Settling In

Mr. W. is on the road again for 8 weeks and I feel like I am settling into the single life for the summer.   He retired this month after 43 years of service with the same company but since he is traveling it hasn't sunk in to me yet.  Keeping myself busy many evenings with the ridiculous endeavor to remove all the ground cover from a flower bed.   Slow and steady I am making progress.  I can't put in 12-hours days on a Saturday or Sunday in the yard like I used to but I am getting there.   Hopefully a couple more bags of mulch will be spread today.  And I am thinking those spindly mulberry trees need to come down.   Hmmmm, do I wait for Mr. W.?    I'll let you know how that plays out.

I finally braved the cold pool water, 76 degrees, it was not nearly as bad I feared.   It felt delicious after toiling in the gardens all day.

This bed too could use from thinning out but not this year......the photo doesn't show the variety of yellows, whites, purples, blues and fuchsias that greet me on this walk down the side of my house.

We decided to have the back deck redone with composite decking this year.   Work started in April, then stopped, then started, then stopped.  Somewhere along the contractor has become ill.   They have been sending a substitute crew in to finish the work between their own jobs.   We can't get any info on the contractor and have to respect the family's privacy.  We refer to our house as the 'house that Mike build' because of all the work he has done here.   Hopefully he is on the road to recovery.

I am easy though and his health is more important then a deck.   My deck is functional and I have my summertime stitching/eating/cup of coffee spot back.    My neighbors must think me the crazy cat lady as I do enjoy showering up early and putting on fresh pjs and sitting here in the evenings.   Just me and the cat and my stitching or a book.

See, deck is functional......they just need to finish the fascia board on the steps and sides.  Certainly not hindering my enjoyment.

I know I am supposed to complete the entire round before starting the next row but of course I wanted to get a preview of the colors.

I seem to be satisfied with stitching on just this project right now.  I am looking forward to finishing this and assembling it in the Lone Elm shaker box.  There are 16 rows altogether and I have finished/started 11 rows.  It could be because once the ground rows were in  there is no need to following the pattern that makes this easy.  That is now that I have mastered counting to 5!  Maybe because it wasn't even in my stash let alone my stitching rotation and I am feeling disloyal to the 'list' and I feel I must complete this asap....I think next up may be another not-on-my-list quick patriotic stitch - I am a sucker for all thinks patriotic.  But I do have that needle book to assemble......decisions, decisions.  I seem to make a habit of doing a job 90% and stopping.  Better get that last 10% of the garden beds not yet weeded and to spreading mulch so I can stitch the afternoon away!   Grocery shopping and laundry on the the agenda before heading out to tackle more of the yard. Good thing I love all things outdoors....including yard work.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week all.