This Is Like Reality Television Only It's Not

I thank all of you who read and commented on yesterday's post. It was, for me, an important thing to say. But I want to double down on my suggestion to read the article I linked because it truly says everything, having been written by someone uniquely placed to have the facts and the feelings, the experience and the knowledge. And so I will give you the link to that article again. It is HERE. 

That picture up top is what my little original kitchen yard looks like right now. The phlox and the pine cone ginger lilies have taken over. I imagine that one day a future owner of this house and property will be cursing me the way I curse whoever planted the crocosmia and glory bower and chenille plant and Japanese rice paper plant and, and, and...in this yard. 

Because one type of invasive ginger isn't enough, I have started a nice piece of the sort of ginger lily that produces the root you buy in the store for your culinary ginger needs. I had started some before but somehow I did not tend it properly and it died but this one looks pretty sturdy. 

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Y'all- since I started writing this, a storm came in so fast it was like Bruce Springsteen sliding down a waxed stage to kiss Clarence Clemons. (May he rest in peace and his memory IS a blessing.) 

It was a little scary there for a few minutes. It got dark as night and the thunder and lightning started up, great deep rumbles that you could feel in the floor, the wind was crazy-blowing and the rain started pouring. With the first few gusts of that wind the power went out but then the generator came on and god almighty, that generator is a miracle and a blessing and a glory. It's still raining so hard that I can't even hear the generator and I'm sitting about thirty feet from it on the back porch. It's also still thundering and lightning but it's not so dark now. 
This, too, is Florida. 

And now the storm has passed, it's light again, and there is standing water in the backyard. That was some storm. But it's cooled things off, it's still raining a little bit, and the birds are all chattering about what the hell just happened. 

It was hot today and I not only got on my knees but I also sweated profusely. Mr. Moon bought me some heavy-duty knee pads and they sort of worked great. My knees loved them but the straps that hold them on griped the back of my legs no matter how loose I made them. Still, I got some weeding done and then I picked more green beans. 

And zinnias. 
The other day Mr. Moon suggested that we put some chairs out in the garden so that we can sit and watch the beans mature. That's sort of a joke and sort of not a joke. 

That's at least another gallon and a half right there. 

All right! Household hint! Last night before I went to bed, I mixed up a paste of Bar Keeper's Friend, 

dish washing liquid, and a little bit of water. Then I smeared it on the window of my oven which was pretty nasty. I left it overnight and this morning I scrubbed it with a non-scratch scrubber and it worked! It's almost as good as new. I am thinking of trying that method on the hard water stains on my shower doors. Nothing else I've ever tried has worked. 

Man. This is a totally scattered post. I suppose I should mention that not only did Lily get strep again, but so has Jessie in North Carolina. AND, Owen and Gibson have it again now too. 

What the hell, strep? 

I am being wary because yesterday I gave Lily (who is supposedly not contagious anymore) and her children a ride because a tree had fallen across the road leading out of their property so that she and Lauren could not get to work at 2:30 a.m. and had to call an Uber to meet them on the other side of the downed tree. Lily had no way to get home from work and needed to pick up Owen, Gibson, and Magnolia from their dad's house. She asked me if I could possibly help and I was glad to say yes because I had nothing else to do and I sort of love shuttling around that family in my tiny Prius. 
Tiny Prius. With its very small enclosed space. 
The boys weren't actually sick at that point, but later on in the afternoon, Gibson began complaining of a sore throat and so everyone got tested again and yes, he and Owen both have it. 

Ah yi. Life. 

Isn't that a swell picture? 

Yes. Yes it is. 

I'll be reporting in tomorrow if all goes well. I will probably have a few words to say about Father's Day. I talked to Lon and Lis the other day (they have Covid!) and I told them that Glen was going fishing this weekend. Lis asked what we were planning on doing for Father's Day and I repeated, "Uh. Glen's going fishing this weekend." They laughed, knowing full well that nothing in the world could make him happier. I also mentioned that I'd made him cookies. They agreed that this was all a man could ask for. 

Lord. That's enough of me for one day.

Love...Ms. Moon