THE GARDEN

 Hello, friends!  Hope you are having a wonderful day.  Here it is the middle of another week.  And the last day of June.  Time just marches on.  The year is half over already!

We had a good Ladies Bible Study yesterday although I was very late.  I overslept and it just went from there.  But things still went well.  We just didn't get as much studied, but that's OK because we are not on a time schedule.

It has been so hot here.  I know there are many of you in the western states who have it even worse than I do.  I feel sorry for you and pray for you.  But it is very hot here too.  We have been having the air conditioner running non-stop.  Right now I have it turned off and the front door open to get the cool fresh air into the house.  It is so pleasant in the early morning.  (It's about 5:30 a.m. as I write this.)  I try to do all I need to in the morning because as soon as it gets hot, I'm done.

The heat has taken a toll on my garden too.  My marigolds are all dried up and withered even though I try to water them.  The other plants aren't doing all that well either.  But I did take some photos before it got brutal so I wanted to share them with you.  Sorry some of these are rather dark.  I hope you can see them.  I need to check the light meter on my camera.

Last year I had no flowers at all on my hydrangea.  This year it is overrun with them.  So many and so beautiful.

 

The red and white petunias all died off.  Fortunately there were lots of buds and they all came back.

                              

The roses have been beautiful.

The basil is going crazy and the parsley is up too.

And for the first time ever the tree has crab apples on it.

I was reading on Google that the seeds contain cyanide and are poisonous to people and animals.  The stray cats won't bother them because they are well fed and cats want meat not vegetation.  But I need to warn our next-door neighbors who have dogs.  Dogs are especially vulnerable it seems.  And if I decide to use them for something, I need to be careful about getting rid of the seeds and anything near them.  Have any of you heard about this?  Have you ever eaten a crab apple?

I was going to show you the patio area also, but those photos are really dark.  I will retake them and show you later.

And now I need to get going with my day.  Lots to do.  I asked my friend, Donna, to come for lunch after church on Fourth of July.  So I need to get this house cleaned up.  And I need to stop at ShopRite for my medication and I'll buy some food there too for Sunday.  I'm going to look for a watermelon slice.

So see you all later.  Have a wonderful day.

Kathy

THIS AND THAT

 

Hello, friends!  Hope you are having a great weekend.  I wanted to check in with you but really don't have much to tell you.

It is really hot here.  We had storms off and on this morning.  I was hoping the rain would cool things off a bit, but no such luck.

We went to get our groceries today.  I had ordered them online yesterday and so today just had to pick them up.  I don't do that very often, but I just couldn't face doing the shopping today.  I will say that the employees who do the shopping for me pick out such good produce and meat.  Everything was perfect.

I wanted to get out in the yard today and change the patio out to summer décor but that didn't happen.  I'll have to do that tomorrow.  And I'll be sure to take some pictures for you.  The hydrangea and roses are beautiful!

It is my turn to bring the treat for church tomorrow.  I was going to bake, but just couldn't face it with the heat.  So I will have to make a run to the supermarket tomorrow morning and pick something up.  I hope I can find something patriotic and summer looking.

I am about 2/3 of the way through my next book that I'm reading.  And I still have another one to tell you about before this one.  For some reason I am just reading and reading.  I am going through a book every three or four days.  I haven't done this in years but I am loving every minute of it.

Today is a special day in our family.  My grandson, Colby, turns 21.  How time flies!  I can hardly believe it.  Here is a picture from when he visited us when he was 11 years old.

And here he is today at 21 years old with his mom.  What a great guy he is.  But where did the last 10 years go?

Well, I have to end and get my lesson for tomorrow together.  I will post it tomorrow for the weekly Sunday Praise.

Have a good night.  Until later...

Kathy

WHAT I'M READING -- THE SAPPHIRE OF ZANGRABAR by Steve Higgs (2021/5)

 

Hello, friends!  Hope you are having a wonderful day.  Things here are so busy and I barely have time to breathe let alone write a post.  But I wanted to let you know I am still here and I am going to share the next book that I read with you.  It is "The Sapphire of Zangrabar -- a Patricia Fisher mystery" by Steve Higgs.  It is book one in a series.

This is another book that Goodreads recommended to me.  Actually, it is a series of books.  There are 10 books in the series I bought.  These are mysteries set in England.  I am assuming that Steve Higgs is a British writer but I am not sure.  I have to look that up.

The main character is Patricia Fisher.  And a character she is.  She is 52 years old, a housewife with a love of gin, and a husband that she has been married to forever.  She also has a best friend that she can tell anything to.  And share everything with.  Apparently her friend thinks that sharing Patricia's husband is OK too.  When Patricia walks in on them, that's the end of her life as she has known it.  She empties their bank accounts and books herself on the three month cruise of a lifetime.  In the royal suite.

At first she is overwhelmed by her private butler, gym instructor (who is the size of a twig) and the over the top accommodations.  But when a man she meets in the restaurant turns up dead and her purse and missing jewelry is found in his room, signs point to her being the murderer.

Not only is this a good mystery where you are constantly trying to figure out "who dun it", but it is funny as everything.  I was laughing out loud and Joe would stop his reading and look at me as if I were out of my mind.  Especially when he asked me what I was reading and I said a murder mystery.

Such a good book.  I read it in four days.  I just couldn't put it down.  Steve Higgs is a genius when it comes to writing books.  I can't wait to read the next one.

So dear friends, I am recommending this book to you.  You won't regret reading it.

And now back to work.  See you all soon.

Kathy