I'm trying to enjoy the summer, in spite of the heat and how weedy my gardens are. So I take what pleasure I can in the small moments. Like this toad who was sitting on my dragon's nose one morning last week. I couldn't have imagined anything that would have given me as much joy as this did when I noticed him.
Where there aren't as many weeds, there are some beautiful flowers this year- probably due to all the rain. The bee balm was blossoming like fireworks on the 4th of July!
And the new portulaca plant I got at Palmiter's in Avon is spectacular!
The bottle tree garden, just outside the garage, is my favorite this year. I kind of dug it up and started over this year, but really I decided not to let the calendula take over this year. This is the best pansy bed I've had in a long time.
I accidentally planted onions in the one garden when I dumped my compost bucket out there. Are these the blossoms? They're very cool!
The Nasturtiums are assimilating my little fairy, which seems kind of perfect!
School is out now, so when I do my regular visit to see the kids, Kiara is there now. I wanted a picture with all three of them together, but they didn't cooperate. 
It was 90 this week when I was there, so the boys are "naked". Everett is growing so fast- soon he'll be crawling!
I'm still working on smaller projects. The most recent creature is a bushy tailed squirrel. 
The only sewing project I finished this week is this little cat "purse". I've had it for years, but finally got the wool to make it last year. One side is George, and the other is Marigold.
Cute, right?
The pattern is perhaps the most poorly written thing I have ever encountered. There were pages and pages and pages of written instructions- repeating themselves for different combinations of fabric and methods of appliqué- and NO assembly diagrams whatsoever. I had to guess how to put the handles in and ended up getting them in crooked, and too close together, or something. The pattern says it's perfect for a phone (maybe back when phones were smaller) or a pair of glasses. You can't get a pair of glasses in through the opening as I have it. It's pretty much for decoration only. I just can't understand why they would not include a few simple diagrams for the final assembly- especially given how detailed the rest of the instructions were.
You can still buy this pattern here, and I gave some thought to emailing to ask if they've released a newer, improved version that a beginner might be able to assemble. But that would accomplish little, so I didn't bother. I am certainly not going to make another one. I'm pretty sure the pattern is headed for the recycle bin.
My husband went to the store the other day to buy a some milk and a couple other small things. The cashier asked if he wanted a bag. He said yes, since he couldn't carry the eggs safely with the other things. He ended up with three bags for three items. I will admit it is possible he misheard the question- he has a pretty bad hearing deficit. But why on Earth does any store spend the three or five cents a bag to put things like milk into one? I am counting the minutes until the plastic bag ban goes into effect in New York, and the stores are forced to stop handing them out. I am hoping it will also force people to reassess their shopping habits.
I am grateful for:
The frequent reminders of how lucky I am.
Random acts of beauty all around me.
Bits of sewing time when I can just play.
The smell of freshly popped corn.
When it cools down enough (and doesn't rain) at night to leave the windows open and not run the AC.
