Month: July 2019

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Garden Tasks: July 2019

July!  I hope all of my American friends had a fun and safe Fourth yesterday.  I’ll have a recap coming soon, but we’re still deep in holiday weekend fun, so since it would be premature to show you Independence Day pics, I’ll share my to-do list for the garden this month instead.  So here we are – the hottest part of summer.  As for me personally, I love the heat.  My garden, maybe not so much?  All the more reason to keep on top of things.  Here’s what I have planned for the month.

  • Feed the plants at the beginning and middle of the month.
  • Stay on my squirrel spray and weeding.
  • Harvest as things become ripe.
  • Daily pruning and pinching to keep the fruits fruiting and the herbs from bolting.
  • Pull the bolted lettuce and start over with… I don’t know, more herbs, probably.
  • Start researching fall planting and consider whether I want to start any cool-weather plants this year.
  • Make dried mint and thyme.

A small list for a small garden, right?  There really isn’t a whole lot to do, except stay ahead of the sun and the pests, and try to get to the ripe stuff for harvesting.  I’d love to have more space, and more scope for exploration, but for now – constrained by both square footage and time – this is what I’ve got to do.  And one nice thing is: since it doesn’t take all that long to pull a few weeds and water the plants, I can spend more time relaxing with my feet up and a glass of lemonade in hand.  And that’s the point, right?

What’s on your garden to-do list for July?

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Reading Round-Up: June 2019

Reading is my oldest and favorite hobby. I literally can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love to curl up with a good book. Here are my reads for June, 2019…

Much Ado About Anne (Mother-Daughter Book Club #2), by Heather Vogel Frederick – I am enjoying my second read-through of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series so much.  Things are getting crazy at work, and a visit to Emma, Jess, Megan, Cassidy, Becca, and their moms is just what the doctor ordered.  My heart breaks for Cassidy in this volume, as her mother moves on and finds love again while Cassidy is still grieving for her dad.  But there’s plenty of lightness too, and the girls read one of my favorite books – Anne of Green Gables.

Eligible (The Austen Project), by Curtis Sittenfeld – As I told Steve, I had to read Eligible because a teacher told me to.  Peanut’s kindergarten teacher pressed it into my hands (and just in case I forgot about the assignment, her “This Book Belongs to: E. Shaw” bookplate reminded me every time I opened the cover).  I didn’t really like it – I think Pride and Prejudice is a tough story to “update” for modern times, because the choice is no longer marry or starve for most women.  It was okay, but nothing I would have sought out for myself.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski – I sought this one out at the library after listening to Meghan and Kelly recommend it highly on the Sorta Awesome podcast, and it was more than just “sorta” awesome.  Twin sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski share some groundbreaking advice, solidly based in science, for breaking through the cycle of stress and overwhelm.  I’m trying to put their advice into practice and I am starting to notice some differences.  This book should be required reading for every woman trying to make it in 2019.

The River in the Sky, by Clive James – This was an impulse buy, based on the cover alone, at the new indie bookstore in Old Town.  (Can I say how much I love Old Town Books?  Y’all, we have NEEDED this.)  It’s an epic poem, written by Australian-born, Cambridge-dwelling James as he nears the end of his life.  It could be sad, but instead it’s just lovely, ruminative, and poignant.  There’s no real structure to the narrative; you’re just washed along on a wave of memory.  I gave myself over to the experience, and it was wonderful.

Our Castle By the Sea, by Lucy Strange – Can’t remember how I heard about this one, but the story seemed right up my alley.  Lighthouse?  Check.  Magic?  Check.  World War II?  Check.  It was good, an absorbing story with wonderful characters, but for some reason I had a hard time getting through it.  I blame work craziness and car commuting.

1939: The Last Season, by Anne de Courcy – I blazed through 1939: The Last Season, a snapshot of England on the brink of World War II.  De Courcy alternates between luscious descriptions of glittering parties attended by socialites and royals, and the tenuous political situation at 10 Downing Street as the world hurtled toward all-out war.  I loved every word.  Also, it was important that I say “Anne de Courcy” in a snooty Trollope-esque accent.

Unmarriageable, by Soniah Kamal – Two P&P adaptations in a month!  Who dis?  I liked Unmarriageable more than I liked Eligible.  Kamal sets her version of Austen’s classic in Pakistan in 2001; the Bennet sisters become Jena, Alys, Mari, Qitty and Lady Binat – stuck in a backwater after their paternal uncle betrayed their father and ruined the family’s reputations, but their lives change when they meet Farhat “Bungles” Bingla and Valentine Darsee at a society wedding.  Unmarriageable was a lot of fun, and I loved the shoutouts to all of literature teacher Alys’s favorite reads.

Dear Pen Pal (Mother-Daughter Book Club #3), by Heather Vogel Frederick – Continuing my re-read of this series – and I’m still having so much fun. The girls and their moms read Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster, while Jess experiences mirroring events as a mysterious benefactor makes it possible for her to attend the local boarding school. Meanwhile, Cassidy’s family is growing and Emma delves into a new relationship with Stewart. Yes, the storylines are implausible – but these books are fun and sweet and totally worth it.

“Only” eight books this month – seems slow.  With no metro, a lot going on at work, and preparing for a big adventure in July – more soon – reading time took a hit.  But in the time I did have, I read some great ones! It’s always fun to visit with the Mother-Daughter book club.  And I had a great non-fiction month with Burnout and 1939.  Onward to July!

What did you read this month?

 

 

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Independence Day Through The Years

In lieu of the usual Monday reading post, I thought that today I’d pay tribute to my favorite holiday – Independence Day – instead.  Hope y’all don’t mind!  I’ve been torturing the kiddos with forced Fourth of July pictures every year since 2015.  They hate it, but I just tell them it’s their Independence Day gift to me.  It’s just so much fun to look back on the pictures months or years later.

2015.  We went to Canalside in Buffalo and the kids sat together in a mini Adirondack chair while I died of the cuteness.  Peanut was delighted that she was actually getting to hold Nugget.  Nugget was hilariously skeptical.

2016.  We were back at Canalside, but Nugget got his own chair this time.  What a difference a year makes!  He was a lot more enthusiastic this time around.  Why are mini Adirondack chairs so darn cute?

2017.  We spent my favorite holiday in my favorite place – my parents’ Adirondack camp.  Nana blew up the baby pool and we took turns hauling buckets of freezing cold water from the lake.  I wouldn’t have wanted to sit in there, but these two chuckleheads have basically no sense of temperature.  Also, Nugget refused to take his life jacket off all weekend.

2018.  Nothing major on the Fourth, just a low-key wetlands hike at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria.  I think this was about when Peanut started striking poses.  Pictures have been really interesting for the past year.  We headed up to the ‘dacks the next day.

So much growing!  I just love this holiday, and I love looking back at the fun we’ve had over the years, not to mention babies in Old Glory colors.  Wonder what crazy poses I’ll get this year…