The shocking passage of time

 

It's been four or five years since I bought this gardenia. It was an Easter leftover and marked down for Death when I rescued it from the grocery store.  It was only two feet tall and half of that pot.

The peonies had finished their annual show and I put it in the ground between them, a foot or so behind the mailbox. Gave it a good watering and told it "Good Luck." Last year it was July before it surprised me with a couple flowers. 

We haven't had a drop of rain in over three weeks and for the first time, the gardenia is covered with buds. Colin has been carrying five-gallon jugs of water up there for me. I'm afraid if I don't give it and the struggling butterfly bush water, the buds will just fall off. 

It's time to invest in a few hoses. 

The back deck garden is taking off. Not wasting my time on peppers or tomatoes this year. Something took bites out of everything that grew last year. Flowers and herbs are enough. 

Here's that rascal Petaluma, portulaca, proscuitto, pontificator............PURSLANE and her potmate Lanata, discussing the eggshells and coffee grounds that I was too lazy to spade under the dirt. 

Caving in to bad judgement, I'm working on a new piece of witchery, I mean, stitchery. If nothing else crosses my mind for an hour these days, I consider myself fortunate. 

Somewhere I read about a Bring Sleep mantra used by soldiers who must sleep when they can, no time to waste. Slow your breathing and think "Don't think....don't think......don't think." It works for me.

The first batch of cloth from the Sicilian Trousseau batch of cloth has already gone into the scrap mix.

If you ordered anything in the last ten days, I went to the post office yesterday. The two-foot-long receipt listed Saturday as arrival for all of the packages no matter where they were headed. Thank you all for supporting my madness.

Today is the last day of first grade. Celebrated yesterday with a summer haircut.