Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Detour



As is often the case, my plans to tackle various projects has taken a detour.  One of those plans included catching up on some reading.  I am proud to say that I did finish one book!  I only have 3 left to finish and a new book still yet to be read.  I'm still taking a few photos now and then, especially of my sunflowers and zinnias.


The once tall and proud sunflowers are now bowing their heads as they become heavy with seeds.   The vegetable garden, except for the tomatoes, is ready to be tilled up and put to rest until next year.   We have had some wonderful weather for August until now.  It has gotten very hot and humid and we are in need of rain.


When it is this hot in August, my thoughts turn to fall.  My favorite season.  I had to do some grocery shopping yesterday and stopped at a little shop where I found this nifty item on a table.  It just hopped off that table into my little hands and found it's way to the checkout counter.  It's pretty indestructible (I think) so I'm hoping the kitties will leave it alone.  Okay, maybe I'm rushing things, but fall is just around the corner!


Thank you to all who prayed for my aunt.  She is doing better now.  She had to be in the hospital a few days.  I took the photos above and below as I was walking across the street to the hospital to visit her.  Aren't the flowers gorgeous?  They have the petunias on the poles all up and down the street.  

The doctors determined that my aunt's calcium levels were much too high and that was taken care of.  Next, she was to go to a nursing home for therapy.  I helped her move there, but she hated it and said it was much too cold so she left the next day and went home.  The day after she went home, she called me feeling poorly again.  I spent most of the day with her in ER awaiting tests results.  There was a mix-up on some meds that she was to take after the hospital stay.  Yes, scary, isn't it!  Anyway, that was the cause of her confusion and swelling in her legs and feet.  They determined that she was good enough to go home, so I took her back home.  That was last Friday.  Hopefully, she will be feeling better again soon.  Again, thank you for your prayers on her behalf!
 

In other news, 3 kittens have moved to new homes.  Sniff, sniff.  One other kitten and the mama kitty will go to their new home soon.  We're keeping Cali.  I don't think I've mentioned it before, but Peanut or Sissy may have to find a new home.  They just don't get along and I'm tired of the fussing and fighting.   

Our son was here again for most of the weekend.  He did go to the Cardinal game in St Louis Saturday night and they won!  It's always more fun when your team wins, isn't it?  :)  Anyway, he and the diva kitty, Stormy, are getting along much better now.  She wouldn't have much to do with him for the longest time and would hiss and bare her teeth and claws when he came home for a visit.  I just hope she doesn't give Cali much grief when we move her inside.  

Have you ever looked closely at the center of a zinnia?  I don't think I've paid much attention until I started practicing my close-up shots.  It's amazing the little details and design of the flower I used to think was fairly common.  Look at the feathery little petals  and the larger petals look like they are pinned on, don't they?  I think the zinnia, even though it doesn't have much of a scent, is now one of my favorite flowers!  LOL!  I say that about all the flowers!!


Well, those projects are still waiting for me to tackle them.   So, I'm going to try to get a few things done before the weekend begins.  I hope to be back here before then, but if not, just picture me knee deep in my closet cleaning or scrubbing the walls or cleaning the carpet or any one of a hundred things I should do.  In the meantime, eat some ice cream and enjoy the remaining days of August!  >>> Pistachio Almond, 290 calories a scoop!!  Yikes!!!

Until next time...

36 comments:

  1. The flower baskets on the poles reminds me of Anchorage. The flower baskets on all the poles up and down the streets were beautiful. I hadn't expected that in Alaska.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So glad your aunt is better. And how wonderful of you to take her back home when she didn't like the nursing home!!!

    I have never seen a zinnia that close and you are right! Those petals DO look feathery and the bigger ones do look pinned! Nature is a wondrous thing!! Thanks for sharing....I loved seeing the close up...and all the pictures at the hospital, as well.

    As for pistachio ice cream? I'll take pineapple sherbet!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would have taken that sun flower container home also. It is perfect.
    How great that your aunt is home and doing better. Just being home is great medicine.
    Using the close up function is an eye opener isn't it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Loved all your flower shots. Hoping your aunt is doing better each new day. Scary when older people mix up their meds. When my father was sick,I had to make a big poster of his meds ..I even drew colored picture of the pills to help him and anyone who might be new at tending to him. Enjoy the last few days of summer. xoxo,Susie

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am so glad your aunt is doing much better; you are a wonderful niece....

    Your flower shots are gorgeous....

    ReplyDelete
  6. i am glad your aunt is doing better and is home again, too! i hope you can get caught up on your projects. my cleaning just doesn't get done. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful pictures!! Glad your aunt is better. Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, we love pistachio almond! I'm so glad to hear your aunt is doing better. I will continue to pray for her. Your tole painted pitcher is so pretty and perfect for fall! Have a nice week! Twyla

    ReplyDelete
  9. i have never looked at the center of a zinnia and it is beautiful, also have never taken a photo of ice cream, but now i will. those flowers on the poles are wonderful. glad they found the mix up on the meds and it is really scary that it happened.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am so happy your Aunt is doing better! I want this heatwave to break it is giving me a cranky and a pain in the neck! I am ready for, wait for it...... FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. It is scary getting old...so many times as we get oler we go on more and more meds. And it is a wonder more people are not sick from them alone.

    I love the item that came home with you! And no, can't ever say something is indestructible as far as cats. They can sure get wild when they are young...and even sometimes older.

    Our Bubbie is I 6 years old and just now starting to act like a grown cat!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Look at the bees coming in for a landing/ :-) I love sunflowers!! Glad your Aunt is doing better.
    And I have to tell you, are are rooting for the wrong team! Go Royals!!! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello Cheryl, glad to hear your Aunt is home and feeling better....love those flowers, so pretty, Blessings Francine.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love your sunflower and zinnia photos. Beautiful late summer blooms for sure. Enjoy your reading time. I don't take time lately for reading either. It's taken me all summer to read one book! Blessings. Pam

    ReplyDelete
  15. Pshawwww...that's nothing! (290)

    Hope that you get the kitty woes all straightened round!

    Thank you so much for showing us and discussing the details of a zinnia. I'd never have known otherwise and I find it fascinating.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh My --don't ruin that ice cream (yum) by telling me the calories.. I didn't need to hear that!!!!! ha ha

    Glad you found some homes for some of the kitties.... Hope everything works out with the ones you are keeping...

    Love your sunflowers... AND--the arrangement you brought inside --in your new Fall vase---are beautiful!!!!! I think (hope) that Fall comes early this year.

    Hope you sweet aunt will be okay this time. Meds cause more danger sometimes than not taking them at all.... Gads!

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your sunflower pictures are gorgeous! And the zinnia center macro...I have taken many of these shots but never seen anything like this! Tiny feathery leaves... your zinnia must be a different kind then the ones here. That is scary abut your aunt! But I am so glad it got straightened out. With the right meds, I hope she will get stronger and better. I LOVE the pumpkin vase and would have bought it immediately if I had seen it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Who's counting the calories in ice cream in this hot weather? My cleaning hasn't gotten done for months. I was supposed to catch up on that during my blog break. Didn't happen.
    Glad you aunt is feeling better and at home now.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Funny thing about cats. My Abby never lies on the coffee table unless I put a vase or jar of fresh flowers on it. Then she will lay right next to it. Go figure??
    Glad you aunt is feeling better. I'm dying to see a new picture of Cali.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oooh, that ice cream looks worth every single calorie!! YUM! Cheryl, your flowers are just amazing... so are your photos of them. You make me want to paint everytime I visit! ;) So glad your aunt is doing better. The medication mix up IS very scary. Bless her heart. Your streets with all those petunias sure are beautiful! Hope you are whipping through those chores like lightening! blessings ~ tanna

    ReplyDelete
  21. Good news about your aunt, growing older is no fun at all and being young is, well, wasted on the young!!

    I love projects/organizing, cleaning, not so much!!

    I just finished a sundae, it probably had 1000 calories!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Those sunflowers are beautiful. They look HUGE!! Glad to hear your aunt is doing well and also the kitty is taking a shine to your son. Cats have a mind of their own don't they?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Pistachio Almond??? YES YES YES YES YES please. ;)

    The flowers are all gorgeous.

    I'm glad your aunt is doing better!

    ReplyDelete
  24. So glad they got your aunt's meds. .straightened out, Cheryl. The flowers are lovely at the hospital, but the Sun flowers are spectacular. Zinnias were the first flowers I was introduced to, I was very young when my grandmother helped me plant some at her farm, they remain very special to me. Thanks for sharing.
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  25. I hope your Aunt will be able to stay home awhile longer. There's no place as comfortable. Love your beautiful sunflowers and sweet post! Ice cream sounds good, too! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Love your fall find! I am ready for fall myself, as it is hot and humid here too. There are little signs here and there...

    I hope your aunt is feeling better, and that all the kitties find a happy place!

    ReplyDelete
  27. The Zinnias are awesome up close as well as what they look like from a pot as far as I remember. The Petunias on the poles are lovely.

    Yikes is right for the ice cream, I mean ten minutes of flavor and an hour work out?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ice cream and sunflowers...what's not to like, Cheryl. Glad you aunt is doing better, but a bit scary about her mixed up meds. Don't do too much of that housecleaning as a sign at my friend's home reads..."Housework will make you ugly" and so we should believe what we read, right?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Bless your heart for taking such good care of your aunt Cheryl. I do hope her health continues to improve.

    And zinnias are so awesome to look at up close -- I just love the crown they have on top of their heads. :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. My dad used to love zinnas, so this close-up that you shared [which I never paid attention to before] is super. They look like tiny feathers indeed. And the sunflower bowing its way out of the summer heat only to produce those tasty tidbits. Ohhhhhh, to have Autumn here. It's been in the 90s most of the last three months and I'm so ready for the mild 70s again. 50-60 in the winter months is even BETTER! lol And no snow.

    The ice cream looks delicious. I had to break down and buy me a 1/2 gallon of Blue Bell Black Walnut. Oh be still my heart.

    Hope your aunt continues to improve. Yes, Dr./Rx can be quite scary for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  31. So glad your aunt is better. :) Looks like you're getting ready for fall. Pretty flowers!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Beautiful photos as always! Thankfully, we haven't had to visit BHC so far this year.. but I do remember years past how lovely their flowers are! Glad your aunt is better! That ice cream looks incredibly yummy :) Stay cool, and have a nice Labor Day weekend!! -Tammy

    ReplyDelete
  33. gorgeous blooms. sounds like u r so busy ... i love reading. ( ;
    have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  34. The sunflowers are just gorgeous! And the story of your aunt is so frustrating. I had experiences like that with my parents - when meds were mixed up, their behavior would change (usually paranoia setting in) and no one was willing to admit they'd made a mistake in meds. Still, after meds being straightened out, they went back to their normal selves. I shudder to think of all the medical issues people have to deal with, especially those who have no advocate!

    ReplyDelete