Monday Morining

The tree and shrub trimming, weeding, and garden clean-up yesterday began at 7 AM and lasted, with frequent breaks, most of the day.  It was satisfying, but I was ready for that hot bath (with Epsom Salts) when I finally gave out.  Some daylilies are divided and moved, but more to go.  

Each year dividing daylilies is on my list, but for the last several years, it hasn't been checked off.  One reason has been the longer summers that has them bloom again late in the season, and after waiting for the bloom to finish, my mind is on other things.

This year, I'm going to get it done.  My husband suggested that sometimes I have "empty intentions."  That isn't true.  My intentions are full and true, my execution of those intentions doesn't always happen--it is the follow-through that is often lacking.  And I have so many intentions about so many things!  The truth is that it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, as I wait years for the things he "intends" to do!  I'm currently making a list to present to him. :)

This morning, Iliana mentioned Anne Sexton's "Welcome Morning," which is one of my favorite poems.  I have poetry books stacked by my reading chair, and I'd read Sexton's poem again recently, so Iliana's post and the way I feel this morning reminds me again of a "thank-you on my palm."  You can read the poem here.

The weather is cooler, I got a lot done yesterday, and I'm feeling grateful for so many things at the moment.  Poetry, art, family, autumn, mail, books, efforts to help the environment, beautiful animal photography, funny memes, the cardinal that comes for the peanuts each day, the Monarchs on the milkweed, the remaining cosmos, the Torii gate my husband built, the Roomba now running again after being ill, the coffee in my cup and the cat in my lap.

Edgrr in my chair

Amelia has a tennis tournament and party this coming weekend.

  LOVE the head dress she created! 

Now--which of my intentions will I see about next!  

Another cup of coffee, first.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Around the House

 Garden:  I wish I had a field to sow entirely with cosmos.  Those gorgeous, sunny, swaying flowers would seed and reseed into a blanket of gold that would cover acres if allowed. 

 But in the tiny space allotted to me, they have pushed their limits and infringed on the verbena, basil, dianthus, tickseed, and anything that doesn't top their height.  Milkweed does well as it grows taller, but low growing plants, where are they?  

Looking for the verbena, dianthus, or even angelonia, I part those delicate stems of the cosmos and there, overlooked and forgotten, are the low-growing kin.  

This is my fault, of course.  First, by helping the plants by gathering and flinging their seeds everywhere a couple of years ago, then by failing to thin them, tacitly giving permission for a cosmos takeover.  

The unpleasant task of pulling up healthy, blooming cosmos has been mine.  And all the associated guilt.  But look there is the fountain, visible again!

Much more needs to be done.  I'm going to do some re-figuring and hope for better luck next year.  I love the cosmos and lantana, but they take up so much of the limited available space in such a tiny garden area.  They have to stay--because I love them and they are so attractive to butterflies and bees, but I am going to have to learn to contain them.  Self-discipline is not my strong suit.  It is difficult to resist those blooms, to cut and trim, and pull up seedlings that are so determined to survive.

Mail:  I'm catching up on correspondence, and I'm in a Halloween mood.

This envelope is actually orange...not pale peach!

Having trouble with the scanner, so photos instead.

Books/Reading:  I have several books in progress.  Always.   Still reading The Sixth Extinction, which is both wonderful and frightening.  I stall when I realize how much of the life here on earth has disappeared in the last few decades, and I turn to fiction and read for escapism.  

Just Wow!

French artist's work is off the wall!

Check out some of his work.

The Mightly Little Hummingbird and #mailart, #snailmail

We visited with Chris, Amelia, and Bryce Eleanor Tuesday night before Chris left for Georgia.  A hummingbird had flown into the window and was stunned and unmoving; hours later, it was alive, but still not moving.  That night, B.E. and Amelia tried feeding it, and finally did get it to eat a little sugar water, but it couldn't, or wouldn't, fly.  Wednesday afternoon,  B.E.  sent a text message that the tiny creature had successfully overcome the trauma and flown away!

Mail:  Finally, I'm beginning to catch up on the mail I owe!

Incoming

 

Outgoing

To Teresa & Ricky

To Hester

I still have a few letters to answer, and it is time to start thinking Halloween mail!  

The next postcards and envelopes will have some orange and black and spooky stuff.

Interesting:

Mysterious Postcards Sent to Chefs   (using old album covers)

Books/Reading: 

I'm not keeping up with reviews too well over at A Garden Carried in the Pocket, but I read and read during September.  In spite of the beginning of cooler weather, September was a month of "apathy attitude" in my world.  There are several reasons for this--it is a month that reminds me of lost loved ones, allergies make me unusually tired, the news is almost always distressing, and it all becomes a mash up of procrastination and mood swings and general torpor.  I've been coming out of it lately, but that means a lot of books still need to be reviewed.

I did review this one, and today I saw an article that made me think about it again:  Britney Spears Conservatorship Alludes to an Older Story of Controlling Women Artists.   

The article focuses on Claudine Claudel and her commitment to an asylum by her family.  It is a sad account of a woman whose rights were commandeered and who was locked away for 30 years.                                                                                                                                                                    Claudine's story  here.  

While Spears may have needed help, what she got was something entirely different, and probably entirely based on her financial benefit, not on her mental health.

The Mad Women's Ball reviewed here.  

Crafty:  little Halloween monsters

September :)

Finally, cooler weather.  It is a pleasure to have a relief from the summer's heat and humidity, to feel energized and ready for a new season.  Today's high will be 90, but we've had several days in the 80's, and even 90 is so much better than the summer heat.  

Garden:  Not much going on.  Thinking about what changes for next year and when to start the lettuce for fall salads.  

First spider lilies bloomed overnight.  

They are always a sudden joy.

Fee trimmed some shrubbery a couple of weeks ago, and Stinker took over the ladder.  

He started to put it away, but decided to leave it a while.

Crafty Stuff

New little Halloween monsters

Some Halloween patches in progress

Books/Reading:  A lot of reading in August & September.  Reviews on the other blog.

Mail:  I've certainly not been keeping up with my mail.  I'm not sure why, but every time I think of going upstairs to reply, I find myself doing something else.   Quite a bit of catching up to do!

September mail so far.

Postcard from Hester

Card, letter, and envelope from Annie

from Susan

To B.E.

 

A Little Road Trip

 Suzie stayed in N.O. during Ida, but left on Monday to come north until power is restored.  Yesterday, Jan, Suzie, and I took a day trip to Enoch's Stomp, a vineyard and winery near Marshall, TX.  It was so much fun and such a beautiful setting--on top of a hill overlooking the vineyards. 

We were so busy talking and looking that I didn't even think of taking pictures, so I pulled these from the website.  

 
The pizzas with cauliflower crust and figs and honey were delicious and their Chardonnay was so good, I bought a bottle to bring home for Fee.

After lunch, we stopped by Bear Creek Smokehouse and browsed their gift shop.  I did take these pics of the turkey and the longhorn cattle.

I have to remember that there are things in Texas worth visiting and celebrating.  I loved visiting Dallas museums, Jefferson, and Blue Moon Gardens until Covid and the disgraceful tactics of state government.  Texas has so much to offer, it is such a shame that the state has become synonymous with voter suppression, mask denial,  and an ultra-conservative state government.

Hurry, September

 Mail--only one incoming last week, but I caught up on outgoing mail

postcard from Teresa,

she and Ricky took a vacation from Louisiana's heat and humidity :)

Outgoing Mail

Postcard to Patty & Dave

--

Fires, floods, Covid, Climate Change, Afghanistan, Hurricane Ida.  Stress.  Sorrow.  

Air pollution is linked to mental health.  An interesting article, especially as we continue to see more and more behavior that seems bizarre, destructive, self-defeating, and frankly, just plain nuts.  Combine the effect of air pollution and all of the stresses society is currently enduring like those listed above, and the results are frightening.  I've seen these studies recently on several Neuroscience sites lately, and my previous theory that "there is something  in the water" making people lose their sense of reason is evidently wrong, but there IS something in the air:

"Recent research has shown that small increases in air pollution are linked to significant rises in depression and anxiety. It has also linked dirty air to increased suicides and indicated that growing up in polluted places increases the risk of mental disorders. Other research has found that air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence and is linked to dementia. A global review in 2019 concluded that air pollution may be damaging every organ in the human body."

Research as early as 2012 that examines the link between air pollution and mental illness.

To lighten the mood:

 Svend, wear the helmet!