Mr. Moon mowed today and that always involves him moving the cars which are usually parked on either side of the little garden bed beside the kitchen door and when I was walking back to the house from the garden I really looked at our house and thought to myself that if I saw that house for the first time I would want to live in it.
I hadn't realized how much of the beauty of it is obscured and diluted by a Prius and a, well, whatever that red car Mr. Moon drives is. I think a Toyota of some sort.
For a woman who is married to "The Car Guy" I don't know squat about cars.
And that may give you another perspective on my house and side yard. The little kitchen porch, the beautiful sable palms to the right of it that Tom gave me when my mother died and I planted, the tea olive tree which I always talk about as smelling so heavenly, and of course another murder (sago) palm right there in the tiny garden. You can also see all the invasive plants growing on this side of it, the chenille plant, the border grass, the Virginia creeper.
Usually by this time of the year, the bananas that grow there have gotten pretty tall, fat, and fine. Not this year. I suppose that may be because of the unexpected freeze we had when they'd just started growing at the end of the winter/beginning of spring.
I did a little weeding in that bed this afternoon and then just sort of casually threw a few seeds out there in some of the bare spots and then turned on the sprinkler.
There's just a jumble of different plants in there so why not try to grow a few more? It's a mess but it's my mess.
I worked some in the big garden this afternoon too. I weeded a tiny bit and then mulched some more.
That picture makes it look like I've got nothing going on there but trust me- there's a lot going on. The row of potatoes I pulled a few days ago is bare but I'm thinking of trying to plant some lettuces. We always grow lettuce in the spring and there's probably a reason for that. However, having discovered that arugula thrives in the summer heat, I'm thinking, why not? Why not try it? Glen's pushing me to plant another row of field peas but I'm not jumping on that one. We've got plenty as far as I'm concerned. Once they start producing we've got another time consuming project, which is picking and shelling them which is not a terrible thing to have to do but you have to make the commitment. I don't can those. I blanch and freeze them which works out very well.
I was going to hang the sheets out this morning and was quite excited about that. Nice, sunny, not very humid- perfect drying on the line weather, but when Mr. Moon mows, there is so much dust kicked up it would be ridiculous to dry the bed linens outside. You know, there are large patches of our yard that are mostly dirt and so even if we've had rain there is going to be dust.
Oh well. I used the dryer and the bed is made up and there are clean clothes and clean towels and that's the goal.
It's been a day where I've been mostly good. A day where I've noticed the little things, like seeing the side of the house without the cars blocking the view. Like the beginning flowers of the Beauty Berry plant.
Do any of you remember the year I made jelly out of Beauty Berries?
It was a valid experiment but I'd certainly never repeat it. The color of the jelly was amazing. The taste though was somewhat lacking.
But I'd read it could be done and so had to try it but as with so many things, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
This is a lesson we were probably meant to learn in our teens and yet, so many of us did not.
And honestly, that's about all I have to say today. I have not talked about politics or the state of our country in quite awhile and I suppose that's because I've just felt so helpless. By the time I could call my representatives about one issue, another one has taken precedence over that one. I do truly believe that the wheels are coming off the bus as either Robert Reich, Jeff Tiedrich, or Heather Cox said today (I know it had to be one of those people because they write the newsletters I faithfully read every morning) and at this point, I don't think even his staunchest supporters, lap dogs, ass lickers, or cabinet members are really trying their hardest to show their approval of his overall behavior, his decisions, his inability to stay awake.
However, the six members of the Supreme Court who are obviously out of their fucking minds, still seem to be...well, out of their fucking minds.
Bye-bye Constitution.
Hello, Facism!
I'm listening to Kate Atkinson's "Life After Life" and I know I've read the book with my eyes at least once, probably twice. It was released in 2013 and much of the subject matter has to do with WW II and the rise of Hitler. It's an amazing book on many levels but rather scary in that Atkinson's description of how Hitler came to power despite his obvious insanity is far more familiar here in 2026 than I think she could have imagined it would be.
But hey! Martini night! Clean sheets on the bed! Beautiful weather and a very tidy garden.
What? Me worry?
Don't be absurd.
Happy Friday, y'all.
Love...Ms. Moon





I loved that book. She's written lots more, I suppose I could read more of her. I'm always looking for new authors.
ReplyDeleteI love that first photo of your house. It reminds me of the Waltons, are some other movie with an amazing grandma living there. Do you ever use the upstairs?
I recommend any book Atkinson's written. Some sort of need to be read in order.
DeleteIt is sort of a Walton's house. And no, we don't use the upstairs. We did when Lily and Jessie still lived here. Maurice goes up there to sleep sometimes.
I notice chimneys. Do you ever light a fire or are they remnants of a bygone era?
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely house. I also get a strong sense of how hard you need to work to stop nature taking over!
Your politics are scary, even from this far away. I live in hope that someone will realise that the pumpkinfuhrer has totally lost the plot and remove him.
The fireplaces are all ill here, five of them. They've been converted to gas logs though.
Delete"Pumpkinfuhrer" is a very good name for him. I think at this point most people realize he's insane or at least a terrible president but the people who could indeed get him out of office are his toadies.
I've read every word Atkinson has written! Ever since Behind the scenes at the Museum, my places of childhood, my family dialogue.
ReplyDeleteYou have such an interesting house. The porches alone!
I think I've read all of Atkinson's books but may have missed one or two. I'm in a reread phase of her books right now and I am again amazed at what a fine writer she is.
DeleteThis house is indeed pretty interesting.
Your Home is lovely and if I saw a Home like that For Sale around these parts I'd wanna Buy it and Live in it too.
ReplyDeleteI love this house so much. I really do.
DeleteMay I ask you a question? Why do you capitalize certain words?
I'm just curious.
I've just always done it and I know it's grammatically wrong, but, don't Care. *winks*
DeleteYou got The Car Guy, Jennifer in Florence got The Fish Guy, Shirley got The Fart Guy.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem that Bloaty McBloatface is finally disintegrating into a puddle of orange industrial waste still pathetically mumbing his tiresome anthem - "Me! Me! Me! Me!"
Not soon enough for me, Mr. Pudding! The damage he has done will take decades to correct, if ever. Both sides of the aisle are corrupt.
DeleteYep. I got the Car Guy. Also the Good Man. I lucked out.
DeleteCarol's right about the time it will take to undo the damage Shithead has done, if it ever can be, but I would take issue with her comment about both sides of the aisle being corrupt. I think I would say that there are no doubt corrupt Democrats and Republicans but I don't think that even the most corrupt of Democrats are as damaging as the Republican ones are. And it's not just the house and Senate. It's Trump's advisors and all of the people he's put into the top positions in the country including on the Supreme Court.
Your home is so beautiful I don't think I've ever seen it before. Oh I do remember the photo header of what I think is your back porch, but seeing it like that, it just looks like what it probably is - a refuge from the world!
ReplyDeleteFor a long time I had a header of the front of the house.
DeleteIt is definitely MY refuge from the world.
I like Kate Atkinson's books......I have got 2 lined up on the kindle to read . One of them is my choice for the book club to read...The Forgotten Garden, and one I saw was only 99p the other day. That one is The Secret Keeper! I read Life after Life some years ago....can't remember much about it, but I know I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteYour house picture is very pretty. I would want to live there too!
You know what? I don't think I've read the Forgotten Garden series. Man. I'm lame.
DeleteI don't see that Atkinson wrote The Secret Keeper.
Life After Life was so confusing to me the first time I read it but then I realized you just have to go with the flow of it. That helped a lot.
Your home is pure charm. So enchanting and inviting and that’s without seeing all of “you” inside.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course I have to tell you that there is so much work that needs to be done on this house. Inside and out.
DeleteAnd yet, I still love it so.
That view of your house is very lovely. Frame-worthy even.
ReplyDeleteI think the AC in the window of the upstairs is a little disconcerting though.
DeleteWhat a lovely looking house. I had no idea you lived in a two story house! Silly of me, but I've never noticed anything about an upstairs. The gardens look like you're busy with them!
ReplyDeleteI never talk about the upstairs because we never go up there. When Lily and Jessie lived here, they had rooms up there but now Maurice is the only one who climbs those steps. They are beautiful steps.
DeleteI have been busy with the gardens. Thank you.
Your tiny gingerbread porch is so charming but the green presences are what really draws me in. And I never noticed beautybush flowers - of course they would be lavender, the logic is clear.
ReplyDeleteCeci
I'm sure the gingerbread trim was a relatively recent addition to this house. I wonder how much has changed since it was built.
DeleteAren't those flowers sweet? They're tiny.
Thanks for the photo of the side of your house. It sure is a lovely home. My home is a subdivision home so there are quite a few models similar to mine. Nothing special but comfortable and room for all my children which is why we bought it so many years ago. It's definitely a lived in family home.
ReplyDeleteAnd that is what makes a house a home.
DeleteI remember you talking about "Life After Life" years ago. In fact, I think I read it because you and Ellen both did, if I remember correctly. I enjoyed it a lot but yeah, we're living through such a crazy time I'm not sure I want to read an alternate history about fascism!
ReplyDeleteI also remember the beautyberry jelly. Oh well.
It's funny when you take a look at a scene you know so well and something has changed enough to make it seem new and remarkable, isn't it? I have that happen occasionally too.
Some parts of the book are so prescient that it's frightening.
DeleteYeah. Beauty berry jelly need not be made again. I bet Boud could use them for a gorgeous dye though.
You're right- just the slightest change can really affect your perception of a place, can't it?
Just learned of a song Irving Berlin wrote about Hitler - When that Man is Under Ground, I think. Look it up if you wish. Except for the reference to a "tiny mustache" it is a propos for today,
ReplyDeleteJust substitute "tiny penis" for "tiny mustache" and it'll be spot on.
DeleteI do have house love- for YOUR house, not so much for mine. Is the upstairs live-able in the summer- Warm I would think. Indeed the wheels have come off, the destruction not yet complete until our uniforms will consist of oversized suit jackets and long gold ties. We were so confident that this sort of thing would never happen again especially in the USA. I guess that is w\hat happens when education is dismissed and capitalism, greed, eats everyone. I listen to the Stones and dance wildly in the kitchen to drum out the noise. Sometimes I slip. I think that is how Grannies break hips.
ReplyDeleteWe don't ever go upstairs so doesn't matter whether it's warm or not. Probably is in the summer.
DeleteThere are so many things that have led to where we are right now but my GOD why didn't we learn from WWII?
Because humans are stupid, is what I think. I don't know. It's just so damn sad and scary.
The Stones are very good for kitchen dancing, hallway dancing, and blocking out the shit.
You're right. We grannies do not need to be breaking any hips.
Maybe one trip a year upstairs to be sure it isn't becoming that house in Dicken's Great Expectations, with great swathes of thick cobwebs.
DeleteA new view of your house! And yeah, if I was house hunting and saw that it would be the house I wanted. Excellent shots of the beautyberry flowers. I read Life After Life by Atkinson years ago which I thoroughly enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteYou and I have similar tastes on many different things, don't we?
DeleteI have put that book into my borrowbox list so will give it a whirl when I have finished the few awaiting me - one of the advantages of long drives! Your house does look amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about that book is that you have to just let it flow as it will and not try to make sense of it all. There are literally many lives after lives.
Delete