July is underway, and I thought I’d catch up with another Simple
Woman’s Daybook post. So here we go.
Looking out my window
…
I see a stunning summer day. It’s quiet, at least for a
moment, and everything is blooming in full force. Even the impatiens
in my cone
hanging baskets seem to be thriving this year. I have to say, that’s
something of a miracle, ever since a certain somebody retired and began to
fancy himself as a floral expert. My flowers, particularly the potted ones,
have received prodigious amounts of Miracle-Gro
and super-zealous daily waterings.
One might say their cups runneth over.
Yes, I am that lady who showed up at the garden center
after summer was already in full swing, scavenging for leftover annuals to fill
in for those that were drowned in my home pots by a well-meaning interloper.
And yet, for now, the impatiens is holding its own.
I am thinking …
Somewhere there is a list that spells out all of the items I
wanted to pick up at the grocery store yesterday. I have no idea where it is,
but we are already out of peanut butter and ketchup.
I am thankful …
Every day, I want to practice gratitude. And sometimes I
actually do.
Even in these turbulent times, when headlines holler bad
news, blessings still surround us. The sun comes up. We breathe and eat and
sleep and spend time with special people. And Heaven awaits. God is still good.
One of my favorite things …
Maybe it’s not a thing, per se. But one of my favorite
sensations is sinking my bare feet into soft, warm beach sand. In fact, I’m
packing for a quick jaunt in a few days. I cannot get enough of the sun and the
sand and the sweet rolling waves.
I am wearing …
The thermometer
says it’s close to 83 (F)
degrees around here, and the temperature is expected to climb into the 90s by
this afternoon. What’s a girl to do? Grab a billowing sundress!
says it’s close to 83 (F)
degrees around here, and the temperature is expected to climb into the 90s by
this afternoon. What’s a girl to do? Grab a billowing sundress!
I’m sporting this simple frock to dart in and out for
various appointments and errands today. Yes, I sewed it myself, using McCall's M6114. I opted for the matching vee yoke and added two front-patch pockets. (Hey, a girl's gotta have pockets!)
Sewing is something of a stress reliever for me, when I can find the time to do it. What fun it is to wear something no one else wears! What’s more, I haven’t been exactly tempted by this year’s uber-skimpy sundresses in the stores. Even if I were still a teenager (um, not even close), I wouldn’t wear ‘em. So sewing fits the bill nicely.
Sewing is something of a stress reliever for me, when I can find the time to do it. What fun it is to wear something no one else wears! What’s more, I haven’t been exactly tempted by this year’s uber-skimpy sundresses in the stores. Even if I were still a teenager (um, not even close), I wouldn’t wear ‘em. So sewing fits the bill nicely.
Plus, this dress cost me less than $10 to make. Can’t beat
that!
I am watching …
Netflix. We recently subscribed to this service, and I am
winding my way through it, trying to determine what worthwhile movies or TV
series I may have missed. My list is still rather short. Got any suggestions?
I am reading …
A friend passed along her copy of The
American Heiress, by Daisy Goodwin. She said, “If you liked Downton Abbey, you’ll like this.” I’m
just diving in, but it seems like an interesting story.
This is not Dorothy Eden’s American
Heiress (about a trip on the
torpedoed Lusitania in 1915). And it’s
not Jeffrey Toobin’s American
Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst. It’s a whole different
story.
(about a trip on the
torpedoed Lusitania in 1915). And it’s
not Jeffrey Toobin’s American
Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst. It’s a whole different
story.
I am listening to …
Plug this in, and give it a listen. It’s “My Story,” by Big
Daddy Weave. This song is a super reset for a creative writer … or anyone.
I am hoping …
Back to the weather: The forecast calls for midday
thunderstorms. I am hoping those boomers and showers cool things down, so I can
slip out for a run. You see, there’s this race coming up, and I’m running the
relay with a bunch of athletic military veterans, and I’m not feeling all that
athletic right now. So I need the practice and the build-up.
Plus, these spiffy New
Balance sneakers need a workout.
I am learning …
Lookie there. It’s time for another hard life lesson. Just
when I thought it was safe …
A publisher for whom I have written 10 columns monthly (for
years) recently announced it was closing. Writers received about one week’s
notice. I spent much of the past week downloading and saving PDF
files/screenshots of my thousands of articles on the site, which is supposed to
vanish at any moment. (The publisher had announced a closure date of four days
ago, but failed to meet that deadline. Still, it looms.)
What’s the lesson? Maybe it’s time for a new chapter. It
could be an altogether different pursuit. I might even finish the handful of books
I have already outlined. This is definitely an occasion for evaluating current
and future efforts.
I think there’s another lesson here. And it’s not a new one.
Life is unpredictable. Plans change. Holding on loosely may be the healthiest
option.
In my kitchen …
Midsummer it is, and that usually means I try to
prepare simple, light, extra-healthy foods. Sure, I ought to do this all year
round, and I aim there. But summer’s fresh and colorful bounty makes that a
whole lot more fun.
Tonight is big salad night. I have a giant bin of cleaned
lettuces, a tub of cherry tomatoes, a bunch of sweet carrots, a bag of
broccoli, and some leftover herb chicken breasts from last night’s dinner.
Oh, and shredded cheese. Gotta have that. (Did I mention we live in Wisconsin?)
In the school room …
My kids are out of school.
One might say I am sort of being schooled in exercise. Not
officially, of course. But I am trying to build back up after an injury and a
rough MS season that sidelined me for a while.
Just now, the Runkeeper app on my not-so-smart phone beeped
in with this message:
“Isn’t it time to work out again?”
Groan.
In my garden …
Certain plants are
exploding in my garden at this point. This is both a bane and a blessing.
On the upside, the
little cell pack of home-seeded hollyhocks a friend gave me last year turned
out to be a giant gift. Those four baby plants have boomed and bloomed and now
reach higher than the garage wall. I almost want to climb one of the plants and
see if there’s a giant castle up there with a goose laying golden eggs.
Alas, bunches of downright aggressive orange daylilies seem
to be set on taking over much of the yard. I have pitchforked and yanked out
truckloads of these things, hoping to make room for perennials I like even
better.
I'm not a flower snob. I just want to allow ample space for my favorites. Sure, the orange blossoms are cheery. But these are those
everyday ditch lilies, just like the ones that grow by the highway. They're practically weeds. My garden
is mature enough now that I have fluffy, fancy, pretty daylilies in lots of colors. It’s
time to lose the basic orange ones that seem to spread almost hourly and
supplant everything else that wants to grow. (Sorry. Had to.)
Board room …
“Sometimes
a little cattywompus isn’t half bad.” Got that right. This design comes on tee
shirts, ball caps, coasters, tiles, hoodies, and all sorts of stuff. I might
have to order one. So I pinned it to my Cats and Kittens board.
Post Script …
Just for fun: Here’s my author page on Amazon.com.
Shared Quote …
“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off
our souls.” Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
A moment from my day
…
Gonna try to sneak
off and see this old boy today. Love him!
Image/s:
The Simple Woman's Daybook logo - fair use
All photos copyrighted by LAN/Practically at Home,
except book cover and product image - both fair use.
All photos copyrighted by LAN/Practically at Home,
except book cover and product image - both fair use.
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