Almost Summer

My Lupines are blooming. Blue. Anyone else notice that only the blue variety is blooming? I still have yellow, white and pink varieties at work, in bloom, but nothing in anyone's yard or gardens. My own yellow and pink lupines are still only a small bouquet of leaves this year.

G moved the empty planter boxes to the back stoop (I was too "weak" to wrestle them out from behind the shed -- but I tried). I had planned to paint them (the leaf green of the shutters and perhaps some purple), add dirt and plant them with the $24 worth of "butterfly" plants I had selected on Tuesday. Scabiosa, aster, lavender and a lovely annual which will go nameless for now--since we are having quite a downpour of more rain right now and I don't want to go outside and read the plant tag. Everything blue. I will plant lobelia and blue petunias around the edge.

The lawn is spectacular. Due to all the rain. The mosquitos are outrageous. Do to all the rain. Riley isn't interested in going out. Due to all the rain. Which is literally pounding down on the roof right now. If we go out for our walk, I will have to wear the full rain suit (pants and hooded jacket). My peonies are ready to open and the rain will destroy them. Sigh.

I slept in until 10 this morning and in the two hours I have been awake, I have read blogs, written in my journal and eaten my breakfast cereal and had two cups of coffee. I have a pile of new library books to read (some that I may actually finish), a sewing project and the possibility of making lasagna (today or tomorrow). I don't return to work until Tuesday.

The house in Ohio has had two showings. Nice, but garage too small (wanted three car). Nice, but too small for family (three bedrooms but no family room). I created a small wish for the Universe yesterday evening in my journal. For the sale of the house. When I place my hand over the image it vibrates against my palm. Lots of energy. My dad was happy in the house and when I was there taking care of him for five weeks (four years ago) I was happy there, also.

Marianne: Yes, I WAS thinking of visiting you when I wrote about my passport!!!!

I went to Art Club this week and I didn't quite connect with the ladies. I didn't sit at their table for one. It seemed too crowded and there were others working separate from the group so I felt I could sit alone. I think I need to bring some fabric collage to stitch on and then sit closer to them. It's difficult for me to work on a paper collage so close to everyone. I need elbow room. They were all painting and gluing things to chunks of wood scrap. For some reason, they are having a "show" of these collages on wood in August. I did come closer every once in awhile to see what they were doing and offer bits of stuff from my box for their blocks of wood. And, yes, it was awkward for me but I was friendly and open and they were also.

See, I thought we would be making a paper collage and THEN mounting it on wood.

One of the Art Club members brought a huge bag of beads and stuff that she had gotten at a yard sale. All the stuff in the bag (and more) had been hanging from the yard sale owner's bed canopy. I got a very nice strand of aged silver colored beads for a collage quilt and a long (several yards) strand of huge "pearls" for my mosaic (on wood).

The Art club members had a tube of glue they were using that had, unfortunately, opened at the bottom end as well as the top. The people using the glue had it all over their hands. I was amazed that their fingers weren't stuck together as the label said it (glue) would adhere "everything to anything". I was checking it out as a possible glue for my mosaic but the bits of jewelry they were adding to the wood pieces kept falling off. Perhaps they needed to wait for it to dry because during show and tell (I had none) the bits seemed to finally be stuck.

I have to work on my people skills if I intend to continue going to Art Club.

Next week is Book Sale Week. Wednesday I tackle set up without a box count. And with 4000 books from a private collection on War & Military and Military Law. And with an enormous amount of History & Politics at nearby tables. And an equally enormous amount of Audio/Visual cassettes, tapes and discs. This may be the year that finally makes me "retire".

The only upside is that the Wednesday of book set up is ALWAYS the hottest day. Really, stinking hot and humid. I could use a really hot day after all this RAIN!!!! And, better still, we have a designated volunteer getting cookies made for the workers. I hope to have fruit skewers in my cooler. Bamboo sticks with chunks of pineapple, melon, watermelon and a big strawberry.