"Summertime and the livin' is easy. . ." So it was, at least, yesterday. We watched a Mama turkey and her two babies amble through a hole in a fence. Not ours, though I wouldn't have minded. A deer stood still in the middle of the country lane we traveled.  We sipped a sappy margarita that I concocted out of tequila, triple sec, lemonade, and guava juice. It tasted like cough syrup but we drank it anyway. Next time, I'll leave out the triple sec and lemonade and maybe I'll come up with a guava margarita. We sat outside in the late eve, the Husband, Missy Molly, and I. What pleasure! The Husband plucked a ripe apricot off the tree for us to share. Deep in flavor, the kind that makes your tummy sparkle and you sigh into a smile.  Figs! Charlie, short for Charlotte, has borne fruit, at least six of them! That's a first for the "Little Miss Figgy" dwarf tree that friends gave us in 2018. Bean vines are twirling their way up and a

1. Next month the U.S. Post Office will be selling forever stamps that celebrate Hip Hop. According to the USPS website, the sheet of stamps features rapping, break dancing, DJing, and graffiti art. I don't know what floors me more -- Hip Hop commemorative stamps or that the first kids into hip hop are now in their 40s and 50s? 2. Our local library has been closed since early March due to the coronavirus pandemic. This month, the librarians decided that we, patrons, can check out books online for pick up. The pick-up process today was easy-peasy, even though I forgot to bring my library card. Nine new books to entertain me. Yippieeee! 3. A few weeks ago, the Husband painted this headboard, full of delight and whimsy, perfect for the Banana Room, once known as the Shady Room. The banana plants look to be coming back, and the bamboo, gardenia, and wongo-wongo plants seem to relish their move there. I also replanted a camelia shrub by the headboard. Does that all s

I've been digging. Here a little dig. There a big dig. All over the yard, both front and back. The last several days I've focused on finding shady spots for potted succulents in the backyard. Those parched guys looked so happy and relaxed after a few hours in the shade absorbing a long drink of water.  I've also been digging beds for the extra bean, tomato, and pepper seedlings that sprouted. I can't bring myself to throw them out.  They deserve a chance to produce fruit, too. The Husband built a trellis for the beans to climb. Pretty cool, huh. Mama would've given him a giggle, grin, and an extra nod of well done. This morning I dug the biggest bed for the tomato and pepper seedlings. Double dig, work in soil amendment, turn soil one more time, and let rest for tomorrow's planting. Daddy would've been proud, by golly, by gee that I paid attention to how he prepared the land for his vegetable garden. That's a story for another day. Digging, shov

George Floyd ought to be on every American's mind, don't you agree? I don't know anything about the man other than he died by the hands of four police officers. Brutes, really. Thugs.  As the cops knelt on his body for more than eight minutes, Floyd showed no resistance and repeatedly told them that he couldn't breathe. The death scene was disgusting. It was horrifying, and it was sad. It didn't have to be! I am glad that since Floyd's death, on May 25, 2020, systematic racism and its perpetrators have been put on notice.  1. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (June 2, 2020) filed a civil rights charge against the Minneapolis Police Department, along with investigating the department for systemic discriminatory practices and abuse of force. 2. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison upgraded the murder charge against Chauvin from third to second degree. In addition,  Attorney General Ellison charged the three other police officers (Thao, Kueng,

1. I've been working in the yard the past few days. It's getting where I prefer being outdoors. What am I talking about?  I've always rather be outside. It was when I was living in San Francisco that I got used to being indoors. After all, I can walk around without shoes. 2. Speaking of being barefoot. Last night we watched Sayonara , starring Marlon Brando, a 1957 film based in Japan about the prejudice against interracial relationships, in particular, marriage (Heavens to Murgatroyd) between American military men and Japanese women. There was also a hint of lust between a Japanese man and an American woman, which probably drew both an aghast! and a titillated hmmm from the audience.  3. There's a similar theme in the musical South Pacific . In one scene, the American officer, who's in love with an island girl, and the American Army nurse, who's horrified the deceased wife of the man she loves was an island woman, commiserate about having to foll

Missus Lady said today's post is mine to do, if I like. Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Missus Lady and Mister Man did errands today. Miao, miao. They skipped the pet store mowrrr because Missus Lady's mask flew off her head. Said Missus Lady (which I'm repeating word for word), "I'd just pushed my mask up on my head and opened the car window. I heard a scraping sound so I leaned out the window to see if anything was dangling from the car. Nothing, but then I saw something pink fly by me. It was my mask." "We turned around to fetch it. As Missus Lady got out of the car, a big rig ran over the mask," added Mister Man (not those exact words but that idea). Miao, miao. Missus Lady retrieved her mask from the middle of the empty street. Miao. Because it was no longer safe to wear and Missus Lady is the designated shopper, my humans came home. It's the green can for dinner tonight. Mowrr. I am glad my Humans are home, safe and sound, even witho

I was sitting in front of the computer about to start today's post when I heard it.   Pop! Huh? I looked over to the left where the sound came. What do ya know? A California poppy pod makes a sound when it opens. Pop! And, the seeds go all over the place. Yesterday, I harvested a pocketful of poppy pods and left them all on a small oval plate on top of the radio.  The poppy pod that popped was not on the plate.  Did the pod jump off the plate as it opened? So it seems. That's my story for today. Much more interesting than I was about to write. Pop! I wonder if that's how poppies got their name. All Seasons is where I'm heading now. The meme is hosted by Jesh at The Jesh Studio . Come join me if you like.