Green Monster, cont.

The saga continues, that is the conquering of the green monster at LM's house. For the past two months or so, LM and I have been valiantly waging war against the green monster that threatens to consume the little house. Because Bob was losing steam in his last years, he gave up trying to control the English ivy, wisteria, bittersweet and honeysuckle which flourishes on all sides of the property. Now that LM and I have the responsibility of the garden, we have launched an all-out mostly-successful offensive. My back, hips and knees might not agree that we have won the war, but it is looking very nice over there.

This morning, I was up at 4:30 and had a nice batch of Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins in the oven by 5:30 am. These will help to fuel Paul Bunyan and company today - AKA LM and my SIL, Richie. Chainsaw in hand they plan to take down more than 7 trees today in our continuing effort to fight back the green tide. Considering that I have been pretty hobbled by hip pain, etc, LM has decreed that I cannot help, but I may supervise. Tough for me to sit still as I thrive working in the garden and seeing the beauty emerge. There is something so satisfying in cutting and dragging huge amounts of these invasive vines and weeds to the mulch pile, which, by the way, is towering these days.
So far, our battle with the English ivy has been the hardest. LM has worked with a crow bar, huge loppers and other heavy equipment to remove most of the surface material but roots remain on 2 sides of the house and they are daunting. We just keep telling ourselves that we are making progress and that is all that counts. There will have to be the application of some vine and stump killer at some point and we do not like to do that BUT! Last sunday, we did clear out a 7ft area along the right front side of the house we intend to plant hydrangeas on both sides of the front in late Fall when they are on sale.
Last week, I cut back some massive lilacs, which were growing over the sidewalk along the street, planted petunias and between rest periods, I did a lot of lopping. There are already some beautiful plantings around the house and with the trees removed, we think they will be able to thrive in the sunlight. Most of the trees are dead or growing up underneath other large shade trees.

Since I last wrote, my emotions have seemed to level out and grief is in a more manageable place. Keeping life simple and resting has helped restore my spirit.

I'm still getting to know my new laptop and hope to be back tomorrow with some pictures and details of "Paul Bunyan's visit."

Stand-by Me

.....my new beautiful Inspiron laptop arrived today exactly when promised and I am having a great time getting to know all about this pretty baby. I will be back soon to tell more.
Hope everyone is well!

From Finally Sunny Cape Cod

Just wanted to let everyone know that I will not be posting much, if at all, until the end of July. My home laptop has decided to shut down and not come back on so a replacement is in the works.
All is well here in the land of beauty, thriving tourism and pretty roses.
I have some lovely photos to share soon, too. LM and I are taking a little trip to Maine this weekend and to visit some friends in New Hampshire.
Meanwhile I wish everyone happy sunny days, and I will be checking in with you all.

Clear Silence

Clear cool, dry air and sparkly sunshine lit up Cape Cod today. It seems everything is better when the sun shines, feelings become sharper as well. I needed to get groceries for the weekend but waited for the crowds to move out and left the house around 7:30. The evening shadows were starting to deepen and as as I got into my car, I was struck by the sudden realization that there is a deafening silence in my life these days. I saw this as a moment of clarity, and there was not the accustomed sadness, just realization that Dad's death has created this silence. At once, came the thought that I am free to do many things I could not do before, free to make choices, formerly painful, for fear I would be neglecting Dad. This silence sits well with me tonight. Shopping was fun, and I've just cut up some lovely peaches which will adorn my breakfast tomorrow.....these days I can linger over a Saturday morning breakfast and not feel pressured to get in the car and rush to Dad. The desire to share my daily adventures and observations with Dad does still create a deep pain in my soul, and I suppose, as many have said, I will get to a point where I can "talk to him" and share in that way. Meanwhile, I am very fortunate to have LM in my life, and he loves to hear every minute of my day (he even absorbs what I say and comments later....a first with me in a relationship), and I love sharing his, too.
Tomorrow is farmers' market day, and the rest will be spent with LM in the garden at his house. I'm consciously cultivating simplicity in my life right now, and the reward seems to be some inner peace.

Cat Fishing

Guess who came to visit Ms G? Of course, she dragged "her fishing pole" right over to engage her "boyfriend" in play, but first she has to appear disinterested.

The coy act didn't last long and the games commenced.
This went on for about 45 minutes....

Time for LM to go home so he stopped fishing and those two just locked eyes. It is very sweet to see.
The sun is shining here!!! Still quite cool but we'll take it and be delighted. LM is in NJ tonight on a car swap for the local Ford dealer. People must be buying cars again as the calls for work have been coming in everyday. He's happy to be on the road again and calls me often to check in and tell me all the sights.
We are planning a 2 + week road trip to FL in November so I'm keeping busy with the planning. We'll take the western route and travel the Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway. It should be beautiful and is something we have both wanted to do. We'll stop a day or two in Asheville, NC to visit a dear friend. The goal of the trip is to take Kristi to swim with Dolphins at Discovery Cove in Orlando (PRICEY!!) and to go to Busch Gardens/Tampa. She is 40 and has dreamed about doing this trip for as long as she can remember. Finally it will happen. While in FL we will stay with daughter, Anne and her family so that will be an added bonus. I'm really looking forward to finally meeting Theo, my latest feline grandchild.
That's it from me today. Happy to be happier. Wishing the same for all.

Grief Relief - Part II

Who wouldn't have grief relief with a visit from this funny, beautiful little darling! Baby Teddy and his Mom and Dad came to visit on Sunday morning and we all went for a lovely walk through Chatham village and the Old Village.
Huge leaves adorn these beautiful border plants along a walkway to some shops.
Just after we turned off Main St and headed into the Old Village, this hawk caught Jason's eye as he landed on a limb. There was a cacophony of chirping from all the little birds near-by.
We spotted these imaginative chairs designed to look like lobsters. They have eyes and the arms are shaped like claws! They are also wired so must light up at night, or it's to protect them from being removed from their perfect place.
Roses are blooming everywhere right now but most are looking sad due to all the rain we've had.
Hydrangeas are beginning to bloom but not quite at their peak.
Looking out to the Atlantic from the far side of the house above.
Alison gazing at the grounds of a lovely Chatham icon.
Deep purple clematis
Back onto Main St where flowers seem to be lighting our path

Sears ParkBack to my house to change this cutie pie before heading to have lunch at LM's....notice he is just about to crawl. His giggle is so infectious, and he delights in every new move he takes.
The terrace awaited us at LM's
Proud Daddy
......and Mom
A glance at the back entrance and garden at LM's where we put in countless hours over the weekend, pulling out dead shrubs, overgrown vines and putting some powerful new loppers to use!
The street corner side which has an amazing ground cover of English ivy overgrown with honeysuckle which is blooming and scenting the entire house right now.
It really was such a healing, loving and energetic weekend. My muscles are still screaming but it is all worth it and they need to move anyway!
In other news, my home laptop is about dead so I am shopping for a new one with the help of the work techie. Getting this posted has taken awhile.
Hope everyone is enjoying summer!

Grief Relief - Part 1

Mini-me! All the time we were together on Friday, I kept looking at Samantha and seeing my mother, but it was not until tonight when I downloaded these photos, that I saw myself, in the many pictures from the same age.
July 4th week promised that good weather would return in time for all the festivities, and slowly but surely the fog and rain lifted away from Cape Cod. Friday was a day off for me and I planned to spend time with daughter, Sara and her sweet Samantha. The sun was still not showing its shining face, but we headed out in the fog to a new park, for a walk near the sea and time for Samantha to play. It was lovely to see how adventurous she is and to watch her interactions with the other children, while Sara and I caught up on her life and the challenges she faces these days. Her husband was laid-off from his job sometime ago and trying to make ends meet is a day to day struggle. Sara does maintain a good attitude, though, and just knows that a job will come in some form soon to ease the crunch. Meanwhile, she is enjoying every minute with her dear little girl and it shows. Sweet to watch.
Wild daisies blooming on our park walk



After the playground fun, we had lunch and then I was off to LM's house where we put in a solid 6 hours of work in his yard! We have such fun working together and it was nice to be feeling happier and free of tears for awhile.
4th of July morning, I awoke to the most beautiful crystal clear air and sunshine....such a gift, the sun has never seemed so welcome or bright...........to be continued.........

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Bob chills in the under counter fridge.....he also helps to put groceries away! He likes to sit in the dishwasher, too. Amazing cat and always good for a laugh courtesy of my SIL, Trish.