Time

The garden, but we are not growing milk.

Today as I was working through some of the clutter then going outside to look at what needed to be done there, I began to think of the age-old question of “Where do I start?”. I was beginning to think there isn’t enough time in the entire summer to get this all put in order again. As I was thinking of this overwhelming task, Jim Croce popped into my head and I started hearing, “If I could save time in a bottle/ The first thing that I’d want to do…” Now some six hours later I am still trying to think of what my first thing should be.

Today went something like this: James sorted out the dresser he used in Linton so it could go back into the room where Victoria is living so she can put her clothes away and quit living out of a suitcase. I just feel so awful for her. I love having her and Jaxon around, but I know just how tough it is to be a grown up daughter trying to live with your mother, especially one who knows how to do everything better than anyone else, even the daughters that she taught. No comments from Jess, Vic or Paul. Remember I lived with Patsy for a year.

While James was sorting, and I will tell you how excited I am about that. He has soooooo many t-shirts from coaching and camps and such, anyway, he finally sorted out those that are torn and stained, and I now have some t-shirts to cut up for crochet rugs. I am super excited to get on that, I just don’t know where the scissors is to work on it. Anyway, I did laundry, as in sheets and some towels and quilts. I still have to fold them, but they were drying on the clothes line and that was great.

There was an interruption while James and Victoria ran out to our farm (my brother lives on it, but my sisters and I own it, you figure out our mother.) to get her dog Biscuit so she, Jaxon and Biscuit could go and visit Nate for Father’s Day weekend. Paulina had lunch, packed up and headed to Wishek to life guard and stay with Melissa and family for two days. Before the trip to the farm, I had a very pleasant visit with a dear friend and former coworker. Jessye stopped to drop off a gift for Paulina. She was heading out of town and stopped by. Someday I am going to have to host a “coffee” party on my deck with a few of the old gang. I better get the sorting done first.

Later, I took a break from laundry to call my sister Kathy for help because the pool had semi collapsed. I was already putting some water into it to help hold it up. Earlier in the morning James and I tried to put it up, but we didn’t use and screwdriver and such, so it was a rather futile attempt. Kathy put it together while I held on to it (and talked to Aunt Glenda in AZ-get back here to help with this crazy pool) so the wind wouldn’t fold it over like a jelly sandwich, which is exactly what it was trying to do. Before I go to bed tonight I have to remember to fish the dead bird out of it. With a foot of water in it now, I am hoping that the wind doesn’t have a chance.

The rest of the day was spent puttering around the house and yard. James mowed everything while I potted the petunias and moss roses that I bought in Bismarck last Sunday. I was afraid they would die if I didn’t get it done. I also transplanted a couple of Christmas cactus and a geranium. Victoria and I are most likely to get into the city-wide rummage sale at the end of June, and I hate being shut out of sales, so I always have some plants on hand. If nothing else, many people will purchase plants. I am planning on taking out a major part of my iris bed (I so need to down size because it is too big to weed it.) and selling those by the dozen.

So how does the theme song fit? If I could save time in a bottle, I would be able to get more thing finished before the summer is gone. Then again, I will just muddle through at the pace that works.

I see the word count is getting pretty high, so I will leave you with some photos of the day.

White petunias

Misc hanging basket.

Pot of white petunia. I planted four of those; two have morning-glory seeds in them and all have lobelia seeds.
Pot of misc. This pot has one Vinca vine, one geranium and two Dusty Millers.

Blue pansies

Strawberries in tire

Pansies: The blue pansies look pretty good; the yellow ones are fading. I finally realized that I needed to water them today. Paulina was taking care of them, and today she left.
Strawberries in tire. This is one of the three plantings of strawberries that survived the winter.

Clematis

Columbine

Columbine ready to bloom. They have lots more room now that I moved the hostas from their area.
Clematis: I put some crochet string up for the clematis to climb on after James put a couple of hooks in for me. I hope this turns out as well as it promises to. I am so glad that someone finally told me to quit cutting off my clematis every fall. Duh!!

Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus ready for the sale.
Garden overview: Even the seed potatoes are starting to sprout. I guess we have samples of everything except some of the herbs. I took the milk carton caps off and left them beside the plant incase I needed to cap them from a storm. Yikes they are all over now. I really recommend using them. Each planting is a mini-green house when you do this.

OK, I promise it is time to go.