summer breeze

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine… today was a blessed day of summer with a hot sun, smell of clover sweetly scenting the air, and a light breeze rustling the leaves in the poplars that are still alive. The day started off vigorously, maybe too vigorously! My arms a still a bit jelly like but at least my legs feel strong!

I drained the battery on my speaker this afternoon so had to dig out a charging cable for outside… I think I've played every genre of music except Gregorian Chants! Right now I have a 70s summer playlist cued up. Earlier it was Lady Gaga, and before that it was a jumble of high energy songs to keep my feet moving on the treadmill.

Carm had a mid afternoon golf game arranged so he's out there sweating buckets - I hope he remembers to drink his water… He did text that they are using carts today which was a relief - he's had heat stroke multiple times on the golf course 😱 so I worry like crazy when he's out in the heat.

After my herculean efforts this morning I've been chilling… watering plants, harvesting thai basil and lettuce, but mostly just stretched out on the sofa outside. Low effort tasks interspersing total relaxation.

I was listening to 'Burning' by Jelly Roll and was thinking how the lyrics were saying what I couldn't a few months ago, but now those feelings are just a dim memory that I can't even quite conjure up. I know that I was feeling bad but Nature has thankfully made my brain forget just how awful it was. Small (or perhaps huge) mercies!

Thursday I took Mom to her follow-up appointment with the Infectious Disease doctor… the doctor was pleased with her recovery especially given how sick Mom was. Dr. A. said that the bacteria that Mom had is often fatal so we feel double blessed that she made it out the other side. She's not 100% yet but seems to be getting a bit stronger everyday. She has another 3 weeks of antibiotics to make sure the bacteria is fully killed and not hanging out in her spine anymore but she is considered 'out of the woods' - thank goodness!

Friday Pat came for supper and a movie. I think they watched an old Stargate movie while I read, but when that finished we put on something about Lady Jane Grey in an alternate universe with creatures that can transform from animals to people. We just watched one episode but I'm looking forward to the next one :-)

It had been a busy day with trips to Costco and liquidation. We scored giant (and I mean GIANT) insulated mugs - they'll be great for our trip this winter, but in the meantime, I've been using mine to up my water drinking. It holds almost 1.5 litres and keeps it pretty cold through the day so I've been filling it up in the morning and trying to get through the whole thing. It's got a huge 'mouth' which makes it easy to wash… and perfect for a few slices of lemon! I'm thinking that tomorrow I'll fill it with iced herbal tea and lemon.

Okay… time to get off the Jelly Roll playlist and back onto the 70s summer music! I love his music but it is perhaps even more dirge like than Leonard Cohen!

Awesome!

"a summer day - always awesome!"

"giant mugs"

summer visitors

I've got a Marvin Gaye playlist blasting, drowning out the sound of the lawnmower, but the perfect accompaniment to the rustling of the leaves in the breeze… the temperature is more moderate and the breeze is keeping things comfortable… the shade is up so I'm enjoying some solo time on the deck before our next group of guests arrive. 

Our visit with Tina and Bruce on Monday/Tuesday was great - we sweated under the shade, braving the sweltering temps while we enjoyed some adult beverages, lots of cold ice tea, and dunks into the rapidly warming waters of the pool. The focaccia came out of the oven just as they arrived and I cooked the potatoes outside so there was no need to spend much time inside. It was a perfect summer day!

I think it was our first time eating outside this year!

The farmer cut the field on Sunday, tedded it on Monday, and then yesterday made an attempt at baling… unfortunately their machine was acting up so they didn't get everything baled before late afternoon showers. He's out there trying to salvage what is left…

Mom took herself to her hair appointment today - her first real outing by herself! Hopefully she's reveling in her return to independence! 

With nowhere to go this morning I got back into my exercise routine… well, partially! I only made it through 2 sets of resistance exercises, but did manage a full hour on the treadmill - I was beat after all that! I lost a few steps over the last month, but am pleased that I could still do what I did today. A few more days and I’ll be back to where I was. I will admit to lots of swearing to get the last one or two lifts of each exercise done but I did it and I'm pleased with myself for making the effort!

Of course, once I stepped off the treadmill and stripped off my sweaty clothes, I jumped into the not quite cool waters of the pool. A helicopter made a few high passes as I was having my outdoor shower, but I think there were trees in the line of sight… otherwise they got a good story to tell their friends about some crazy woman walking around naked on her deck! 

I am both a naturalist and a natureist!

These warm summer days on the patio are bringing me back into the present - I guess I've been in stasis for a while with everything that has been going on, but I feel very much in the moment right now and am enjoying that peaceful easy feeling a'la the Eagles! I'm not sure that I could feel more mellow 😀 

It smells incredible here with fresh cut grass, hay drying in the sun, katalpa blooms, the rose out front and all the vetch.

bedtime… Cathey and Jim left a while ago after a dinner of leftovers! We had a good but somewhat spirited visit… 

Awesome!

“breezy afternoon in the shade”

“all the shades of pink”

“roast beef sandwiches on focaccia”

“that peaceful easy feeling”

the inferno

It's a scorcher today! At 7:30 am it was 24C and by 10:30 am it was a blistering 34C! Carm got the laser heat thermometer out and by noon the deck 130F which is blistering 54C! WHAT THE ACTUAL F! Summer was slow in arriving but when it finally got here - wowzers!

I suppose we could have predicted this heat wave as Tina & Bruce are coming for a leisurely afternoon and evening. It seems that their summer visits are always on the hottest day of the year! We'll spend plenty of time in the pool and under the shade with a fan going… I’ve made tons of ice.

I was going to make a traditional roast beef dinner but it didn't seem appealing in this heat, plus who wants to spend the afternoon inside tending to food on a hot summer day (although the heat might send us inside regardless)! So I cooked the beast yesterday and we'll have cold beef with freshly made focaccia and my favourite roasted potato & arugula ‘salad’. Simple and most can be made ahead, although the focaccia does require a certain amount of fussing over 😀 

Our trip to the camper last Friday was regenerative… I always get that ‘peaceful easy feeling’ when I step inside and feel any stress or anxiety slip away. Our trip home however… not so regenerative… At the half way point, Carm took the corner a bit too fast and Grace's cage toppled over… when I got out of the car to fix it I realized that we were missing a bag which is why she tipped in the first place! The bag with our tablets and my purse as well as other odds and ends was left behind… so we turned around and drove back. I don't think we've EVER left the camper without forgetting something! I'm working on creating a better and more comprehensive check list and will go through it after Carm and the dogs have left the camper when there isn't so much commotion and confusion… ha ha!

We did eventually make it home (an hour and 10 minutes later than planned), and had plenty of time to get the patio furniture out of the house and onto it's summer locale. I even got a few minutes to relax with a book! It was wonderful :-)

Yesterday I dashed into town to take Mom to the grocery store - her first outing, other than a doctor's appointment, since the beginning of her ordeal. She was tired at the end but I think she enjoyed being out of the house for a bit :-)  Mom and Dad are doing great and managing on their own for the most part now - they must be happy for things to start to get back to a normal routine.

This morning I had my first (or maybe second) outdoor shower! Hurrah! It would have been perfect except the water in the hose was scalding hot… yikes!

I stuck one of the bones from the roast in with Grace this morning and I can see her starting to stalk it to make sure it's dead - she loves a good meaty bone, even when they are almost as big as she is!

Carm made the comment that we've become a pretty good team when it comes to getting ready for guests - we both know what we have to do! I don't have to manage the whole event as Carm is a full partner in getting things ready. We don't go as crazy as we used to years ago when we'd spend 2 days getting ready for company - now it's all accomplished, except for the food, in just a few hours!

Awesome!

“scorching hot summer day!”

“Mom's first outing”

“knawing on a bone”

“twisted tea”