Monday, August 25, 2014

A New Week Is Upon Us

The start of a new week has always been energizing for me.  (Even when I was working outside the home.  Is that weird?)  How about you?  I know many folks feel that way about weekends, but Mondays have the "fresh start" feeling.  A new beginning and all that.  Another chance to improve myself, make things flow more smoothly.

Anyway.

Last night was the first night this summer when it was too uncomfortable for a good night's sleep.  Heat.  Humidity.  Thunder and lightning.  The storm (we got 3/4" of rain) did nothing to reduce the stickiness.  Temp first thing this morning was 77°.  Which wasn't what many  of you would call hot, but with the heavy air it felt much warmer.  Now at a smidge after 10 a.m. it's down to 70°.  Hooray!  Hubby has been telling me we're in for cooler temps this week.  Now if the humidity would just go away along with the higher temperatures . . . it still reads at 84%.  Gleesh.

But when you consider this is the end of August, and we haven't had to battle any real prolonged heat until now . . . well, I shan't complain too much.

I have a list to choke the proverbial horse today.  Laundry and ironing since it is Monday, ya know.  I had a whole bunch of things to accomplish in the garden, but that may not happen today because I'd have to don a rubber suit to work out there this morning.  We had sunshine for about 11-1/2 minutes a half hour ago but now we're back to grayness which means the garden won't dry out until at least this afternoon, perhaps not even then.

It's all okay, 'cause I have one mell of a hess facing me on my desk.  Bills to pay, things to order, research to be done, correspondence to answer, typing of notes I've made on preserving, new methods I've tried.  (If we don't succumb to botulism this winter, I'll keep the notes for next year.)

I must admit to rather haphazardly tossing newly harvested and frozen garden produce into one or another of our freezers without a lot of rhyme or reason.  What I really need to do is defrost and sort all the freezer.  I know, I know, I should have done that before the preserving started . . . but didn't, so really need to do it now . . . and pronto.

Just made a quick foray into the garden to see how wet things really are.  They are.  Very.  Very wet.


I'll close with a picture of my cilantro blossoming prior to going to seed.  Such a delicate, lovely display.

16 comments:

Carolyn said...

Sobs at the mention of more rain.
Beautiful flowers though :)

Leigh said...

Wait, you iron?!?!?! Gosh, I don't even know where my iron is. Come to think of it, I can't even remember what it looks like.

Sue said...

The cilantro blooms are beautiful. I sure hope you get more sun, though. I love a gloomy day more than the average person, but day after day after day? Eeeeesh!
We are heading to Traverse today and I am dreading it. That is Michigan's TOURIST town and it's the final week of hell (um, I mean-tourist season). But--this is the week that hubby is convinced he NEEDS new shoes (men!), so I go. My nerves frazzle (sizzle and pop!) just at the thought of it...............

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

The last time I got the iron out here, was for my son to iron his Marine uniforms, ha ha! I envy your rain. We really need some.

Mama Pea said...

Carolyn - I know, dear girl! If I could only send a boatload of it to you, I would. I would, I would!

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - I do indeed iron. I never learned how to take clothes off the line or out of the dryer and make them look decent. I think it's my generation, too. (Older than you, m'dear.) I grew up before so many clothing polyesters came onto the market. Everything was 100% cotton . . . and that's what we still wear . . . which is harder to keep wrinkle-free without the good ol' iron and ironing board. Besides, I LIKE to iron which, I suppose, is why I do it. :o) And you can't fool me. When you quilt you have to use an iron, right?

Mama Pea said...

Sue - Just put on your big girl panties and go buy the guy some new shoes! Make sure you find somewhere to get a good piece of pie as your reward for being a good girl! ;o)

Mama Pea said...

Kristina - After Carolyn gets done with the rain I send her, I'll have her send the rest on up to you! Feast or famine, we gardeners never seem to get the right amount of rain or sun or heat, do we?

Susan said...

I wish I could share your enthusiasm for Mondays, but I find them stressful - maybe, when (please goD soon) I retire, I will view them with fresh eyes!

Lisa said...

Always let my cilantro go to bloom too, because I think it's so pretty and have turned that particular raised bed into the 'Cilantro Bed' so it can keep blooming and re-seeding. Just got through defrosting our 'frost-free' chest freezer too. Our garden didn't quite live up to its expectations this summer, so we're trying to live life without the chest freezer and see the difference on our electric bill.... if any. Luckily we have a large freezer in our refrigerator and so far, so good. But the ice cream is kinda' taking up a lot of room!!! :) Hope the rains abate up there. We sure could use it down here too.

Mama Pea said...

Susan - There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that when you retire from your off the homestead job, you will delight in every single day you get to spend at home and/or doing just what you want. Yes, even Mondays!

Mama Pea said...

Lisa - Uh-oh, now you've got me thinking about letting my cilantro go to form a "cilanto bed!" It is one thing that does self-seed up here and I do so love the show the flowers put on. Bummer that your garden didn't do very well this year. As we gardeners all say (maybe too frequently), well, there's always next year! :o)

Endah Murniyati said...

The cilantro's flowers look so beautiful!

Tombstone Livestock said...

I only wear cotton but I don't iron, haven't used an iron in maybe over 30 years, have a new one (10+ years old, still in the box) think I was going to quilt something but maybe not, LOL.

Mama Pea said...

Endah - They are tiny little things but I really enjoy them, too!

Mama Pea said...

Tombstone Livestock - I'm gonna send the Quilting Police out to see you. You know you want to do some quilting. You'd create something beautiful . . . and that ten year old iron is just patiently waiting to help. Now go do it! ;o)