Over the Backyard Fence

I thought I’d switch things up and join in The Wednesday Hodgepodge this week. Joyce provides some questions, and we share our answers here.

1. What's something on your August calendar you're looking forward to? Or dreading if that's easier to answer. 

Lots to look foward to! I’m looking foward to getting the water tank on our camper replaced so we can go camping. We’re going to miss the first half of a 10-day trip that we’ve planned, but fingers crossed we’ll make it to the second part. 

2. August 5th is National Oyster Day...do you partake? How do you feel about pearls? 

I’ve never had oysters. Well, maybe smoked oysters from a tin, which are quite tasty. I love pearls! My favorite jewelry is a pair of pearl earrings my husband gave me on our first Valentine’s Day together. I also have a pearl bracelet he gave me for a wedding anniversary.

3. Tell us about a time when you felt like 'the world was your oyster'. 

In the early years of marriage when our kids were little. It was all I wanted in the world, to have those babies and be a stay-at-home mom. I’ve since learned that life is a gift, no matter what stage. But I loved the innocence of those days and the anticipation of what lie ahead.

4. Trip Advisor lists seven islands in the US that require no passport (for US citizens). If you're answering today from outside the US you'll still need to produce yours. An-y-way, have you been to any of the seven? Let's pretend you get an all expense paid trip to one this month...which one do you choose and why? 

Catalina Island California~Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts~Mackinac Island Michigan~Key West Florida~South Padre Island Texas~or Kauai Hawaii

I’ve been to Martha’s Vineyard and Kauai. I would love to go back to Kauai. With this guy ❤

5. Sylvia Plath is credited with the following- 

"August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time."

Agree or disagree? In other words, how do you feel about this month? 

Totally disagree. August is when the summer really begins to get lazy. We no longer have kids in school (which beings mid-August here), so it’s a great time to still experience what summer has to offer without the crowds. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A couple of ‘pearls of wisdom’ I’ve come across this week:

Being blessed is a privilege. Becoming a blessing is the Purpose.

Maybe the amount of beautiful things that happen in your life depends on how much you notice them.

Look at life through a lens of gratitude, and even everyday things can appear brand new. That’s why I like doing Friday’s Fave Five each week. Ordinary moments bring delight. I find beauty and a sense of wonder, sometimes in my own backyard.

Here are five of my favorite things from this week. It’s been a quiet week, balanced with lots of time at home as well some time with friends and family.

 I missed last week’s Friday’s Fave Five because we were on a camping trip. It was Brooklynn’s first time camping and she had such a great time. She’s a real outdoors girl! Here’s a wrap up of five things that blessed my week.

Camping ⛺ ~ We looked forward to going up to a higher elevation where it would be cooler. However, even at 8,000 the temperatures were hovering around 90 degrees. We enjoyed the cooler mornings and chilly evenings. Emily and Brooklynn had a tent and dubbed their camp spot ‘deer alley.’ They were on the edge of a meadow and the deer grazed freely, much to their delight.

How easy it is to rush through our days without noticing the beauty and the blessings that abound. I’m thankful for Friday’s Fave Five, encouraging me to slow down at the end of the week and count five things that made my life better.

Watching this little guy grow, albeit from afar! Miranda keeps me updated with photos, and no matter what I’m doing or where I am, when I see one come through, my heart melts and I’m so thankful for how blessed we all are.

Finished projects! At last - The landscaping that had to be redone for the sewer line, the pergola that we installed on the back patio, and the irrigation lines for the perennial garden are all in place. Dan did the lion’s share of the first two projects. I am just a little proud that I figured out how to set up the irrigation for the perennials. 😌 I’m thankful to have a plot of land to call our own.

On Wednesday mornings, Dan plays in a softball league. This week Emily and I went to watch his game. It was a lovely day, we hung out with another family who we adore, and afterward went to lunch. I’m thankful to have this time to spend with my daughter. ❤

📚Summer reading - The afternoons have been so hot and we are in for another week of it. I’ve been intentional about taking some time for reading in the afternoon. Admittedly, I usually fall asleep for half an hour first! But then, I get to my book. I just finished Eve Plumb’s Happiness Included; Jan Brady and Beyond. It was a fun, light read, and a nice change from the Theodore Roosevelt biography that I’m slowly working my way through.

 It’s been a nice, quiet week, with few things on the calendar and plenty of time to relax and enjoy the first official days of summer. On Thursday, I woke to a nice, steady rain. By the afternoon it had stopped and it was cooler. That afternoon, I did some much-needed weeding in a couple of garden beds, the soil soft and giving, releasing weeds with just a gentle tug. It was enjoyable puttering around, moving a few plants from pots into the garden, and attempting to train a climbing rose to grow over an arbor in the backyard.

One morning I went for a walk with a friend to see a family of burrowing owls that another birding friend had shared the location with us. The family of nine had made their home in a prairie dog colony, as they are wont to do, taking over one of the prairie dog holes. We watched one of the parents come in with some food and the seven owlets were all a flurry. The prairie dogs scampered happily around, and they all seemed to be living quite happily together.

The list in my planner tells me I also accomplished some mundane chores such as laundry, cleaning out the freezer, and a run to the post office to send the grands in Wisconsin a box for the 4th of July. (This contained crazy sunglasses, temporary tattoos and some assorted red, white and blue candy.) Aside from chores, I did manage to finally catch up with some girlfriends for a coffee date and some shopping at one of our favorite boutiques.

A few favorite things ~

• A comfy read by a favorite author. I found collection at the library book store, and read one of the short novels - Wild Mountain Thyme. I enjoyed it, as I have most of Ms. Pilcher’s books.
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• A clean car. I usually go to the self-wash, but this was an indulgence and I did the drive through. It’s a treat to drive in a shiny clean car.
• Our grandson has been sleeping over a couple of times a week. One night we made root beer floats and they tasted all the better for how much he enjoyed them, too.
• That second cup. Generally, mid-morning, Dan and I take a break from what we’re doing if we’re both at home, and have a second cup of coffee. He likes what’s left in the pot from breakfast. I typically make an iced coffee or a latte. It’s a nice ritual to share, sitting out front of the house, or on the back porch.

Photo credit: Instagram