friday

About every three or four weeks my sisters and I have breakfast with my dad at a little restaurant, today the day. Since we all talk a few times a week and if not directly to each other we get the "news" from one or the other, it isn't exactly a catch-up but a time to relax all together. Unfortunately more times than not Peggy, who has MS, doesn't make it. She deals with alot of pain and never knows how she will feel from one day to the next, we missed her this morning.

After, Cathy and I headed out to Countryside, the mega-greenhouse with rock-bottom prices and acres and acres to peruse, way the heck out past Allendale. I bought 12 ferns to plant on the wooded side of the house, there's a door out from the garage and I hope at some point in time to put a flagstone path from it to the driveway in front. It is pretty, and since it was cleared out and mulched it is where Ernie and I start out on our walks as he can't yet go on the grass - even it is really coming along!! We went nuts over a a hibiscus that has 9-inch flowers, it is what I immediately felt was a Dr. Seuss plant - amazing and funky and something we had to have, we each bought one! I put it on the deck in a large pot right now but it can be planted and will over-winter here in Michigan - something I am skeptical about but will definitely try, probably putting it into the ground in the early fall. Pictures will be in a day or so as the one flower that was blooming didn't make the ride home stuffed into my car, but I did fit it in there without breaking any branches and there are two enormous buds about ready to open. This is just the coolest.

Also will photograph my ferns but it was too dark when I finished planting. I waited until early evening to do it as we are in the midst of the hottest days of summer here, just about 90 and the humidity is exactly what I just couldn't tolerate in NC, one of those step-out-of-the-door-and-immediately-begin-sweating kind of days (luckily a week at a time is about maximum we have to deal with it then it goes away again, it reappers sporadically but thankfully not a major part of our summers here). I'd have given quite alot to dive into a pool when done but no longer have that luxury, something I miss alot after having three different houses with inground pools and my last house living in a community where I could pick one of four around the golf course - but I made due with a cool shower, what'reyagonnado, you gotta make the best of life! I'm thinking a hot tub with ice cubes floating in it, but that too is most likely not gonna happen, LOL!

I decided then as I was pretty exhausted to go to bed early and fell asleep - for all of about 20 minutes. I'm about ready to try again. Ernie is already snoring away, after rolling in the mulch (not a good thing for a long-haired dog who then had to be brushed out before my shower), he's bushed. Sweet dreams are calling me, too......