Back To The Garden

Last week, Ellen from Stuff From Ellen's Head emailed me that she had sent me a few plants. We have traded plants back and forth before. We have very similar growing conditions and so what works well for her in Texas seems to do well here, too. 
Anyway, when Ellen wrote to tell me she'd sent them, she said they should be delivered by Saturday. That would have been last Saturday. Guess what? 
They arrived in Lloyd today. 
Oh well. They look to be in fine health and the dirt Ellen had the roots packed in was still very damp so I think they'll be fine. I've got them all in pots and I am going to watch them very, very carefully. Poor things, living in the dark all that time. 

It was a tiny bit cooler today and for awhile it was overcast so I was finally able to get some garden weeding done. It was still hot but an overcast 90 degrees beats a sun-beating-down-full-strength 97 degrees any day of the week. So I got the area that was truly disturbing me weeded out and mulched and I worked in another area for awhile too, and then mulched that. Such a very good feeling to get that done! 

The zinnias are in full glory. 

I'm not even sure there is a name for a color that intense. 

I like this orange one that on first glance seems very simple and yet, if you look closer, the center of it is so intricate. Never really thought that garnet, gold, and orange would go together so beautifully. 

Plain white. Not to be dismissed. I think it's pretending to be a daisy. Clever little zinnia. 

I got a text from Mr. Moon a few minutes ago asking, "Can I come home now?"
"I guess so," I replied. 
Then I turned to Maurice who was laying beside the MacBook. "Hey Maurice!" and she gave me a little acknowledging mewt.

"Do you think we should let Daddy come home?"
She didn't say a word, just seemed to ponder the question but I have to say her tail was flicking in such a way that I would not have tried to pet her at that moment. 

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And now he's home and all is well. We're getting another nice little shower and the air has that delicious funky dirt and sharp ozone smell. I'm going to cook us some grouper he caught last month along with some tomatoes and okra from the garden. Another Florida meal for sure. He ate chicken and rice soup for supper the last three nights and he's probably ready for something different although he swears he'd eat it for a week and not get tired of it. He's probably telling me the truth. He is not a fussy eater. 

Working in the garden today, even for a fairly short time, really did give me even more of what I needed. It offers so much more than just food. It gives me a sense of purpose, of accomplishment, along with the sheer pleasure in creating a tidy, verdant space. I find that I have more energy these days and less inflammatory pain as well, which is yet another benefit of taking a GLP-1 for some people. I feel so lucky to be able to take this medication and to have such an easy, side effect-free time of it. I don't want to jinx anything so I'll stop there. 

Love...Ms. Moon