Measuring Summer

There are so many ways to measure summer . . . 

Number of days.  Hours of daylight.  Temperature.  How many inches your kids grew.   Days until vacation.  Days of vacation.  Miles walked.  Or biked.  Books read.  Stops at the ice cream place.

So many ways.

I like to measure it in the garden.

In early June, I bought two gigantic pots for my front porch at Costco. Huge pots.  Great price.  (I'm thrilled with these pots!)  And I filled them with annuals.

Nice.  But underwhelming.

I knew, though, that those little plants would grow.

Yesterday, at the end of summer?

That's what I call a full summer!

How do you measure summer?

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Enjoy the weekend.  I'll see you back in this space on Tuesday next week.

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As for the stash giveaway?  The Bloomfield yarn will be making its way to Roslyn, and the Hacho will be off to Juliann.  Thanks to all of you who expressed interest in the yarn.  There will be another giveaway in September!

Garden Whimsy . . . Fall Edition

I like to do a little decorating out in the garden for fall.  Not much.  Nothing elaborate.  Mostly just . . . 

1 - Changing out my containers, adding some mums, and throwing in a few pumpkins.  (With trusty old "Skelly-man" for seasonal interest.)

2 -- Having fun with pumpkins.  I especially like using the pumpkins with unusual shapes and colors.  (That's a real pumpkin on the bottom, topped with a pottery decoration that just happened to fit on top.)

3 - And bringing out the old, familiar favorites.  (Skelly-man, above, and this pumpkin face have been part of my fall garden décor for 15 years now.)

It's fun to bring a little whimsy to the garden in the fall!

How about you?  Do you decorate outside for fall?

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To see more Three on Thursday posts, be sure to pop in over at Carole's today!

 

Sometimes Mondays

. . . really feel like a change in the season.

I was only away for a few days, but when I returned home . . . suddenly everything is screaming FALL.

And, y'know?  I'm ready for it!
How about you?

Summer at the Mid-Point

Here we are . . . nearly at the end of July.  Summer at the mid-point.

Our weather this summer has been . . . kinda weird.  It's either been super hot and humid.  Or it's been surprisingly cool and rainy. Unbearably hot.  Or unseasonably cool.  One or the other.  Not much in between.  (We're in one of the cool phases right now.)  (And we could do with a bit more rain, thankyouverymuch.)

Still.  Summer is summer.  And I'm soaking it in.

(And I'm also remembering that last year, "summer" lasted through the end of November.)  (Almost forever.)  (But not quite.)

How's YOUR summer going?

 

Sometimes Mondays

.  .  . look like there's some sorting out to do.

Happy Monday!

Hello, December!

Oh, my.  December is here . . . 

As my mom was particularly fond of saying . . . "It's time to get crackin'!"

Have a great weekend.

Happy Halloween

I have two Special Edition Halloween Beanie Babies here with a special message:

Trick or Treat!!!

 

Looking for America

Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together
I've got some real estate here in my bag
So we bought a pack of cigarettes
And Mrs. Wagner's pies
And walked off to look for America.
                            --- Simon and Garfunkel

(And because you're already humming it, here's the link so you can sing the whole dang thing.)

Today - and every day - let's keep looking for America.

OUR America.

(Which is already pretty great.)  
(Just sayin.)

Happy 4th of July!

Sometimes Mondays . . .

Fall on the first day of Spring.

Seems like a double fresh beginning, doesn't it?

Welcome Spring . . . and welcome Monday.  
(Fresh beginnings are always a good idea.)

Solstice

"This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year's threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath . . ."
                                                                                                    ---Margaret Atwood

Welcome the light!