Hot.

So much to do and too hot to do it! But I have to - my daughter's wedding is in a little over a month and I have dresses to adjust, a quilt to finish, and I really, really, need to find a dress for myself. The bridal shower is this upcoming weekend and I need to make a veggie platter for that. Pretty simple, right? I just cannot say how anxious I'm feeling about putting together a veggie tray. I feel almost as anxious about the veggie tray as I do finding a dress! I don't like lace or ruffles, I don't want anything long, I don't mind glitter. I don't want sleeveless, don't want long sleeves, I do not want an old lady dress. I just want something simple but classy (well, as classy as anything I could pull off). I want something that will disguise all the post-menopausal pounds. I want the impossible but I guess, most of all, I don't want to embarrass my daughter. 

My gardens are doing well. I quickly planted some tomato plants in a former garden area by my deck and everything is doing so well there! My tomatoes down in my main garden are doing alright - not as well as the plants up near the house but I should be well-stocked with tomatoes this year.

My sunflowers are growing, I have a beautiful hollyhock and have started a couple of roses from some clippings. I love this time of year when I can just about watch my plants grow! It kind of makes up for all of the hot, sticky weather.

 

Eek! It's July!

The lamp post I, with the help of Jordan, put near my deck

Much of the family

Independence Day celebration

 Sliding on in to summer - a season I tolerate only because it puts me closer to fall! In lieu of the annual badmitten tournament, we did a few things a bit different this year! It has been many, many years since I've attended fireworks on campus. The word on the street was that this year's fireworks weren't going to be as spectacular as in pre-Covid years. WRONG! They were simply wonderful! I couldn't have enjoyed them more! But then again I was with my granddaughter, my daughter and her soon-to-be husband, and my daughter and her girlfriend. Having many of the people who I love did wonders for my heart!

It's been a rough few weeks. My cousin's granddaughter passed on after a horrible accident and my brother had a seizure after so many years seizure free.  He was hospitalized for a while and for sure, I was worried but he bounced back and is doing alright. This all reminds me that we can't take any of us for granted. These have been sad times for sure. But, as my mother always said, you just have to be grateful for those who remain! I'm not afraid of death (of my own death), not at all! Still, I want to have many, many more years to enjoy all who I love and who love me! 

Retirement - coming up quick! Or is it? We've had a bumper crop of new students and have lost a few advisers. I've offered to stick around for a few months until they've had a chance to hire new advisers. I've offered to do advising until the end of December. I always did enjoy the fall semester with all the football festivities and the Christmas parties so this isn't a hardship for me.  Not sure that this is possible, but I may just be working through the end of December instead of September. 

And then, since this blog is something that I'll keep and reflect on periodically, there is Independence Day which I celebrate to the fullest extent. Unfortunately though, I hope that by the time I die, we (women) are not thrown back into the 20's.