August And Levon Sleep Over

Here we have the wild boys worshipping at the Pot of Chicken which will soon, under the grandmother alchemy which I practice, become chicken and dumplings. I have NO doubt at all that when I have been dead and buried for years, my grandchildren will remember Mermer's chicken and dumplings. 

Those boys aren't really wild at all. I did ask them a little while ago if they still get crazy after their baths and they said not so much anymore. I guess my days of having little squeaky clean, naked children running about the house are either very soon to be over or are already. We shall see tonight. 

I've spent the entire day at home. Glen, as I said, was out fishing and he is just now on his way to Lloyd. 
The boys asked me again to read them books earlier (be still my heart) and we read an old favorite, "No Hugs Until Saturday" and a Babar book about that rascal, Cousin Arthur. I could not have been happier if Wes Anderson had asked me to be a lead in one of his movies. Now they are watching some TV while I write this and then I'll make the dumplings and set them to simmer away with the vegetables and chicken and broth in the pot. I always use the widest pot I have so that I can fit as many dumplings in as I can. 

Before the kiddos got here I covered up the plants again. It may freeze tonight and it will almost certainly freeze for the next few nights. I took the trash, went to the post office, did the smallest amount of yard tidying, mostly cutting a few dead things and piling them up with fallen branches I gathered. 
I have no idea what's going on but my camellias are not blooming at all. By this time of year I am usually in the midst of enjoying their beauty. Is it because of the drought we had? Last year's freeze? I can't really pin it on those things because I see other camellias blooming away. I did a very thorough check of the bushes this afternoon and all I found was this one very small sasanqua camellia blossom. 

Generally the sasanqua varieties are blooming their pretty little heads off by Thanksgiving. 
It is depressing and sad and worrisome. 
I posted this picture a year ago yesterday. 

I am seeing plenty of buds, just no signs of them opening. I will not give up hope. 

I believe I better go make those dumplings. The boys have not eaten for hours and therefore are at risk for grave nutritional deficits which could cause them to faint and keel over. We would not want that to happen. 

Love...Ms. Moon