Time flies by

Another week has ticked by, and I'll be back to the city in just over two weeks. I've definitely gotten into a routine/rhythm here with Eli and his mom. She is always up early and I tend to follow here between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. After my first cup of tea and a bit of time on the computer, I get dressed, make my second cup of tea and head outdoors with Stanley, the cat. He gets tucked into the catio, while I sit in my chair to drink my tea - both of us listening to the birds around us. I'll putter around, watering containers, deadheading the lilies and other flowers, and picking lettuce or herbs. Often my brother will call while I'm outdoors and we'll chat for 15 or 20 minutes. After an hour, the cat and I will head back indoors where he goes for the first of his many daily naps, and I do a bit of housework before I head to my bedroom to watch television or read, knit or crochet, or update my spreadsheets or work on Ancestry. It's a wonderful way to start my day.

On Sunday, Eli and I went to the park so his mom could have an afternoon nap. The photos on Wednesday are his descent from the tree and the highest point he reached. He would have gone higher but G'ma was terrified he'd fall. There were only a few children at the park, all much younger than he, so we stayed for only 45 minutes. I pushed him on the swing, he ran through the spray pad, and slid backwards down the slide. Crazy kid.

Monday was his second to last day camp session. It was pajama day, and I assumed they'd stay indoors but that wasn't the case as they were out on the playground when his mom picked him up.  I stayed behind to do a bit of housework that is easier to do when they are out of the house, ran a couple of errands, and enjoyed the quiet. I spent most of the afternoon working on Ancestry, and was excited to find information on my maternal grandmother's youngest sister (she was 5 years younger than my mom), and her family. 

Tuesday was just a regular day with nothing to write about while Wednesday was Eli's last day camp session. I drove them as I wanted to pick up some inexpensive containers for overwintering the geraniums and ivies. There are lilies too growing into the lawn, so I want to dig those out and take them to the city for my son's yard. Shhh...don't tell him. I'm not supposed to plant anything there but it will help improve the appearance of the back yard and hopefully choke out some weeds!

My sweet peas have finally bloomed. They were supposed to be a mix of colours but for the most part are red and dark pink. Oh, they bring back lovely memories of my mom and her humongous gardens. She always had a row of sweet peas. I plan to put them in the ground earlier next year and hopefully have blooms by July.

This week I pulled the peas as they were dying back. I found a few pods of dried up peas. I've kept them and we'll try planting them next spring. I don't know if they will be viable but it is worth a try.

There is a story about these geraniums. D had attempted to over winter two plants from last year, along with a pair of ivies that I had brought from the old house. One of the geraniums died, and the second did well, until we planted it in the outdoor container this spring. It seemed to die back, I'm suspecting from shock, but we kept it because there was a bit of green. I bought the white geranium and added it to the same container. It took several weeks but the red ones have made a comeback! We're going to try to overwinter these again. 

Thursday was quiet, with D and Eli heading to the pool in the afternoon. I finished off the last of the mittens and got them in the mail on Friday. I've started working on a crocheted lapghan, but will pick up the knitting needles again, as I want to make more mittens for Eli's school. 

The smoke from the forest fires rolled in again, so outdoor time is limited. By the time I came indoors that morning, my throat was sore. When D and Eli decided to go to the pool that afternoon, I stayed behind at the house and took a short nap. The Riders played that evening, and I wanted to stay awake through the entire game - I only made it throught the 3rd quarter of the Thursday night game. :)

Another photo of the tiger lilies in the side yard. These plants get very little direct sun, so they are nearly 4 1/2 feet tall. The blooms are just incredible and this photo doesn't do them justice.

Today, I've nothing much on the agenda - more sitting in the back yard with the cat in the early morning. It should be cool enough to get some weeding done too. Baseball and football to watch, while I work on my crocheting. And, of course, having more time with my grandson. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!