Hot Weather = No Motivation

I know it's been a long time since I posted here, but hey... its summer in the South! Nothing happens very fast. The weather has been warm and juicy with thunderstorms almost every afternoon. This makes me feel lazy -- I don't really want to do anything, and what I do manage to accomplish gets done at a snail's pace. Anything that takes any effort has to be done early in the morning.

I haven't been doing any gardening in the last week because I wrecked my knee and thought I'd better give it a rest from digging and kneeling. Just as well, it's a little too hot for gardening right now. The local produce stand has some of the best peaches and cantaloupe I've ever had, and all the summer vegetables are coming in to the local Farmer's Market. I'm glad I didn't plant a food garden this year because I was so disappointed last year. It was a lot of work and the wet weather caused too much disease, which was heartbreaking. One person can't eat all that stuff anyway, and I'm supporting our local farmers by buying it. The only edibles I have are strawberries, basil and a few onions.

So, what HAVE I been doing? Not much. I like to start my day with a cup of coffee on the porch, listening to the birds and watching the world come awake. I have so many hummingbirds that it's like Star Wars out there. They're so mean to each other! I shot this video today. Watch how one of them just keeps on drinking while the others fight.

I'll go through nearly ten pounds of sugar feeding these guys before the summer is over.

Then, an hour or so catching up on the computer and breakfast. Then back to the porch with a good book.  In the afternoons I've been trying to work in the studio, but I'm just not motivated. I had an order to fill which took a couple of days. (When the customer contacted me I was a little annoyed at first that someone would interrupt my "vacation", then realized that I don't actually get vacations! And my train of thought was that I really could use the money and, no jewelry means no money, so go make the lady's jewelry.) There's a little gallery business to take care of, but my sales still aren't that great. My summer PMC class was cancelled because not enough people signed up, so I have all my Mondays to myself and no preparation work to do. I've sworn to myself that next week I'm going to give the copper clay another try. Really. I mean it.... I'm going to do something productive. But until I can get myself out of this lazy midset I think I'll just enjoy summer in the South, fix myself a glass of sweet tea and go back to the porch and that book.

Memorial Day weekend...

... is the "unofficial" start of summer. And lately it's been feeling like summer. Every time I shove the windows open because the house is too hot I say a tiny prayer of gratitute that the last of the 80 inches of snow, that was still on the ground a mere two months ago, is gone. The wild roses are blooming and the air is perfumed like a Victorian bath. I've been gardening whenever I have the opportunity, pulling weeds and trimming edges mostly. I planted lots of annuals in pots scattered around the yard. 

I was glad to see that the bleeding heart that I thought had died is struggling back. I had one like this where I used to live and it took me a long time to find another one. Most bleeding heart blooms in the spring, then it's done. This variety continues to bloom up until frost and I hope it will thrive this year.

This morning I picked the first strawberries. I got about a dozen ripe ones, ate about half of them as I stood there and put the other half on my granola. Allowed to ripen on the plant they're soooo much sweeter than what you get in the grocery store, where they're picked just as they turn pink two weeks ago in Florida.

A few days ago I saw a black snake going into my shed. These are the good guys that keep poisonous snakes, mice and rats away. I'm not really afraid of them, if I see them first. I think I got over it when I lived in a 125-year-old house in the country and walked into the bathroom to find a 5-foot black snake draped across the sink and the toilet. My ex-husband and I had to wrestle it into a pillow case to get it out of there. It's when they see ME first and squiggle quickly away that they startle me. Yesterday I saw one curled up in the space under the roof and went to take a picture. I waited to get a good shot... it stuck it's head out and looked at me. Then there was a second head! Two of them? I hope they're not making little snaky babies in there. Now I keep a broom stick beside the door and poke things before I go in... so I get to see the snake before it sees me.

And a note about this national holiday: I'm a pacifist. I don't believe that war is the way to handle conflicts between nations. But until we evolve as spiritual beings there will always be those who believe that killing each other is the only way to solve our problems. Realistically, when our country does resort to war, we must give thanks to those that choose to put themselves in harm's way to defend our beliefs. So, on Monday I'll be saying a prayer to thank the ones that gave the ultimate sacrifice - nearly 5,500 souls in Iraq and Afganistan so far. And, I'll be praying for Peace, too.

My Incredibly Gorgeous Garden

This is what I've been waiting for! From now until about the middle of August there will be color abound in my garden. Everything has started to bloom, but it's not quite at peak yet. Depends on how much rain we get, but I'm thinking maybe a week from now it will be worthy of a photo shoot for a gardening magazine.

The box in the center has basil, beans and strawberries planted in it, plus a few zinnias and daisies. The beans have lots of flowers, so the beans can't be too far beind. Now that I'm getting a few tomatoes from the front yard the basil is getting picked almost daily.

The winters here can be pretty harsh. Dark, dreary, cold and snowy. When those first crocuses and daffodils start to bloom I can see everything else peeking out of the ground. I wait. I pull weeds and maybe divide a few things. And wait. Now it's here and I can't stay in the house. I'm out on the porch most of the day trying to read or work, but mostly enjoying the flowers, the hummingbirds, the butterflies, and the birds at the feeders. Come over and have a glass of wine and enjoy it with me!

Summer Camp

I've decided that I'm adopting the attitude of my friend, Leslie, who compares her life during this time of year to being at summer camp. If you've been reading this blog, then you know that there hasn't been much jewelry making going on, so I've had to find other ways to engage my creativity and my time. I've been taking nature walks, watching movies, reading and doing arts and crafts other than working with silver clay. (That's really WORK, not a true camp activity!) I haven't made any lanyards, or popsicle-stick houses, or jersey loop pot holders, either.

But, I did finally finish painting my table. It used to be ugly dark stained wood - the top is made of plywood. After priming it, I painted the whole thing with the light blue color, then put the cartoon characters on it. That's how I spent my Independence Day weekend. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to put any designs on the legs - I think I'll just sit with it as it is for awhile. Whaddaya think? Do I have another career here?