Sunday Snippets 7/30/23
Where does the week go? Summer just keeps marching forward and we have the sweltering heat here to prove it.
Steve is in Seattle visiting his son, and the weather is much nicer there.
I’ve been having to wear the walking boot and using the walker this week. Going out and watering is taking its toll on me I guess.
My Garden:
As you can see, my zinnias are blooming. I have to get out there and water the plants very early.
And then they’re usually looking peaked before noon. So out I usually go out and water again unless neighbor Lynn decides to do it.
Inspiration:
I look at Pinterest or Instagram content and feel inspired to get something done. My bedroom and bathroom are at the top of the list.
But then the day drones on and it’s hot as can be, and my inspiration wanes along with my energy.
The world just keeps getting hotter and hotter, and we don’t have any choice but to endure it.
The Squirrels:
I go out and give the many squirrels fresh water and an ice cube.
The other neighbors take care of the birds. But I always feel sorry for the squirrels, because no one seems to have as much love for them.
Me, I like the little acrobats and love to watch them cavort around and chase one another.
Well, except for Peg. Peg feeds them when she’s here and I keep them in fresh water. She still has not really moved in. She’s just been bringing things in her car, but not her furniture.
She just doesn’t know what to do about her house. Realtors have told her that she probably can’t sell it with the man living next door. Even to a house flipper.
Apparently the man had his front yard graveled and that’s his informal used car lot where he sells cars.
Code enforcement comes out, demands that he do something and makes him pay a fine, but it doesn’t seem to deter him for long.
Vera:
I’m still watching “Vera” and am about to finish up on all the seasons. And then I’ll prepare for the next one they’re filming this summer.
That Vera has spunk. No one pulls anything over on Vera.
Greg was here the other day and said he needed a new series to watch. I suggested Vera.
He quickly looked up “Vera” and “Shetland” on his phone and told me they both had very high ratings.
I said: “Well, there you go.”
It seems like most everyone has cable or YouTube or some such TV service where they get hundreds of channels. But I have no desire for all that.
Give me Britbox and Masterpiece and I’m a happy TV viewer.
Ivy:
Ivy spends much of the daytime hours behind one or the other of the recliners. I guess it’s cooler back there.
Then at night she goes to the bedroom with me when I read.
Now I’m reading a Harlan Coben book. I’d forgotten how good a writer he is.
It’s call “The Woods”. At Amazon it’s on sale for under $7. So it’s a great buy.
Harlan Coben Book:
Kendra’s Rent House Fire:
One of Kendra’s rent houses caught fire. The renter let her renter’s insurance lapse in May. Which is unfortunate.
I believe this was the second rent house Kendra purchased some years ago. And I think this woman has lived there for five years.
Looks pretty bad. On Facebook Kendra is appealing to all her friends to donate to help this woman out. I don’t know where she’ll live while everything is getting settled.
You have to be prepared for fires, as prepared as a person can be. For example, keeping your renter’s insurance up to date if you’re renting.
I’ve had an electrical fire before, and it was very scary. Fires can take everything you have, what you hold precious, in the blink of an eye.
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Like your photos of the birds, squirrels, Ivy, and your flowers. I was wondering how you would do this summer watering all your lovely flowers. I watch Vera too whenever they run a series on Masterpiece. I really enjoy it. Have a good day.
What cute animal pictures you posted today… the squirrel, the birds, and Ivy. Be careful not to overdo it with your ankle. The last thing you want is another set back! I am soooo sorry to hear about Kendra’s rental house! A house fire is so scary! It sounds like the tennant is ok, thankfully! There was a house fire recently in my neighborhood. A friend of the family started a go fund me to help raise money to help the family out. I made a donation, but I wish I could do more to help. I can’t even imagine!! I’m glad Steve is enjoying his visit to see his family in Seattle. It’s too bad the city isn’t as nice as it used to be. It’s also too bad about Peg’s neighbor. I pray things will get work out for her.
Harlan Coben is one of my all-time favorite authors. His novels are consistently well written with great plots. Pearl Buck is another favorite author. I always feel like I spent an afternoon with my best friend when I read her stories. If you’ve never read anything from her, I suggest starting with her classic, “The Good Earth.”
It was good to hear from you. It is extremely HOT in Texas again this year. Some years the weather pattern changes mid August. That would be nice. I cannot grow flowers so I enjoy your garden.
Good evening Brenda,
It is only on the 90s’ here but has been for a month straight. I am exhausted from the heat. I thought something was wrong with me but then a few articles later and in fact I found from medical experts the heat zaps your energy. I cannot wait for FALL.
My husband loves Harlan Coben!
Speaking of books, do you get Kindle books from your library? They are easy to download and are free!
Have a great night and enjoy your squirrels.
So sad to hear about the rental house fire. Our apartment complex requires rental insurance and we have to provide proof of it annually.
My brother lived in the Seattle area for years. He loved it until it changed – and not in a good way. He and his wife will be moving to Portugal soon.
Forgot to put my name in…came up anonymous lol…
It is amazing you can keep everything so beautiful in the heat…It has been a struggle to keep things beautiful this year…I have been babying my star gazer lily due to the drought and it has 4 beautiful blooms…that smell wonderful…do you still have all your houseplants? If that was your bed in the pic from yesterday it sure was pretty…always happy to see a new post from you.. so sorry for your new friends problem..and for the lady who had the fire…blessings to all💕
Oh the heat!!! I’m done with it and summer isn’t close to being over! Big, big sigh!
Life is just life right now! I wish you a happy Sunday, Brenda.
I wrote a comment yesterday and before I finished it disappeared. I was saying I used a duvet when we had the dog but now that she is gone I can use my nice quilts and pretty embroidered bedspreads. We take our shoes off in the house but it was ok for the dogs dirty paws to be on the bed! I would wash her paws if we went out, it was fine when she was running in our grass! Glad you are looking after the squirrels. We always have 2 birdbaths and a dog bowl filled for the critters. My get up and go got up and went too. I am looking forward to making a fall wreath for my daughter. The thrift store had the sunburst grapevine wreath I had been looking for. But no price, no sale. So on to plan B, I am too thrifty to pay big bucks when I have grapevine wreaths to use in my stash. So sorry for the woman and the fire. I always count my blessings and send good wishes for all in need. Glad you are enjoying your beautiful garden and all the nice neighbors you have. You and Ivy stay home and stay cool!
Well, Seattle and Western WA state do have about as perfect of weather as you can find, in my opinion…but unfortunately Seattle is no longer the wonderful city it once was. A rather scary place now. And we had to leave the capitol city due to lack of medical care over a year ago…in fact, that hospital TRIED to kill my husband…and that was verified by a doctor we know. Sadly, not a place for the older folks to live really. I do miss the weather and my daughter and her kids there. It is quite hot here in NC where we live now…however, we lived in these parts some years ago, for a decade…and it was FAR hotter then. Surprisingly. It’s the humidity that really saps the energy…even inside. Perhaps you find it that way too. This year summer did not hit really until July…that other decade we lived here, it was good and hot by April at the latest. So I think that weather has cycles. We lived for a time in Eastern WA state too…one beastly summer it was 118 degrees in the shade…animals died that summer (not ours…but some our friends had). That was about around 1990 or so. I have not heard it has gotten that hot since…but it always gets over 100 degrees there (desert region). And so it goes…I think people just forget sometimes. I remember another horridly beastly hot summer when I was 14, living in Sacramento, CA…113 degrees in the shade…and we did not have AC in those days!!