Summer in Missouri.....

We're in the middle of July in the Ozarks and it is "hot"!  Heat index has been over 100 but so far the actual temp has not been there.....and hopefully, it won't.  The garden seems to like it and the tomatoes are ripening quickly and I have a hearty supply of basil, which I love.

My pesto-making supplies.....and some of my homegrown tomatoes....

I love pesto so I make enough for freezing.

I received a cutting of chocolate mint from a neighbor and I love it in my tea.

I also like having ice tea spoons and they're difficult to find these days and new ones are almost impossible.  I've managed to collect a nice selection.

Sometimes a nice glass of ice tea on a hot afternoon is just the perfect thing.

It's so strange how in the winter we long for those wonderful summer days where we can be outside and enjoy the yard and the fresh air and then summer is here and we're dreaming of fall and cool nights and fires in the fireplace.  I'm making a concerted effort to appreciate the present without always dreaming of tomorrow.  It's not always easy but at my age, I'm trying to live in the present and not to wish anymore of my life away.

Hope you're enjoying your here and now!

Happy 4th of July....

We've had a gentle summer shower this morning of the 4th of July.  I'm sure this doesn't make some people happy but my garden and I love it.  Sometimes it's something as ordinary as a gentle summer rain that lifts my spirits and makes me say again "life is good"!

The 4th of July used to be such a big holiday when our kids were young buy anymore they do their own thing with their kids and friends.  I'll go with my sisters today to sister Judy's house and we'll sit on her beautiful front porch and enjoy lots of conversation and a burger.

Hope you have a wonder day.

Linda's wonderful garden in LaRussell, MO.....

It started out rainy yesterday but by the time we had driven to LaRussell (about 40 minutes) the rain had stopped and the heat was moving in.  It was a beautiful morning in our friend Linda's yard.  She works so hard on this but it's her "happy place".  I know how she feels because I feel the same.

LaRussell is a very small town where we spent several years when my sisters, Judy and Mary, and I were young.  Our parents owned the local mercantile and my dad, because we lived in this house, was mayor.

It was a wonderful environment to grow up in and we made many life-long friends.  It's still a wonderful little town full of many really good people.  We love going back for visits especially when we get to roam around Linda's yard.

Behind this flower bed is where our grocery store was originally.  Someone has made it into a home now.  So good to see the building being used.

 

More of the yard....

 This was a shed that Linda inherited from Mr. Graff.  He lived in the farm next to where she grew up.  It is so cute and I informed her that if she would put in plumbing, I could live out my golden years here.  She's done so much work to it and the inside is perfect for spending an afternoon with a good book.

 Linda and her friends, Sandy and Jim Pharill.  Sandy writes a gardening column for the Joplin Globe.

 

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 It was just the perfect way to spend a summer Saturday.  We drove through the countryside the rest of the day and so enjoyed it.  I'll close the post with one of our surprises.  Judy got out and stood in the weeds for this shot.....hope she didn't get chiggers!

Have a wonderful week!

I know it's been a very long time since I've added a new post but the longer I put off doing it, the harder it was for me to think of anything important enough to make up for this long gap.  Truth is, I don't have anything really exciting to report on but sometimes, it's the ordinary things in life that are the best.

My birds are such a joy right now.  Can't believe how much they can eat in a day but it's so worth it.

I'm also enjoying my garden in my new home.  This year almost all vegies were planted in a raised garden space which is perfect for this yard.  There has never been a garden here so I could put the very best soil in this contained area.  Years ago I was told by an Italian who took great pride in his tomatoes that he went to the river in the spring and brought in river soil for his new crop.  I tried this, with the help of a friend, and I can't believe the difference in the plants where I used the river soil & the plants where I didn't.

 These are the beds with regular soil.....it's amazing!

We've had such wonderful spring rains that these also have tomatoes on them now and the basil is doing really well.

This is my chicken nester (or whatever it's called).  I've planted some herbs in it and think I'll do some more.  I'd like to set it up on something but not certain what to use.

 This is my zucchini that I planted in pots this time and it's loaded with baby zucchini.  In my old house the soil had those zucchini bugs in it so I finally had to give up.  This makes me happy!

 I brought some of my lavender with me from my old house and it's done so well here plus I've planted more.  This is some of my newer and the stems aren't very long.
This last year has been a time for lots of changes for my family.  My kids recently moved so they've been very busy fixing their house.  That would be difficult enough but keeping up with 3 teenagers is a full time job.  Sage has his learner's permit so hopefully in December he'll be able to drive which will help.....we hope.

Hope all is well with all of you.  Maybe this post is the impetus I need to start regular postings again.  I've missed it.  Hope you all have a good week.

Can't believe it's fall already!  Where does the time go?  Must admit that I feel a great sense of relief at having the hot weather behind us.

Three of my sisters and myself took off last week and drove to Door County, Wisconsin.  We love it there and it didn't let us down this time either.  We stay in a lovely home with a fireplace and just relax.  Of course, there is some antiquing done both during the trip and while in Door County.

It's so much fun to antique where they have sleds, skates, snow shoes, cranberry buckets, and items more difficult to find around here.  Again, we had not one spare inch of space coming home.  We've all gone to smaller cars so we're going to have to figure out something.

Now that I'm home, I'm trying to make some Christmas things for resale.  I worked on a few things in the car as we drove.

I know....they don't look like much now but they will when I'm finished.

My front porch....