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Today and tomorrow St. Louis is under a Heat Advisory, which means that the Heat Index is expected to be 105 degrees F or greater. The warning lasts until Monday evening. Our neighbor and her company went to the ball game today. She said they sat in the sun and it was hot! (She's a Cubs fan, though.) The Cardinals beat the Padres in dramatic style and are only one or two games out of first place in the NLC. Will they repeat 2006? Time will tell.
One way to beat the heat if air conditioning is not an option is to visit the deep shade underneath our huge maple tree in the back yard. We of course DO have working air conditioning (for the moment, until the next power outage, anyway) but the maple is still a blessing as we go outside to water the gardens or move between house and garage. We try to brighten the shade with colorful foliage plants such as these coleus and caladiums. The caladiums are in their third year; they overwinter in their pots, sans foliage, on a window sill in the basement and when it gets warm we bring the pots outside, add water, and wait for the miracle of caladium awakening.
Right now all of our travelers are back home, and we are thankful. Don and Kay report a great time in Guatemala, with success in putting a floor in their friends' church and a roof on a school, plus some sightseeing. Mike and Debi say they had a great time in Las Vegas but gave few details so we figure what happened in Vegas is staying there... getting home was a challenge for them when a flight was cancelled and they spent some time in our airport, unbeknown to us, because I had turned my cell phone off. They'll be here in two weeks to visit us and we are looking forward to it.
Update: Debi gives an accounting of the Las Vegas trip on her blog: click here.
And The Boys arrived in Edwardsville tonight after a 2-day drive from SW Florida. They'll be in the area for the next two weeks and we are anticipating some great times visiting with them and especially our grand-dog, Sam.
We continue to work on de-cluttering. Last week we took at least 100 pounds of old magazines and paper to a recycling bin to benefit Mike and Sandy's church. This week we will have more. Sometimes I look at stuff and shake my head as to why I saved it. As some of it is cleared away I find I feel a certain sense of relief that I won't have to shuffle it around any more. This week the carpet cleaners are coming so we will have to get the last of the little stuff out of their way, and wash the throw rugs. Then it will be time to shop for some new linens, lay in some provisions, and in general get ready for The Party on August 2. Anticipation is building.
All around town, Hollyhocks are in bloom, lending an old-fashioned charm to our somewhat old-fashioned city. Our back border this year yielded these dark, dark purple flowers. Last year they were kind of stubby, but being biennials, this is the year for them to shine.
Other signs of summer: the cicadas are in full voice from afternoon until after sunset. And last week, tree frogs started calling in the trees along the back fence line. Fireflies still wink and the moon is at first quarter phase. The weather turned a little cooler and less humid after a stormy frontal passage yesterday, so we are enjoying a quiet evening on the porch.
Today Norm preached at our church as a favor to our vacationing pastor; his sermon title was "Motorcycles are Everywhere" inspired by a sighting on our June trip to Kansas. We also attended a wedding shower for an engaged couple (Norm said it was his "first shower" ) and then we went to a wake, which is what they call funeral visitations in these parts. We were away from home in our Sunday duds for 10 hours, unusual for us. Clearly we could arrange to get out more! The coming week promises to be busy with appointments, errands, exercise and housecleaning! We have to be ready for Stanley Steemer when they come next week. We are enjoying having an in-tune piano, if only for a little while. An 86-year-old Story and Clark upright with a small crack in the sound board does its best, but as Barry the Tuner said on Friday, nothing is guaranteed. Of course, when you live in an 86-year-old house, nothing is guaranteed either. But for tonight, we are grateful and content.
We wish good travels to Don and Kay as they will return from Guatemala this week. And also to Cousins Mike and Debi who are heading to Las Vegas for a little R&R. With stressful jobs in education and medical care, they deserve to beat the house a couple of times.
This month, we have enjoyed a bumper crop of raspberries from the Heritage everbearing variety in our garden. There is a big patch that grew from 4 plants we transplanted 7 years ago! This bowl represents the picking on July 4 and 5. Normally we have a small June crop and a larger fall crop. They are good on cereal, ice cream, alone, and from the freezer later in the year. Being able to have one's own garden patch and enjoy raspberries is part of our larger freedom and liberty that we celebrate on this weekend.
When we moved, we also trans- planted shasta daisies, but after 6 years, they didn't survive. Last year we bought a pot of miniature daisies and they seem to like their spot. Another plant that traditionally blooms in June, these are a couple of weeks later, due to our late spring.
Until a few days ago, this hydrangea in the front border was the only blue flower in the garden. The blooms gradually fade to purple and pink after they are open for a while. But for the time being, they complete our patriotic collection.
This weekend was quiet for us. We spent a lot of time de-cluttering the house and enjoying the cool evenings on our front porch, watching fireflies and listening to the cicadas, which started calling around July 1. We are still waiting for the tree frogs. Today the weather shifted into a more humid, warm pattern so we will have to go back to sleeping with air conditioning. We have had a blessed 10 days or more without needing to run AC, saving a little bit on the electric bill.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Don and Kay, who left the US today for a mission trip to Guatemala. They will be helping to complete a church and a school in a small village there. We know they will have great stories and pictures to share when they return but for now, we pray for their safety during the next 10 days.
One of the persistent holiday dates in my life has been July 3, which is just about a national holiday in our family, because it's cousin Mike's birthday. When we were kids growing up in Tulsa, this event was often celebrated on July 4, as it was in this photo from when I was 11 and Mike turned 7. We were in a patriotic mood that year, as we posed with my dog Rags in our back yard. Today I called and talked to Mike before he went to work, and he had just finished mowing his back yard. True to tradition, he will have family over to his place tomorrow, partially in observance of Independence Day, but we all know The Real Reason for the gathering! Wish we could be there! Happy Birthday, Mike.
This week has been something of a blur. On Sunday we enjoyed helping to staff our church's booth at the annual Pride Fest in Tower Grove park, despite some brief rain showers. That evening we learned that our friend Norma had died during the afternoon. Today the church was nearly full as her far-flung family, many friends, and church people gathered for a memorial service and celebration of her life. More is on my church blog at this link.
Norm and I have started to clean house in anticipation of a gathering here next month to celebrate one of those anniversaries that ends in "0". More details will come in future posts. But for now we are trying to put things back in their places, find homes for things we no longer use or need, and perk the place up a bit. Two stories plus a basement can hide a lot of stuff that just creeps in when you aren't looking. I'm getting some inspiration from a great blog I've found, called The Unclutterer. I recommend it if you are a hoarder like me. (When my mother found out that Norm also was a teacher and we BOTH collected books, magazines and papers, she observed: "you two deserve each other." Here we are 40 years later. Who knew?
I hope to get back to regular posting this weekend. I know a lot of you have been checking in and I appreciate it. Please feel free to leave comments at any time.
***News Flash: Barb has decided that Ava will remain Ava. Thanks anyway to all of you who suggested names. Barb said that Ava responds so well and obeys so well when she hears her name that it would be silly to try to change it now. But we still hear someone out in Barb's yard calling "Sweetie" from time to time!
For a few days, we have a dog in residence! Sam traveled with his people from Florida so he could be in town for our 40th Anniversary party next weekend. He has been keeping us company since Wednesday night. He and Norm went for a long walk yesterday and this morning a shorter one. Sam also met Ava on Thursday. It was a little exciting for them both. They hope to have a new play date next week. Sam turned 5 in June and he is a pretty sedate boy these days, except when he thinks he hears something outside. He still likes to play with toys and get his tummy rubbed.
One of the legacy plants that came with our house is this cluster of tall yellow composites that stretch about 8 feet or more up in the air. We haven't found them in any flower book. The pom pom yellow flowers are cheery and long lasting, although the stalks sometimes bend in the wind or from rain.
