The End of Summer

It's been very busy (as usual) here at the picket fence. The teacher daughters went back to school and my co-gramma had a serious health emergency so I have had my youngest son's three littles everyday in addition to everyone else. 

Last week I had 7 children every day. One crazy day I took them to an amusement park.  I ended up with sunburned ankles. I am not sure why. 

Everybody was back on Monday morning. My youngest is filling in on patrol duty this week, so his kids are here at 5:30 am.  The other four come around 7am and then I start making the breakfasts. Because I don't have enough on my plate, we had a First Day of School Eve Party. 

Funny story. I used to have the energy to bake. 

So the three brothers don't start school for another week. They are still coming at 5:30 am.  The littlest one comes at 7, his preschool starts in September so we need to speed up how long it takes him to eat breakfast.  I also feed a fourth grader and put him on the bus. At least that was the plan.  On the first day of school, we missed the bus . . . . . 

Just for kicks today, I loaded the four boys aged 8 and under in the vehicle with grampa and we got to take him out of town for a 90 minute root canal. 

And my 50th class reunion is this weekend.  I ordered more clothes. After making my final outfit choice, my husband is trying to talk me out of it.  I have also caught a nice deep chest cold (I have tested negative twice for covid) that I have been trying to cure with over the counter meds. I have invested too much in the wardrobe I have purchased, the hair appointment I have scheduled for Saturday and the stinking $150 in dinner tickets to skip this thing.  

So that is what I have been up to. 

Humidity and Neglect

(along the picket fence)

In 1995 my brother and sister in-law took their two young children to a soccer game. My brother turned to take their 5 year old to the playground and my sister in-law collapsed. Despite the efforts of a fellow parent who was a doctor, the EMS, the ER and everyone else, she had died instantly. We later found out she had been born with heart defect which caused sudden cardiac arrest. 

(This is by my front door.)

My brother eventually sold their house, moved to another town, in a few years, married a girl he dated in high school and moved out of state. When he was getting ready to sell the house, my mom and I went and dug up some of the Rose o Sharon bushes that Peggy had planted. I am so glad we did this because whenever anyone remarks about them, I tell them about Peggy. 

(These are behind my shed, facing my neighbors.)

This year they not only survived an invasion of Japanese Beetles who ate the first round of blossoms but replenished themselves with extras! 

(This bush is only two years old - located in the play yard, he put a tomato cage around it last year)

I do nothing to these bushes except cut them back in the fall and pull out some starts. I don't water or fertilize and I barely weed around them.

Only a year ago my husband moved some starts to the side yard where we tried for years to establish a hedge. Unfortunately the elementary bus line was along the sidewalk and baby bushes would get trampled. Last year the bus switched direction and picks up on the opposite side of the street. He did fertilize these in the early spring and early summer and I was shocked they flowered too! 

(The new bushes along the former bus line)

These bushes thrive on the hot temperatures, high humidity and neglect of the Summer of 2024.