Lately...

 I really haven't been posting much. There's not much of big importance (in my own experience, not world wide) that I feel a deep need to write about, but here's what's been on the forefront. 

Weather / Time of Year: I know lots of people whine and complain about this heat, but I love it. It feels like summer, which is perfect for someone who lives in winter for about six months of the year. August, as I've written about before, has a distinct "feel" to it. It's a crickety, crunchy, hot, winding down, kind of feel. This is, of course, the first year in thirty-one that I am not mentally gearing up to get ready for another school year. We in Ontario begin school right after labour day at the beginning of September. So, August has always meant a wrapping up of freedom and beginning of routine. Not this year, although I intend to continue to do some supply work because after a lot of soul searching I realized that I still want a foot in the game. I still like the job, still like being with the kids, still enjoy the camaraderie with my fellow teachers and ed. assistants. 

Gardens: In bloom now are my tall phlox, some types of hydrangeas, purple cone flowers (echinacea), some remaining although lacey-leaved looking hollyhocks, and of course, seas of black eyed Susan (rudbekia). It's a very yellow and purple world right now. We are enjoying much from the vegetable garden including potatoes, beets, beans, lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, and very very soon... tomatoes!! It's also peach season, be still my heart, and I have been enjoying my favourite breakfast (or lunch), oatmeal with cinnamon, sliced fresh peaches, and vanilla yogurt. I've also made one peach pie so far. Perhaps I'll share the recipe. Our peaches come from the Niagara region of Ontario.

Pests: Husband's time and efforts were required this past week to deal with a wasp (I think yellow jackets, specifically) problem at our back porch doorway. We live in an old yellow double bricked house. There was a small hole between the bricks over top of the doorway to our back porch. Great numbers of these winged beasties were coming and going through this hole. I was a bit hesitant to use that door, and I'm not generally scared of bees or wasps. So, after much research and contemplating, husband "suited up" and got ready to deal with the problem. This was one of those near 30 degree days. He put on thick canvas work overalls, topped by a thick canvas cold weather coat. I wrapped a scarf around his neck to protect that area, and then a bug hat (covers entire head) went on over that. He had tall rubber boots and gaunlet-type leather gloves. Duct tape was used to seal in any openings around wrists, legs, and waist. 

This is a picture I took through the back door of him beginning proceedings. 

Another picture taken through the screened window. 

How it looked after the old metal ceiling (soffit) was ripped down. Husband has since replaced the whole thing with new vinyl soffit and installed two new lights, instead of the old one light. He's handy that way. The current nest was found in the insulation that was above the room adjacent to this porch and some old nests were pulled out as well. Copious amounts of wasp spray were used and a wasp catcher is still hanging on the back porch to take care of any lingerers. That day, when he was done dealing with the nest and came back into the mudroom to be "disassembled" and out of his gear, he was sweating profusely and announced happily later that he had lost two pounds! Maybe not the best weight loss method, however. He did not, by the way, get stung even once!

Birthday: This month, husband celebrated a birthday. He is very hard to buy for. We are at the age and stage where if we really want something, we just buy it. So, for his gathering of our immediate family and two close friends, I created "the world's best charcuterie board". Husband's drug of choice is cheese, and we have gone to some vineyards for wine and a charcuterie board in the past, much to his delight (not so much for the wine, but for the cheese and meats). It was pretty impressive and far too big for just the amount of people at the time, so there were many tantalizing leftovers.

Cheeses that were featured were: Stilton blue (husband's absolute favourite), Brie, Smoked Cheddar, Swiss, Two-year old Cheddar (Balderson), and Jalepeno Monterey Jack. 

Hair: We all know about Covid hair. Nobody could make a hair appointment and we all looked hideous. Now that we can make appointments, I had called up a good hair dresser and I am waiting patiently for my September 7th appointment. Yes, she was booked up about a month and a half ahead of time. I've been dying my own hair for quite some time now because it is just a heck of a lot cheaper. Not saying I do a better job, because frankly, I don't. I'd much prefer getting someone to apply highlights and lowlights in just the right places and make me look good, but less than $20.00 is better than over a $100.00 every few weeks. If you want a glamour shot of the "roots" part of the process, here I am in all my glory, sitting at the computer playing Solitaire, waiting for the 20 minutes to be done.

Just spoils the magic, doesn't it?

Cat: Murphy the kitten is growing. He is still a pain in that everything continues to be a toy: rake, vacuum cleaner cord, feet, broom, little felt pads on the bottoms of chair legs, pillows... He is however, adorable when he is sleepy. Here he is today, helping me with this blog post.

He still torments Scooter to no end, but Scooter is now fighting back, which is good because he's always been a lover, not a fighter, but Murphy needs to understand pecking order.

And that, my friends, is it for now. Enjoy your day!