flavor and texture reminds me of Captain Crunch cereal from my youth ( I was allowed to eat all kinds of junk as a child). It is specifically labeled gluten free. I probably wouldn't buy it otherwise, as there are other cereals which I much prefer.

Today has nothing special in store. I have been procrastinating painting the den. It needs a new paint job and the three cans of paint have already been purchased. I'm just being a bit lazy. Maybe I will wait for this heat wave to pass... but I'm not complaining.

8 comments:

  1. Jenn, It may be hot there, but it sure is pretty in your yard. :):) There is no excuse in the world why women have to be uninformed. Knowledge is power. :) Blessings, and good luck with gluten free.xoxo, Susie

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    1. I agree that in today's world (and she had a cell phone in her hand!) that there is no excuse for not knowing (unless of course you enjoy being ensconced in ignorant bliss).

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  2. I'll take hot over cold any time, too. I cannot stand winters and have a harder and harder time tolerating them as I get older. I don't like sweltering heat for extended periods of time but the frigid Canadian winters are worse; we end up being stuck indoors.

    You meet all kinds of interesting people at these events. Most of the time I keep my opinion to myself but sometimes it's just too hard!

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  3. I think your mystery plant is either Helianthis or Heliopsis. I can't remember which is which...they look similar! Your flower beds are gorgeous!

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  4. It's me again. I just googled the two, and I think it's Heliopsis. One of my favorite perennials! ( which is inadvertently forgot to save for myself when I got rid of my large perennial bed last spring!)

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  5. What a gorgeous yard you have Jenn. There is SO much growing and beauty! I can no longer do 100 degree days...I think I'm read for Autumn. Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked recently? It seems to be a health issue recently that so many of us are deficient in this...may help your joint pain. I love that you spoke your mind to the woman who seems so uninformed! We must encourage our children to fly on their own! Have a great weekend coming up Jenn!

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  6. What absolutely lovely pictures of your yard! Someday I want to learn enough to landscape with blooming plants as you have. Someday.

    Don't give up too soon on the no gluten route. It takes our bodies a long time to "go wonky" so we can't expect them to get back on track to strong and healthy lickety-split. (Discouraging, ain't it?) Hang in there!

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  7. Your flowers are so beautiful!
    I love flowers, but must admit I don't take good care of ours. I get kind of burnt out caring for the veggies. lol

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