Wednesday, September 14, 2022

And Just Like That- Fall Arrived


I got up this morning to find that it was sixty-seven degrees on my back porch. It was delightful, shocking, delicious, and lovely. So of course I had no excuse whatsoever not to take a walk and I did. It had warmed up considerably by the time I got home and I was sweaty and tired but I didn't feel like I might die which is a huge improvement. 

While I was walking I finally took a picture of part of No Man Lord's yard and I felt sort of slimy. I'm sorry, y'all. I just hate the thought of him feeling that I'm invading his privacy. But this isn't the part of the yard where he has his camper and his fireplace and his chairs. It's off to the side. It looks to me like he's doing another cross building thing. Crosses are a theme for him. 


Every time he starts something new I think about the day I talked to that woman I called Boss Lady in front of his yard. I asked her, "What's Harvey got going on now?" 
"Same thing Harvey's always got going on," she said. I nodded my head in understanding. 

I watered the garden today and can't wait to see the little tiny sprouts coming up. I am impatient! All of the greens look like miniature ears when they break ground and the carrots look like little hairs, almost invisible at first. I have no idea what an artichoke plant looks like as a fetus, but I sure am hoping to find out. 

This afternoon I decided to get out the loppers and garden cart and trim up the Canary Island date palms out front. That was miserable and I didn't do a good job. I actually have no idea how you're supposed to trim a Canary Island date palm but honestly- if they both died tomorrow, I would not cry. 



I also did some weeding around them. There is so much yard work I've neglected this summer but it's still too hot for me to work much more than an hour at a time. As my husband says, we just have to go about things at our own pace now. 

I watered the porch plants and then I came in and did a few things around here. Not a bad day in Lloyd, really. 

I got a text from a woman I've never met but we've been what I would call friends, nonetheless, for many years. We met through blogging. Some years ago she married the love of her life and they have desperately wanted to have a baby but have had fertility issues and her text to me today was, "Guess what?" 
I answered, "NO! Really?!" 

And yes, she is pregnant. I am so incredibly happy for her. It's funny, a woman I know here has had a similar story of wanting a child so badly and seemingly not being able to have one. Just a few weeks ago though, she gave birth to a darling baby girl and that has made me think of my other friend and wonder how her journey was going. 

And now I know. Heartbreak to joy for both of these women and their babies are the luckiest babies. To have been so longed for...
I am thrilled for them both. 

Okay. Two flower pictures. 


Four O'clocks. To me they look like fairy-tale flowers. 


Blue Sky vine, growing on the front fence. 

All right. Those egg roll vegetables are not going to wok and wrap themselves and the tofu is surely pressed enough by now. 

Love...Ms. Moon

33 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you're getting the relief of fall now. Your flowers are so beautiful especially the blue vining one. So happy for your friend and her soon baby. Yes, being wanted is precious.

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    1. I wish with all of my heart that every child was wanted. It would be such a different world.

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  2. How wonderful that your blogging friend is now pregnant and I hope with all my heart that the pregnancy is successful with a little baby joining her and her partner to warm the cockles of their hearts. Becoming pregnant is not always as easy as some people imagine,

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    1. It's so true! I really hope all of the very, very best for her and her husband and that little baby.

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  3. That Blue Sky vine is gorgeous!
    Let's all hope your blogging friend has a safe and easy pregnancy with an easy birth at the appropriate time!
    S. CO is a bit cooler for a few days, too! Enjoy your cooler weather!

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    1. Easy birth? I have heard of this strange concept. Ha! I've witnessed a few, actually. None of them my own, unfortunately.
      Enjoy your cooler weather too!

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  4. I have to tell you how much I like the new header; the picture of the back of your house. It is so homey, yet elegant.
    How fortunate to wake up to comfortable walking temperatures, then actually getting out of bed and walking. I would have taken it a sign from the weather to snuggle further under the covers.

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    1. Thank you, Joanne. I do so love this house and the way it rambles and goes on in different directions. It has a funky grace about it.
      Yes- the cooler temperatures are a blessing. I wish they were here to stay but I think it's going to get warmer again.

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  5. Just as the lad and all of his friends are neutering themselves- your friends are fecund . Life's longing for itself.Perhaps one of those infants will indeed be the second coming. There really is nothing finer than baby makes three.
    Two layer coolness here, plus wool slippers and on we go into the long dark winter...So quick it seems , after one weird assed summer.

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    1. As Kurt Vonnegut said- "Life. There is just no stopping it."
      Whenever I hear the term "the second coming," I always giggle because that's the way I am.
      I guess I better figure out where my dang slippers are.

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  6. And Spring has arrived here! Do you get distinct seasons so far south? Our interim seasons (autumn and spring) sort of slide winter and summer into each other. I would love four proper seasons. Your blue flower is stunning. How big is it?

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    1. We do get seasons here but they are more subtle than distinct. If you've lived here for a long time (which I have, of course), they are quite apparent. Probably not so much to people who are recent arrivals. The sky vine flower is about as big as a small saucer. It's quite large, really.

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  7. Hooray for much wanted babies! your porch looks like a good place to daydream on. Harvey marches to the beat of his own drum.

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  8. Autumn is coming on here too. Each morning this week it has been a little cooler. Apparently only 13C ( 54F) at the moment( 8.30am). I shall wear a light jacket on the dog walk for the first time in months! Might have to get the winter duvet out soon too!

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    1. Now see - that temperature would be winter for us. I'd be wearing my thrift store cashmere for sure! And my own down comforter (which I call The Duck) would find its way out of the closet.

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  9. Perhaps it's time to get in a gardener to do the boring heavy stuff and this would let you enjoy the creative part of a garden . We are now both 70 and have done this and have rediscovered our love of growing now it's not a chore to be got through.

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    1. Mr. Moon does a whole lot of heavy lifting (literally) in the garden. But we've gotten to the point where we mulch and weed enough that it's really not that hard to keep it in order. The main problem is the heat. But for other things in the yard I would truly love to have a gardener.

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  10. I wish, I wish, I WISH that every baby in the world could be so lucky as these two. I know that they are not, and sometimes the sadness of that makes me cry. The best part of being retired is simply doing things at my own pace. What a luxury that is!

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    1. Yes. I agree. Like I said above- if all children were wanted children, we would live in a much different place.

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  11. I love that blue sky vine. I've seen that flower around and never knew what it was called before your blog! As Frances says above, we're having cooler weather here too. I almost put on a jacket this morning.

    As for No Man Lord, maybe he'd be happy that you photographed his cross project! He probably wants to get the message out!

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    1. A jacket! Do I still have one of those? Probably.
      I can't even begin to know what NML wants and doesn't want. He is a complete mystery to me.

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  12. I cannot imagine desperately wanting a child and not being able to conceive. I've seen it close up in my own family but was lucky enough to be able to have children easily. I am SO, SO delighted for those ladies!

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    1. Yes. My problem was always getting pregnant too easily. But I know that if I hadn't had that ability, I would have suffered so.

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  13. I watched most of The Beach Bum, not a fan:) What a waste of lives; it just made me sad.

    The flowers are beautiful and that's so wonderful that those two ladies have/will have children.

    I washed some floor today and organized toys. We still don't know when Jack is coming back but we have a video call with him every two days. Last night he had to show us everything, including the flashlight, the shadows he could make and the flashlight working out on the back deck where it was dark. Much of the call was dark but he never stopped talking to his poppa. I miss him so much.

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    1. I knew you wouldn't like that movie. I'm sorry you wasted your time on it.
      I am sure you miss Jack terribly and I am just as sure he misses you and his poppa. How I hope he comes back soon!

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    2. The movie wasn't a waste of time, I was busy doing other things while it was on. It was different and I know I sound like a prude, but so much drugs and alcohol and sex, and all I could think about was, they're just avoiding their own feelings. The thing is, I do enjoy those things, except the drugs, but not to avoid what I'm feeling. I know I'm judging and it's only a movie but I don't think any of the people in the movie were happy. His wife died in a car accident and it doesn't even slow him down. There was no redemption, now redeeming qualities in any of the characters, that's what I didn't like. Sorry. Not a waste of my time though.

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  14. I wish I had a sunny enough fence to grow blue sky vine. I'm glad you had a nice cool morning, none here yet. I have pink four o'clocks. Really like the yellow. Send me some seeds if you think about it.

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    1. That fence really does not get much sunlight. It takes until this time of year to put out a bloom or two and that's usually all we get. I'll try to remember to send you some seeds for the yellow four o'clocks.

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  15. The yellow four o’clocks are so pretty! I’ve got a couple shades of pink in my yard, wish fall would come a little further south, still hot and steamy here. Congratulations to your friend! Such joyful news.
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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    1. I usually have pink four o'clocks too but this year it's all been the yellows.

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  16. Gosh, those flowers are so pretty! It is warming up here a bit but we will slip back into Fall weather soon. I love Fall!

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  17. Four O'clocks are so vivid and so easy. Well, usually. Even they succumbed to the drought and heat of this summer here in NorCal. So glad it is cooling down for you, as it is here. We might even get some rain this weekend! Fingers crossed. x0x0 N2

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