Wrong day misfits, now confusion of the season, bergamot wannabes, The Bishop's Wife

Because of the holiday falling on my delivery day my misfits came Monday. As if I didn't already get confused enough when there's a holiday.

Note the bergamot wannabes in the background starting to take shape, sssh, don't jinx them. Even that busted up one may be fixable, wabi sabi, with the last finishing stage, tissue paper and white glue.

Meanwhile back in the food world, cans for the food pantry, scallions to add in all over for crunch, apples because mid morning requires an apple, cheese to stock up again, red lentils likewise. This is a short week, so a small box, because I still have plenty from last week's delivery. 

Also Handsome Son will be here bearing food on Thursday, so there will be reinforcements. I'm doing the corn, peas and roast potatoes, and he's doing practically everything else, yay.

I appear to have neglected to do any Christmas decorating, because I forgot to ask him to lift down the box from the high shelf. I'm not feeling very pressured about it though.

I will remember to watch my favorite movie of all for the season, the one that gets it. The Bishop's Wife. 

Breaking from ants and plants:

News from the cactus front. Down to two buds after some clumsy gardener knocked one off while watering next to it. Boud: boo hiss. Cactus: never mind, I'll be fine.  All alone. In the dark. 

News from the ant front. After I put down the borax and confectioners sugar mix, there was a rush of tiny ants, then none at all.  Gone. For now anyway. Boud 1, ants 0. Just now.

Happy day everyone, plants can be passy aggy, too. And ants.

Good news for plants and people

This morning I finished boxing the completed lapghan, which turned out very warm and sturdy with its fleecy backing. The backing is dark grey, works well with the colors. You can see it through the lacy squares. So now it's draft proof, always a good thing with granny squares.

I added in three pairs of fingerless gloves, after pressing and airing lapghan and gloves.

Then I added in a few skeins of bright colored yarn and a couple of sets of knitting needles and a circular. Just in case anyone would like to knit. It can be helpful if you're in crisis, which these recipients certainly are.

So now it's gone. I made it to the PO and got a warm welcome from Lou behind the counter. I suspect he thought I'd gone when he hadn't seen me in a while. People wonder.

So that was good for everyone. And one of Biden's final acts of his presidency 

Fair warning: I'm not entertaining any legalistic comments on this, whether it's legally binding, what the DOJ has to say, or the national archivist, none of it. I just want with my fellow American women, to savor the moment. Thank you Joe.

I've been pushing for decades for this simple few words to be enacted. Including messaging Joe asking for his declaration. Twenty four words, meaning everything.

Back on the ground, I did a bit of home gardening.

Here's Gary's anthurium which had outgrown its tiny starter pot, ready for a bigger one, and coleus, already rooted strongly in water, which will go to Gary along with the anthurium once it's settled.

And clockwise, the anthurium with her brave new leaf, coleus for Gary, new prunings from the potted coleus starting in water, and three tiny succulent leaves started in the tiny pot from the anthurium.

It seems a bit early in the year, but the coleus had put on a spurt, the succulents are putting out new growth all over, so I took my cue from them. They know what they're doing.

Happy day everyone, one way to resist is to enrich our own lives however we can, so I'm doing that.

Photo AC 

August walking and orphans

 Today's walk took me back to the pond, a bit harder to get through the trees now bent down with overnight rain.

The air was full of dragonflies and other insects probably getting a banquet of gnats after the storm. 

Across the pond was a contingent of the flocks of Canada geese we deal with, here eating the golf course and no doubt pooping copiously all over it. They're protected and very prolific breeders, so we're not entirely enthusiastic about seeing them around 

Berries ripening for the birds

 There are fungi showing up, sometimes bitten into, a sign of early fall, though the hollow tree where I find lichen doesn't have any yet.

And here's a plant I can't identify, at the edge of the trees 

Maybe the buds will open helpfully and we'll know. Meanwhile if you already know, please speak up.

Elsewhere there was talk about rescuing plants and I realized that all of my collection are either rescues, from the dumpster like the ancestor of this third generation plant

or friends who didn't know how to handle them. 

Like this 

 I think the only houseplant I ever bought was the ficus now in residence at the library.

And on the patio, the developing hibiscus bud collected rain in its cup overnight 

Not long before a new blossom bursts out.

Someone asked me recently about English paper piecing, so in case they're reading here, here's a pillow I pieced by hand a while back 

Today's reading is 

Old fashioned attitudes and language but still good reading, especially since Peter Wimsey's mother appears, bringing wonderful dialogue,  and there's an indomitable old lady, the mother of the accused. They hit it off fine.

Happy day, everyone, between the walking and the allergy meds, the season in full swing again, I think I'll rest my eyes soon..

Handsome Son has asked to finally celebrate his birthday on Thursday this week, weather permitting. This means if it's great shore weather we'll reschedule! Those days are precious.

 

Gardening home and away

 Yesterday the long awaited hibiscus arrived, as always much smaller than expected. Here's her day 

Now in a new home, watch this space.

Then the plant operation Gary postponed because I wasn't up for it the other day, happened. 

He arranged to come get me in the afternoon, and, knowing him, his need first to go out to lunch, then to shop, I didn't rush.

Got my walk in, lovely tree colors

Home again, pot of tea and cranwalsweetpot bread, reading Barbara Pym, nap, before he showed up.

He'd been painting baseboards, which he does by removing them and working outside. I always painted them in place, but I have a steady hand.

Anyway it turned out that he and Billy The Pup were refreshing the pots for several large houseplants, trimming roots, all that

He is exactly like Handsome Partner in setting up an obstacle course which he repeatedly steps over and around. 

I think it's a symptom of excess energy,  and found myself, like old times, organizing as we went, keeping tools in a bunch, not lost, empty pots stacked, all that. Quite a trip down memory lane which he was unaware of, just as Handsome Partner was.

We were slightly jarred by a noisy low flying helicopter coming over, which he identified as a military attack helicopter. There's a big military base not far from here as the helicopter flies, and we wondered if it was on maneuvers, relating to Gaza. We agreed that there's a lot going on we know nothing about. Possibly just as well.  

So half a dozen large houseplants refurbished, I retired home for a cup of tea, after a discussion of favorite teas and why.He was very satisfied with our accomplishments, and he's got his plants, some of them, set up for the winter now. 

Happy day everyone, enjoy your day, wet or dry, here it's wet, good thing we got the gardening done yesterday. My hibiscus will be happy with a bit of warm rain, still very mild here.

Holiday Weekend. Maybe.

 So this is the current weather. Third day. 

And indoors I've been attending to the downstairs plants a bit since the ficus went out.

This spider plant used to hang in the kitchen until it grew till  I wasn't able to lift it up and down for watering. Its growth pattern was not evident when it was up high, just looked luxuriant.

But at floor level the bald center looked obvious. Soooooo here's the after picture when it gets a botanical equivalent of a hairpiece.

It looks a ton better from across the room now.  And the philodendron likes the company.

The very last little ghosts of the white iris before she went out to feed the earth. Still beautiful, that architecture.

Outside everyone's happy despite being heavily rained on.  Bottom left the peppermint appearing from apparently dead cuttings.  Middle, the chives booming, and top the yellow potatoes leaping up. These are from just peelings, never had to give up a potato. Potatoes usually hate being waterlogged, but these are rising above it.

Then the Great Indoors, and I found a new thing to learn. Turns out you can do Mitered Squares in Tunisian crochet, too. Two obsessions meet! This is going to happen.

Speaking of Mitered Squares, when will she ever stop, make her stop 

here are the pockets finished, placed, yet to be stitched on. Little turnover tops, very sharp detail :)

But cold rainy weather demands comfort food. Spaghetti and meatballs. I had the sauce in the freezer from the last outing, so this was easy. Good parmigian cheese, hot pepper flakes, bit of Colby Longhorn added to thicken the sauce.

And there it is. Enough for tomorrow, too.

And a matinee is planned today, with tea and fig cake

We're all set. 

Have a good day and a good weekend and, blogistas in the US, remember to thank the troops we're honoring for Memorial Day.