A LITTLE GARDENING AND RAMBLING ON

It's been a very busy and exhausting week.  And the week before with the holiday was crazy, too.  I love having people at the lakehouse, but for  being a rather happy recluse, I got to missing those quiet lazy days sitting on the beach, thinking and dreaming all by myself.  Anyway, The Husband's surgery was Tuesday morning.  We were up at 4:00 a.m., but it really didn't matter since we couldn't sleep at all.  His surgery went well and he was in his room by noon;  groggy, happy and even a little silly...morphine can do that.  Once I knew he could sleep comfortably I left and later the other kids came up to visit.  Since then I have been going back and forth.  This is a part of my route, along Lake Shore Drive.  Can you see the sailboats beyond the trees?

And there is the hospital up ahead (this is interesting stuff, isn't it?).  I hate to use the word hate, it's an awful word, as we were advised by Mrs. Frankenthal back in the 5th grade.  But I truly hate the drive to downtown Chicago.  The expressway I take is always busy with cars going 80 miles an hour and constantly changing lanes.  There are exits on both sides so you always have to be alert and be in the right lane at the right time.  I'm a very experienced and good driver, but I get rattled doing this.  And the parking garage is huge and complicated and I always lose my car.  Then again, I can get lost in a phone booth!  So, The Husband is supposed to get out tomorrow or Saturday but that is looking iffy as he has not been able to have anything by mouth yet.  His stomach has been upset and his doctor thinks having food will make it worse instead of better. 

I relish the early morning hours when I can sit on the patio with my coffee before it gets hot and humid, stroll around pruning whatever needs pruning and just loving the quietness.

My tomato plants are growing by leaps and bounds, they are almost taller than me so I starting pinching them a bit.  I've probably never mentioned it, but I used to have a rather large vegetable garden on the other side of the house that gets a lot of sun.  I grew everything and even canned salsa and pasta sauce with all my tomatoes, peppers and onions.  Then I started to get really invasive weeds that started out too small to pull (and there were many), and then they just overtook it.  Long story short, I gave up on it and the plot is still there.  Maybe some day I will give it another try.

And happily, I'm getting tomatoes (although they look like Granny Smith Apples! lol!

  Last week at the farm/nursery/general store at the lake, all the plants were very marked down and I found this rosemary plant trimmed up like a tree.  I love it and love cooking with it.  The Husband abhors dried rosemary, he thinks it's like eating slivers of wood!  I can bring it inside over the winter and keep it in a sunny window.  I know, I have to get a bigger basket!

I brought this topiary thing home from the lake, too. Sometimes smaller garden pieces get lost in all the outdoor space we have there.  I've tried many different types of vines in this but because the bottom part only holds about 4 inches of soil, it's always been a failure.  I brought it home as it will be noticed more here on the patio (please ignore the big cracks, this patio is over 80 years old, let's just say it's charming).  It's probably too late in the season but I think I'm going to toss some morning glory seeds in there, they grow anywhere.

Well, that's the end of Garden Talk for the day.  I had a break today and went to Homegoods with Emily.  I've mentioned that my son Jeff bought his first home.  She is designing his backyard patio which runs the length of his house.  Beautiful stone and columns, so she's looking for decorative accents.  I, of course, have been on my quest to simplify and stop spending on frivolous things so I didn't intend on buying anything.  And then I saw these fish...wouldn't they look great at the lake, outside on a very blank wall on the patio?  And to be honest, I haven't done any decorating there for years.   We started out with a lot of second hand furniture, most of which was bought from the previous owners.  Over time we replaced it with new things.  And for some reason, up there, when I finish a room, I'm done.  Nothing more to do, nothing more to add...  our main focus is outdoors relaxing and having a good time.  But I like these fish and all the summer stuff was marked down.  Yes, I'm still living the simpler life.

And...yes, I am still following my quest to eat more healthy, whole foods as I told you about a few posts ago.  It's been over two weeks of eating fresh, healthy foods without additives and preservatives.  I cleaned out my cabinets of all the processed food I had, as well as the fridge.  Abby became very interested in joining me in this healthy way of eating and so we hit the grocery store and filled our cart  with fresh produce, pure 100% juice (Odwalla is a great brand), brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc.  And everything has gone smoothly.  With all the fiber I'm getting, I feel full after meals and snack less.  When I do, it's fruit, frozen yogurt, almonds.  I have on occasion had a piece of pie or coffee cake, but I truly believe your taste buds can change and it just becomes more natural to eat food the way it's supposed to be.

Okay, I've rattled on long enough!  I have to say I'm rather enjoying my time home alone.  The house stays neat and clean, I can stick to a routine without interruption and it's just...well, peaceful!  But I do miss The Husband and want him home again.

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.  Hopefully next week I will have more interesting things to chatter on about! :)

XO,

Jane