Summer lovin'

Here we are, about to slide into July.  And, while we seem to be getting a little bit more rain than some years, it's getting hot.  I'm about ready to put the umbrellas up over the garden to shade it and help preserve the water I can only put down once a week.  But for now, I'm enjoying the summer colors.  

The colors in this little bit of the garden caught my eye.  Purple, pink, multiple shades of green.  And, the 4 o'clocks weren't even open yet.  When they're open, the purples and pinks kind of fade behind them, so this was a good chance to see those flowers.  

And, the echinacea are going strong.  The pink ones have already bloomed and faded and I'm about to dead head them so they can bloom again later.  But, now the other colors are getting ready to do their thing.  This orange is already singing a sweet summer song.  

I lost one of the colored ones.  Not sure if it was the yellow or the red, but I bought this one to replace it.  The flowers are yellowish and fade to pink.  

And, the Texas Star Hibiscus gave me a flower.  I've got to move this.  It's in too much sun.  I have a seedling that I planted in a better spot, but it hasn't taken off like I thought it would, so I need to move the parent plant so I can make sure I preserve it.  But, it's been in the ground a long time and I"m a little worried about trying to move it.  

And, the last couple of daylilies that are in shadier spots and have survived the heat have bloomed.  

Weed, water, feed, replace the dead, move things to a better location.  It's the cycle of gardening.  There's always something that needs doing and never enough time to get it done.  And, I keep doing it, year after year.  And, I'm about to take up macrame, y'all.  Because my greenhouse shelves are full and I need more places for plants, so I'm gonna hang 'em from the rafters.  

Obsessive much?

But, it's easier than thinking about the terrorist attacks that our 'leader' has likely brought down on us.  Easier than thinking about what we're doing to our own country.  Easier than thinking about the lies and deceit and corruption.  Easier than thinking about the things that were missing from the grocery store shelves and where the food chain is vulnerable.  Easier than thinking about how the store doesn't have the staff to keep the products on the shelves.  Easier than to think about what comes next for my home, my family, my city, my country and my world.  

We are so busy at work, I could barely raise my head last week.  I have about 5 top priority projects going on at once and one day last week, I found myself asking two people to wait their turn while I helped one and while I was helping one of the other two, someone else got into my queue.  And, they all wanted to talk about something different, so I had to be really careful about staying on topic.  And after that, I took a break and played the uke for a half hour, just to let my brain cool down.  Two full time analysts and I are pulling data as fast as we can and when they get stuck, I'm going in and explaining the anomaly...that one item that didn't do what it should have done and figuring out whether that's a problem with the data an unusual customer request?  And, all of that while we're preparing to launch two new products later this year.  

Calgon, take me away!

No wonder I spend so much time in the garden and puttering with orchids and making quilts and playing the uke and cooking.  My brain needs simpler things to think about.  

And, if you don't know what Calgon was, then you didn't get that little joke.  But, the rest of us laughed out loud.  Age has its privileges.    

Everybody have a great week!  Find things you enjoy and immerse yourself into them.  If hard times are coming, they'll get here fast enough.  Enjoy the things you can now, and try to put off worrying for another day.  There's a time to worry, but there's also a time to relax and enjoy the small stuff.  

Lane