Dear Blog, The online weather guys say it’s 89 degrees at this moment. The intensity of the heat is what makes it unpleasant, but bearable, even with the breeze. This, too, will pass. I have a riddle for you: What Northern California region gets many complaints?  Answer: The Wine Country. I thought the Husband would get it because we were watching a TV cooking competition featuring chefs from the wine country. I get such a kick when I get one over him. He does, too, so I believe.  Three things I’ve done today? One, I deep watered the fruit trees and the vegetable plots before breakfast. Two, I dug holes for a squash and some canna lily plants, which I’ll transplant tomorrow before it gets too hot. And, three, I have apricots (from our tree) simmering on the stove. They’ll probably end up being jam that I’ll store in the freezer and be happily surprised finding when winter comes.  Life is good, despite all the craziness around us. Sincerely, Septuagenarian Barefoot Susie

Dear Blog, Mama’s roses continue to reach for the sky. Not as many like it was when they were under her guidance. I keep pruning branches shorter to revive the bushes, hoping they’ll become full again. This year two blooming hollyhocks grace the front yard. It only took seven years of sowing seeds for them to finally take. The first hollyhock to bloom is gorgeous pink and gigantic! Even without its tippy-top pointed straight up, it hovers a bit over the roof line.  This hollyhock is growing where I didn’t toss seeds, surprise, surprise. When it first popped up, I thought it was a volunteer squash plant, then as it grew and grew and grew, a sunflower it must be. I like to think of this hollyhock as the mother plant of future generations of hollyhocks to come. One can hope. Sincerely yours, Septuagenarian Barefoot Susie

Dear Blog, This morning I painted the board temporarily planked down as a bridge in part of the backyard. Squirt, swish, smush, scrape….My intent was to use up the box of pour paint. (I didn’t.) Because I didn’t feel like searching for more paint brushes, I painted with twigs, dried flowers, and a toy train, toot, toot. Body parts that haven’t bent, reached, and moved in a while now twinge and ache. Worth it! Truly yours, Septuagenarian Barefoot Susie

Dear Blog, “Do they think you’re an immigrant?” asked the Husband, looking up from his tablet “Do I look like an immigrant? Do I sound like one? Do I act like one? I don’t think so. If anything they probably don’t know what I am.” They refers to people  who assume anyone who looks like me has to be an immigrant, possibly an illegal one.   “True,” said the Husband. “Even the Filipinos don’t know what you are. What did that Filipino therapist think you were?” “Half Native American, half FIlipino.” “Whatever the heck half is,” said the Husband. (Another example of why I love the Husband.) “What are you reading that you asked me ?” “Project 2025.” Yeah, little old, fat second-generation Filipino-American me scares the bejusus out of them, there people. Boo. Truly yours, Septuagenarian Barefoot Susie

Dear Blog, I didn’t come back yesterday like I hinted I would, so very sorry. When I was about to work on a post, the Husband said the Internet was down. It came back in the evening but I was done for the day. Now, why did I feel a need to give you an excuse for not showing up yesterday? I know better.  Own it, let it go, move on. That’s what I learned from my dad. Not in those words, but that idea. Daddy wouldn’t accept excuses from me while I was growing up. He stopped me short anytime I tried. He had no time for lame reasons about why I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. Nor did he want to hear why I did something such as crash into a car coming around a blind bend on a mountainous road, which I suppose a teenage girl should not have been driving on. Daddy expected me to accept the consequences, and because he was fair, quite fair, I did so willingly. And because I told him the truth, and probably showed my remorse, most of the time he would give me his fierce look, grunt very fir

Dear Blog, I renewed my domain name for another year. So, here I be. Will I be a consistent writer this time around? We shall see. Three things I’ve done this morning: One, I gathered all the jade trimmings around the yard and sorted them into throw-aways and to-be-propagated. Two, I painted a hat. Three, I am writing this blog post. Until next time (possibly tomorrow) Sincerely yours, Septuagenarian Barefoot Susie

  “I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it./I’m about to lose control and I think I like it….” Who remembers that 1982 song and which group sang it?  Why am I so excited? Today I received an email from Baker Creek that my heirloom seed order, which I placed yesterday, is in the mail. Yi-haw!  Here’s what I ordered. Veggies 1. Blauhilde Bean (climbing) and Cantare Bean (bush, la la la la) 2. Abashi Bittermelon (from Okinawa) 3. Orchard Baby Sweet Corn (this with Blauhilde will be part of the Husband’s Three Sister plot) 4. Nagasaki Long Eggplant 5. Serpente de Sicilia Cucuzzi (a long, pale green gourd, which from the photo looks like the Filipino tabongow) 6. Job’s Tears (seems you can make rosary beads out of this grain) 7. Ishikura Bunching Onion 8. Banana Sweet Pepper Flowers 9. Canterbury Bells, rainbow mix 10. Candyfloss Red Cosmos 11. Twinkles Phlox 12. Ki No Mai Stock (butter-creme yellow, so stated the description) 13. Hopi Sunflower (supposedly the Hopi used the seeds to make