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...