We Skipped Spring and Went Directly to Summer

I've lived in my little house for 18 years. I can't believe it. I bought it in May of 2001, thinking it would be the place I lived for the rest of my life. 

2019, I'm still here, but I know it won't be the place I spend the rest of my life. Bud and I will have our own place (or a few places) and we've been discussing our wish list for some time. It's a given I'll have a large kitchen, a big island with a sink, and plenty of spaces for folks to gather. Of course, we'll have a bar. Just goes to show you're never too old to dream about your perfect home. 

For now, my little home is still my favorite place to be. Years ago, I had a blank slate in my back yard. It just had a big tree next to the neighbor's fence, and nothing else. Over the years, I worked hard, putting in flower beds, lots of hostas, rocks...and it looked so beautiful for years. 

But times have changed; I'm busier and I just don't have the energy or drive to keep up big flower beds. We've taken out the largest bed and it will now revert to lawn. But that side bed...the one next to the fence--it needed an update. Bud built me a beautiful deck a few years ago, and it sits right next to that long, narrow bed. Sit on the deck, and see that fence and the hostas. Try and mow between the deck and the hostas and there's not much room. Last weekend we dug up a HUGE hosta (it started from one leaf all those years ago! One leaf!) and I rearranged the brick border, brought it in closer to the fence, so I can get my mower through. It's all Bud's idea...but once he talked about it, I saw the wisdom of a little makeover. It was also a chance to dig up the bricks and reset them. I found bricks in spots I had completely forgotten about. 

The makeover started like this:

Then, I had to shop for flowers:

Flowers are my weakness. Even having just a small space, they still managed to add up quickly! 

After all my running around yesterday, I was sweaty, tired, crabby, and swatting gnats. But I got a start:

It's a small change, and most of the side garden has stayed the same. Bud suggested annuals in the one clear space I have, so I planted purple petunias. I added the fun flowers on the fence after my plan to hang potted flowers literally fell through. I hung all five little pots, turned around, and they all fell off the fence. 

I've still got a lot to do to a few other spots: the front yard and my little side garden next to the house. I've run out of energy, however. The late start to flower planting has left me less than enthused. Stay tuned as I watch my little garden flourish! 

Flowers That Managed To Stay Alive In My Backyard & 4th of July

This summer has certainly been much more damp than last summer, when we didn't have rain for oh, around 6 weeks.  Now a week doesn't go by without some kind of storm, downpour, or flood warning.  

Somehow the native plants I have in my garden just keep on growing, taking their licks and ignoring the erratic weather and my lack of tender loving care.

I had family over for 4th of July and it was so wonderful to hold babies and have fun with my brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews:

Me and my nephew Ryan

Sis Michelle and our nephew Henry:  what a doll!

Niece Miss Rose and Nephew Noah--best pals

The weather was perfect, the bugs behaved for most of the party, and I bribed the kids with sidewalk chalk and bubbles and they were all happy.  Bud was my grill master and I ate too much cake, but sweated out all the beer I drank.  All in all, a good day and my flowers provided a beautiful background to family chaos.  Once again, I am so appreciative of having such a large family!  Can't imagine life without all my brothers and sisters and their kiddies (and their kiddies' kiddies).

2012 Year in Review and 2013--What to Expect Now That the World Hasn't Ended

This year has flown by.  It has been filled with many plans that didn't come to fruition--mostly because it seems that time escaped me quickly and quietly.  Plans to have a veggie garden, plans to plant a lovely flower garden, plans to run all year and run a few races this summer; plans to clean up my house and just enjoy life.  

None of that happened.  Why?  I have no idea.  It could be as simple as poor planning on my part--which is probably most of it.  Not juggling finances well enough to do what I wanted to do, not juggling my time efficiently to get in those runs and feel better about myself in the process.

And then October came, and my heart was broken.  All the wind (small as it was) in my sails left abruptly.  Experiencing the loss of my Dad 8 years ago was devastating, but it's something else completely when you lose a sister, and one who had so many years left to live; one who was so alive when she was here.  It makes no sense.  I think to myself, I'm going to be 48, just like Patti, in a few years.  Would I be ready to leave this life?  I feel like I've just begun to know myself, do things that make me happy, and explore so many ways that can make me a better, happier soul while I'm still on this planet.  I'm not anywhere near ready to go.  I am not on the same life plan as Patti was, and I still have a lot to learn. So while I leave this year a bit battered, with a  permanent crack in my heart, I leave it a bit wiser and more aware of my life and what I want it to be.  I leave this year knowing that my sister is on the other side cheering me on, sending me lots of love and support.  She's realized I'm not the strong, tough one, and that her leaving knocked me to my knees.  

But I will get up.  I will enjoy life again, and cherish every last moment I had with my sister--the good ones, and the bad ones.  All those times Patti was such a brat when we were kids, and that last conversation we had that ended with telling each other we loved each other.  She will be with me when I'm out in the sun, running by myself.  She'll be with me when I'm in my yard, planting flowers and thinking of how beautiful nature can be.  And she will be with me someday when Bud and I finally do take those vows.  She'll be with me every time I laugh out loud and all those times I'm sitting quietly, enjoying the peace.

So I start off 2013 with a clean slate.  I have plans to run a half marathon with my sister Michelle in May--her first, and my first in over a year.  Both of us are starting from zero.  It's exciting to think of all the work it will take to get us both in running shape.  But it will be a worthy goal!  And I just bought a juicer--yes, I want to drink lots of healthy juices.  And Bud and I will spend time together riding our bikes and enjoying being together.  And I'll continue to be an Auntie to Patti's kids, and help them when they need me.  I will live a fuller life with Patti in my mind always. She will be there to kick my butt if I whine too much.  

And reading--where would I be without my beloved books?  This year I'm going to take the time to read what I have on my shelves while reading new books.  I'm not going for quantity, but quality.  Enjoying what books I have, and sharing those books with all the groups I talk to during the year.  

So here's to 2013.  I have no idea what the year will bring, and I do not want to even try and guess.  I will wait for it to unfold.  

Everyone have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Bud and I will be taking a bit of a break after Christmas.  Until then, it's work everyday, frantic food prep, and lots of coffee.  And probably a bit of a wee nip on Christmas Eve :)

Time For Some Of These

I felt like flowers today...

I can hear the birds chirping in the morning...that means warmer weather, sitting on the porch, planting flowers, and just standing outside in the warm sun are coming soon.  

A Day for Pretty Pictures--Just Because

I feel like showing pictures today, so enjoy!

Pretty in Pink

Robust Lilies

A lovely butterfly

Duck, Duck, Goose!

My yard is going to be violently assaulted very soon by the sidewalk people.  Cedar Rapids is putting in sidewalks in all the old neighborhoods (of which mine is one of them) .  My backyard runs into the street behind my house, which is where the sidewalk is going.  This means strange men with lots of heavy machinery will be using half of my backyard as a parking lot/place to destroy all my flowers.  Last year, Bud and I completely removed a large flower garden from the very back of my yard, since this was going to be completely decimated and most likely become part of the sidewalk.  Just a few days ago, the city put in their stakes again, and painted lines where they will be on my lawn.

Unfortunately, this means even more of my side garden will be run over, dug up, and obliterated.  My goose flowers ( I have no idea what they are called!) and some yellow lilies stand in the way of progress, so they are on the chopping block:

A friend gave me a few of these plants because I thought Bud would get a kick out of their resemblance to geese.  I have found out they spread--which is a good thing, 'cause now I can dig some up and share the wealth before they're gone.  Tomorrow morning I will be out in the yard, saving some geese!  Bud says not to be so upset about losing the flowers;  I just don't have the time to dig everything up and move them.  I did save most of my plants from my back garden last year, so I'm happy for that.  I feel sick about the houses down the street who have beautiful fully grown trees in their front yards that will be torn out to make way for the sidewalk.  What a shame and what a waste.  I've already shed some tears about the flowers, but if I had to lose a tree, I would really be upset!  So, I am lucky it's just flowers.  To make my self feel better, I stopped at Hy-Vee last night and bought some perennials that were 75% off and planted them around the front and side of my yard this morning.  Next summer, I will have some new plants to enjoy.

I also managed to transplant these from the condemned zone in my back yard.  Phew.  I've had them a long time!

On a brighter note, my lavender plants,  which  have  survived two winters in Iowa, are  now the prettiest and largest they've  ever been:

So, no parties in my backyard this summer.  That also means I won't have to mow part of it--see I did manage to find a ray of sunshine in this whole sidewalk mess!  Did I mention I also have to pay for half the cost of the sidewalk, and then shovel it in the winter?  Yep.  :{  Oops:  ray of sunshine gone.

What Happened to My Garden?! Aarrgh!!

I went outside today to mow my yard on the one sunny day we've had for about a week.  While everything is growing and blooming at least a month ahead of schedule, a horrible event took  place in my flower garden when I was tucked safely in bed:  a dinner party.

The guests:  Deer.

The menu:  My flowers.  

Namely, my lilies, my Black-Eyed Susans (just about to bloom, too) and my Cornflowers.  

Eaten down to the nub.  No flower left.  Not even many leaves.  The stinky white daisies I have were untouched.  My lavender was untouched.  The lamb's ear--not even a bloom out of place.  

Why couldn't they eat the hosta blooms that I cut down every year, because they make my hostas look like some crazy alien space ships?  Why not eat some of my stinky daisies?  The daisies are determined to take over the world.  Geez, deer need to eat Creeping Charlie.  I would have no problem with that at all!

Besides my decapitated flowers, I found the evidence in the grass:  deer droppings.  Not only were they too big for a rabbit, but it would have had to have been a Were-rabbit (see Wallace and Gromit!).  

Not too many flowers for me this year.  *sob*.  Bad deer, bad bad deer.

Beauty and the Beast: My Yard

It's been a crazy week, it's Friday, and I've got plans for the weekend that don't include my yard.  So, I rushed home from work, finished planting tomatoes in my container garden, put my screens in my windows for some extra breeze, and decided to check out the garden.

Oh my.  I haven't mowed all week, I haven't weeded, and while Mother Nature generously gives with one hand, she taketh away with the other.  The daisies are blooming, my lavender is showing signs of growth, but the weeds have come to party.
I took a few moments to pull the most obnoxious ones--those that blocked the view of actual flowers.  Within a few moments, I had a pile on the grass.

The grass.  Man, what a mess!  I'm afraid this weekend's extreme heat and humidity will accelerate the growth into a small jungle.  I hope my mower is up to the task on Monday!

My pink  peonies are getting very close to popping open.  I love the fragrance and the look, but hate the ants crawling all over the flowers.  I know it's a necessary part of the process, but ick.  One good storm and they will be drooping.

My Dad's tree is doing marvelously well again this year.  Each year I step outside after a hard winter and check to see if it's made it through another season.  I like to think the tree is just as stubborn as my dear Pops was, and so far it looks to be that way.  I love the color, especially when my baby blue flowers bloom--and that will be soon!

I did find some whimsy in the garden:  my friend Freddy the Frog decided to wear a hat today and put a smile on my face.  

So the battle continues, and  the score is:  Suecaboo: Zero;  Mother Nature: Eleventy Billion.  

I have another side flower garden to plant, and general maintenance to attend to next week.  I'll take a few days off from running, and straighten up Freddy's home.  

Have a great weekend!  And if you're in Iowa, stay cool!

I Have Some Work to do

It's been close to a week since I've actually been outside in my yard.  Between work, running, and the rain, the most attention I've paid to my yard has been a cursory glance as I walk to my truck to leave.

Today is the first beautifully nice day we've had for quite some time.  The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the wind is very light, and it's warming up quickly.  Time to mow the yard.  Amazing what rain will do for growing grass.  I generally mow with half my attention on the mowing bit, and the other half looking around my yard and seeing what needs to be done.  There is so much to be done in my yard, it may very well take me a solid week of work to get everything in order.  Weeds are now taller than plants.  Some weeds I can't tell apart from stuff I want in my garden.  Daisies needs to be dug up--somehow they have taken over everywhere.  I still need to buy some annuals to plant around the yard, and flower baskets for the front porch.

This is usually how it is--a slow, steady showing of flowers, then Bam! It all explodes into  chaos.  Bud points out that I wanted flowers and a garden, so now I have to maintain it.  Well, really what I wanted was not to mow so much lawn! So, this weekend, between a good long run, working both days, and dodging a chance of rain, I will venture forth again to attack the weeds and dig up the daisies.  I can't wait to plant some yard "bling" in the next few weeks!  Stay tuned for pictures.

March-a new beginning

Today the sun was shining and I woke to birds chirping outside my windows.  There's still snow on the ground, and the heat kicks on every so often to remind me that it's still cold outside.  I can smell the difference in the air, though.  Standing outside on my back patio, all I see of my yard is snow, with one fairy statue peaking up out of the whiteness.  It waits patiently for the hostas and bleeding hearts to keep it company.
I breathe deeply and anticipate the coming days full of planting seeds and watching my backyard blossom again.