Can someone please tell me where the summer went? Was it really that long ago that I was putting down compost and planting my flowers? The pear tree was covered with thousands of white, billowy blossoms. I was just growing my grass! Now I'm pulling out plants that have bloomed their final blooms. The pear tree is full of thousands of berries that will turn soft and start falling and cover my sidewalk with goo. My hummingbirds will be migrating in just a few short weeks. That might make me saddest of all.


It's not that it's getting cool here. It's just that school has started, and I know that in a blink of the eye it will be Christmas. I was supposed to start making my cards in July!

I visited my sister today. She's doing really well and will start light-duty part-time work starting on Thursday. Sixteen days after surgery. I find that amazing. She's a Type-A personality, and staying home is driving her stir-crazy. How's that for some hyphens?

I spent hours in the kitchen today. Made my now-famous zucchini pie. Shrimp salad. Lunches for the next two days of work. I marinated chicken thighs-they're such a pain to trim (I like to take off all the fat and other stringy stuff). It felt good to be preparing fresh food, but it's so time consuming. When I was finally done, I laid on my hammock. It was the first time and very pleasant till the mosquitoes found me. Oh well. It was time to light the grill anyway. Emily and I sat down for a good dinner of grilled chicken, green beans and garlic, macaroni and cheese and salad. Yum. I went outside and decided to mow the lawn. That done, I applied some bug spray, plugged in my fan and laptop, and, here I am. It's dusk, the crickets are chirping. I wish I could stay out for hours. I'm just thankful I had a little while to sit in my old favorite place. Like old times.