Digging Dirt and Digging FaceTime

Wow, the 20th week of the year is over and I have not gotten a whole lot of my 2022 to do list done. I am easily distracted and right now things outside are distracting me badly. I guess it is because the weather has been stunning__hot, but beautiful, and the last two years were a bust for any meaningful yard work. We are paying for the past neglect in spades! (Both literally and figuratively)

Saturday: TheHub and I ran out and about during the morning, came home and grabbed a late lunch then headed back out for a while. We had several gardening chores to do but kept hearing thunder all around us, so we waited for a potential storm that never happened. Bummer! 

After waiting the non-existent storm out, we decided do a few things outside. Because I live in Alabama, that means going out and battling mosquitos, noseeums, and red ants while planting. Ick! The upside was that the container plants were thriving and we had our first harvest; a cherry tomato I ate in the yard, and the first yellow squash of the season. The raised bed plantings were doing very well, but they are still quite a way from being table ready 

One package of cucumber seed has done nothing, and the ground cherries are also not popping their heads through the soil. Maybe they will in time, but most likely not

Sunday: The day was another beautiful day and TheHub and I did a little running around before working in the yard. Actually he worked much harder than I did because he was the one digging the holes to plant hydrangeas.

Since the weather was so gorgeous, I decided to cook burgers on the grill, and they tasted just like summertime!

Pip Facetimed us. There is nothing I love more!

Monday: The weather was gorgeous again, but honestly we could have used some rain. The upside of a beautiful sunny day is that the clothes dry pretty quickly, even on a rack on the porch. I was still waiting for the dryer repair person to get back in touch with me when the part came in. I suppose I could have gone ahead and bought a new dryer, but I do not want one with a computer board and it seems they all come that way now. Mine is old and has manual settings which suits me fine. I am pretty basic and do not need any bells and whistles to dry my clothes.

I worked in the back yard a bit and things are looking better each day.

Pip did the FaceTime thing again and she and I decided that I would start writing a continuing story and would send her an installment every day.

That night what do you think I did? If you guessed I began to write a story about Pixies, you would be correct.

Tuesday: I sent Pip an early morning message (She is two hours behind me, so it was not early at all when I sent it) for her to read before school, saying after she got home I would send the first installment. I got a message back almost immediately asking me to send it anyway. She was froggy when I talked with her Monday, and evidently got worse as the night progressed. 

I sent it, she read it, and then we began a day of FaceTime visits. Son1 works from home and needed to work so I got to be her virtual babysitter. We drew the main characters of the story, Nina and LouLou (Pip got to pick the names) then she created a Pixie village out of cardboard boxed, stones and furniture she made from cardboard. She also made Pixie paper dolls to live in said village. I love a child's imagination and creativity.

We had so much interaction I had to take charging breaks for my phone 2 different times during the day. I got nothing done, but did the thing I love most!

Wednesday: Pip was still sick and at home, so we continued the story and FaceTime calls back and forth.

It was another beautiful day and I spent a ton of time on the porch, rocking and virtually visiting with my most favorite girl in the world. I am very thankful I have to flexibility to be there when she needs me, even if it is from afar.

In the early evening my favorite handyman came to look at several projects I have. I have hired .him when I need things done for over ten years. He does wonderful work, no matter what it is.

Thursday: This was my volunteer day at Independence Place. We concentrated on making lioness masks for their play. I am so lucky to be able to help them because it is one of my most favorite places with some of my favorite people. There is something so wonderful being around the participants and seeing them living their lives fully.

When I left I saw a message from Pip asking if we could include some magical creatures in the story I am writing for her. She had drawn a corgicorn she wanted incorporated into the story. That would be a corgi with a unicorn horn, just in case you were wondering. I guess I was mistaken for assuming  we already had magical creatures with the Pixies. But Thursday evening when I was writing the day's part of the story, LouLou had become the proud owner of a teeny, tiny pet corgicorn.

Friday: I stayed home all day because the repairman called to say he was coming with the part. Of course he did not come until late afternoon,  but that's ok because I have a working dryer. Woo hoo! 

Look for your joys no matter how small, because they are always out there.

May all your weeds be wildflowers,

Anne