June Is Busting Out All Over!

On June 1, NPR played this song, and I can't help but remember it. It is a beautiful, joyful, exuberant song. "June is busting out all over!"

Well, anyway, my flower garden is looking really full and lush, and it is definitely a naturalized garden. There is not a drop of formality or planned-ness in it. I drove up yesterday and I looked at the garden from the street as I turned in the drive. It looks really pretty. Much better than that expanse of weedy grass that was there. My surprise hollyhocks look very odd over by the side of the ravine in the weedy patch. They are very pretty and pink. I absolutely love, love hollyhocks, but for some reason I have never been able to grow them. I get them to get to a certain point and that's that. I know they are weedy little greedy plants, and that they are like a pest in some people's gardens. That's why I am ecstatic to see them at all. I hope they take over that little patch of weediness.

Yesterday a neighbor dog came over to check out the smells in the yard. Miss Patty actually barked at the window. I didn't see him at first, and couldn't figure out what she was doing. She never, ever barks, and this was a new behavior. But he eventually came into view. I was amazed that she even woke up enough to see him there. Normally she is in such a deep, deep sleep that she never hears anything. She sleeps through the doorbell!

As predicted, it has turned really HOT! We are baking for early June. It is so weird that we had that cool, rainy three weeks in May, which was so unusual for May, and now this baking, searing, hot early June. The stupid grass seems to be thriving, and I am still mowing like mad. But I have to do my chores in shifts since I get so hot.

The yarn bombing (or yarn graffiti thing) went off without me. The last I heard it was going to be done in the evening of First Thursday on the Fayetteville Square. But the industrious little wenches went out early Thursday morning and covered the lamp posts on three sides of the square and the posts up to the City Center. Arkansas Fiber Peeps has some links to pics on their Ravelry site. It looks really good.

Our LYS HandHeld is doing a trunk show of Cynthia Parker's knitwear. Amazing stuff!

Miss Patty still requires me to go out and lead her around the yard. Now the cats have to walk around with us. So the four of us walk around the yard, and Miss Patty stays far enough away to give the cats their room. She is definitely getting her real personality showing through. There are still scary moments to her if she interprets things as scary. But she is learning to play a little bit. And she is trying to be a little bit independent.

Last night I was determined to finish the one fair-isle sock. It is done, and amazingly I like the way it looks. It is a wee bit short, but I am not undoing it. I am still knitting the finishing pieces of the mitered blanket, and I am crocheting on the addiction afghan. It looks good too. I haven't been too excited to knit or crochet this whole week.

This morning I did find a quilt that I liked, and I drew out the picture of the block. I think this is the way I want to sew the next quilt. I haven't been sewing, either, which is weird for me. Summer is always my sewing time. I have a set of pillow cases all ready to sew, and they are draped over the ironing board. Maybe next week I will get high behind and do that.

I don't even want to talk about the Gulf mess. It is very distressing. A friend of mine sent me pics of the America from 1930-1939 during the Depression. Well, in 20-30- years ahead, someone will be sending folks pics of the Gulf Of Mexico debacle. It will never, ever be the same again in my lifetime. It will take at least two generations to regenerate the eco-systems that are being destroyed.

I am going to CJE's house today to play. She has been really, really, sick with a virus that almost put her in the hospital. So off to play, and have fun.

Have a good rest of the weekend. Enjoy the sun, but be careful. Wear sunscreen and hydrate.