~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
{pretty}
I have to crop very closely when taking pictures of my flowers; the garden as a whole is looking scraggly in the extreme. It's so dry here in the summer that we're under all sorts of dire water restrictions ($750!! fine if you're caught watering outside the appointed hours on alternate days — hours which start at midnight and end at I can never remember what hour of the morning, so I mostly end up just not watering), but some of our plants have proved impressively resilient.
(It helps, too, that the roof on that side of the house doesn't have a gutter. So when it does rain — which isn't often — that garden gets half the roof's worth of whatever water there is.)
The rosebush was the one non-weed on that side of the house when we moved in. It was sort of out of control, but I pruned it way back this spring, which was good for it, I think. The gladiolas were gorgeous (they're done blooming now), the salvia was Habou's recommendation and is doing great in this sunny, dry spot, and the cosmos were by far the most rewarding of all the seeds Pippo and I planted this spring.
Anyway, when it gets a little cooler we'll tidy things up a bit and do a little fall gardening. Now I just stand in the crispy grass and enjoy the pretty blooms that we do have.
{happy}
Pippo and I have been indulging lately in the delightful tradition of ice cream cones outside after dinner. We're both pretty happy about that.
(We were so good at eating ice cream cones when we were little! We had to be. Our mother taught us to lick all around the outside, then the top to push it down. If we let it drip, she swooped in and took care of it herself! What a blow. Grown-up licks are so much bigger than kid licks. But we learned to savor our ice cream efficiently, and Pippo will too, by golly.)
{funny}
In other outdoor/gardening news, our neighbor has been boasting to me about his moonflowers since last summer — showing us their beautiful big, white blossoms, and telling me how many seeds he'll have to share with me soon (that is one of the seed pods above, I'm pretty sure). I've been feeling a little guilty for not taking him up on his offer, but then he mentioned, as an aside, that the seeds are poisonous hallucinogenics.
Since my baby's idea of playing outside involves taste-testing whatever dirt/rocks/mulch/bugs she can get her curious little hands on…
…I'm thinking we might go ahead and pass on the moonflowers this year.
{real}
The boys went out to get in a few minutes of wiffleball before bedtime while I cleaned up after dinner. Poor baby really wanted to play too. It's hard to be left out.
Also, goodness gracious do I have to clean my glass door.
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Annie says
This is the first year we haven’t had water restrictions, and I can’t believe what a difference it has made. (It should have been obvious: water=growth.) We too were taught the “proper” way to eat a cone… and then as an act of rebellion, someone always would bite off the bottom and suck out the melting ice cream. Blessings!
Amanda says
I’m impressed at your garden’s resilience in spite of the water ban!
And you guys must be from Massachusetts, I don’t know what it is but ice cream cones are a big thing in MA and so is the proper way of eating them. We also we’re taught how to eat ice cream cones properly and now none of us drip. When we moved to FL and GA that was considered a special skill 🙂
Leane says
So pretty! I love flowers! And we can’t do much watering either, our well runs dry at this time of the year….and laundry comes before flowers! Thank you for sharing and have a blessed day! 🙂
Anne says
awww, love Molly’s tasting face. it pains her so, but it must be done!
Rosie says
Oh goodness, the look on her face with every taste! “I’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake…” And I bet she does it again right afterwards!
Lorraine says
Someone once told me that you have to eat a pound of dirt before you grow up!! It looks like your little one is working on her pound, and may even be ahead of schedule.
She will love that picture when she is 16.
Mrs. Pickles says
Your flowers really are lovely! I grew up in southern CA, as you know a semi-arid climate, but one year we had a really, really bad drought — with similar costly water restrictions. Everyone’s lawns died. My piano teacher at the time was an avid gardener, and mourned the slow death of all her lovely plants. To keep her garden from dying completely she kept a bucket in the bathroom. Whenever someone in her family started the water for a shower, they would catch the warming-up water in the bucket and use it to water the garden.
You have made me realize that I have failed as a parent to teach my children proper cone-eating skills. Must remedy this immediately.
Rosie says
That’s smart. I’ve not done that, but I have been trying to remember to save “extra” water from cooking or water bottles or whatever, and sending Pippo out to pour it on the flowers!
Amy Z says
Ha! I like your mom’s method of teaching you to eat cones. Love the chalk picture with the “that’s not candy!” face. 🙂
Barbara says
I love the picture of the baby watching the action outside the window! I have a very similar one of my first baby watching daddy build a snowman outside the door. He was sick with a cold, so watching was all he could do. But sometimes watching is better.
I am convinced that knowing how to eat an ice cream cone properly is genetic. My father-in-law, God rest his soul, could not ever eat one properly, and my second son eats one the exact same way. At 22 years of age he is a mess when he’s finished. Hopefully one day soon he will settle for a cup instead. Is Pippo enjoying a drumstick? It sort of looks like one and they are the best!
Rosie says
Well, my grandparents were *legendary* ice cream eaters, so I’d believe there’s a genetic component! Pippo there is eating a modest-sized cone of homemade vanilla – we were running out!
Lisa says
The flowers are so pretty. Gorgeous pic of the rose. Aww poor baby. It is hard to be left out. I have to say, I didn’t notice your glass because I was marveling at your shiny floor!
Rosie says
I wish my floors were as shiny in real life as they look in photos! Alas…
Kathy@9peas says
This is the first Summer in a while that Lake Texoma’s levels are finally rising. We have been very blessed with much needed rain – I’ll pray some of that finds its way North!
Jude says
Here in North Texas we have been in Stage 3 drought conditions for a long time now. We can water flowers or trees by hand, but the water rates have been raised. We have to use soaker hoses around the perimeter of the house to stop the foundation from cracking. As far as using our sprinkler systems, which are standard on all the houses built in this area in the last twenty years, we are only allowed to use them every other week on the same day that our trash is picked up and only in the morning or evening. If it goes to Stage 4 (we’ve come very close), their will be no watering of lawns, and the city can turn off all the sprinkler systems through valves at the street. We also have to allow the grass to go dormant during the winter and can not plant winter rye. We haven’t planted anything new at our house (not even perennials) the last few years. The lack of water is the only thing I don’t like about living here. Fortunately there are a lot of advantages to balance it: great neighbors, mild winters, no state income tax, a stronger economy, and fairly conservative values.
Woman of the House says
Your baby is so expressive. I can just tell what she is thinking! Lovely flowers, too. 🙂