The House Can Wait

I woke up when the sun did. Couldn't wait to get outside, but first I had to get something around for dinner. When I work outside, I am so tired when I come in...that I like to have something already made up. We went out for dinner on Sat. I had an Italian Beef sandwich. I seldom can finish one, so I brought half home. Yesterday, we had steaks on the grill. I purposely made 4, so I could slice the remaining two paper thin to make my version of Italian Beef. I planned to add the beef from my leftover sandwich. I use two pkgs. of dried onion soup and 3 cups of water. I added some sliced peppers that I had frozen. Then I seasoned the broth with lots of Italian seasonings and oregano and a couple of smashed garlic cloves. Then I added the paper thin beef and just cooked till the onions were tender. I then put this in the fridge. Now, this afternoon, we will have a couple of sandwiches, some BBQ chips, Bushes beans, relishes and something to drink. Easy peasy.

When this was done, I got my things together and headed out to the Blue Rug Junipers on either side of the driveway. Some grass has grown up in these shrubs. When Joe planted them, he put landscape cloth down first to stop this from happening. We like to keep these shrubs in their boundary planters. This is back breaking work. I sat on my chair and was at just the right height. Our front yard dips down into a culvert, so these planters are at just the right level for my chair. I tugged at the grass for a couple of hours...getting most of the roots. This gave me a chance to visit with the morning walkers. I met a new neighbor from up the road...we have similar interests, so maybe a new friend was made. The young woman across the street was out walking her two dogs.They came over for a pat. My friend Kelly was leaving for her Antique Shop...we visited for a while. Audra and Bryce's mom, Jodi, was out for her morning walk and she stopped by. I thought to myself, enjoy this while it lasts....soon the snow will fly and we will all be tucked in our houses. Joe left for the gym and I continued on. So glad to finish and get it cleaned up. I sat on the park bench for a while and noticed a straggler hummingbird drinking from the nectar that I replaced yesterday. I'm glad that I didn't take the feeder down yet...this little one would not have a meal.I hate to see them go, but he better get a move on. As I sat there, I regained some of my "gardening gusto" and continued on around to the side of the house. I cleaned up the Bird's Nest Spruce shrubs on the side. When the lawn is mowed...the grass flies into these shrubs. The Stellas looked really shabby. I took my clippers to them and cut them down. My wheel barrow was getting full. As I turned the corner, I noticed my big hosta was turning yellow and had some mushy leaves on the bottom. A bit of frost had nipped it. The frost got the Coleus there too, so into the barrow they went. Now my wheel barrow was overflowing. I sat for a little while and heard the cute squeak of the chipmunk. He rushed across in front of me. I wondered where he was going so fast. I had just put some new Zick dough in the feeder and he must have smelled it...he just loves that stuff. All the birds do, in fact. Jays, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Chickadee, and Mama Cardinal. Sparrows of all kinds sit on Blue, in the morning, waiting for more of this treat to be brought out. I haven't seen the Downys yet. Well, Joe was back home and time for me to unload the wheel barrow. As I walked back to the woods, I thought to myself...I don't feel so bad, I could do a little more work. So, I cleaned up around St. Francis and vowed to come back tomorrow with the weed whacker to do a proper job. Now, I was tired. I dumped the barrow and went back up to the house. I put it in the garage and noticed my new clematis on the "homemade trellis." It was blooming and such a pretty color. There are two planted there and they are both the smaller bell shaped ones. A Princess Dianna and a Niobe. I took a picture and posted it here. It's a little harder to photograph with it's blossom turned down. I love this little bloom. I hope that next year the vine will climb from trellis to porch railing. That's my plan. The housework waited today...it was in the 70's and the sun was shining...the outdoors was calling my name and I heard it and went out.

Balisha