I haven’t seen this movie yet (don’t know if I will, because you know I only like happy endings) but the Apron Queen has challenged me to think about my personal “Bucket List”~ you know, the things you want to do before it’s your time to meet our Maker.

I’ve not led an adventurous life~ far from it actually, due mostly to my natural inclinations toward safety & comfort~ but I have been blessed with opportunities to experience some of what this wide, wonderful world has to offer & that has whetted my appetite for new experiences. 

After careful consideration & endless revision, here is my list (subject to change & update at the whim of the Gardener):

C      Own my own home

C      Finish my Bachelor’s Degree

C      Buy a brand new, straight from the factory car, just the way I want it

C      Learn to speak basic Italian

C      Play the mandolin

C      Paint watercolors landscapes

C      Sing torch songs in front of an audience

C      Take a cruise to Alaska

C      Travel across Canada by train

C       Spend a month in Scotland & the Isles

C       Take a walking tour of English gardens

C       Stay overnight in a castle

C       Join in a sing along at an Irish pub (preferably in Ireland)

C       Travel to New Zealand

C       Take a cooking school vacation in the Umbria region of Italy

C       Kiss my husband at the top of the Eiffel Tower

C       See the Pyramids

C       Wear a size 12 (or smaller) again

C       Have a tummy tuck- I want to see my toes again

C       See my children get married

C       Watch at least one child or grandchild graduate from college

C       Hold my great grandchild

Hmm, from the look of things, my ambitions will keep me from ever being in #1; since I will invariably add to the list as I manage to check things off, let’s just hope I am granted enough time (not mention energy & financial resources) to work my way through the inventory.

So, tell me, what is on your list?

For Today, June 30, 2008...

Outside My Window...

I can see patches of blue sky pushing their way through the layers of smoke haze that have blanketed the Valley & glimpses of the hills to the West for the first time in nearly two weeks.

I am thinking...

about my presentation for Garden Club next week; my theme is “Home Composting” & I’m trying to decide on either a general overview of options, or an in depth focus on one type (my new research has been on vermicompost- aka, Worm Farming)

I am thankful for...

meg’s garden, my little corner of this cyber neighborhood. For two years as of today, I have been given the privilege of glimpsing into the lives of creative, generous, caring, & inspiring people, while sharing the things that are important in my world. I can only hope that I have been able to give back a portion of what I have received to those kind enough to visit & encourage me.

From the kitchen...

I’m trying something new- a Moroccan dinner of spiced chicken, couscous, & grilled zucchini

I am wearing...

A brown short-sleeved tunic, a patterned skirt in red, peach, & brown, & brown leather slides

I am creating...

An apron for a summer swap, a pair of toe-up socks for my MIL (Christmas is coming), & my first attempt at recreating my favorite slip.

I am going...

to replant my “Salad Bed” this week~ the lettuce, radishes, & carrots never took. We’ve tilled up the smaller raised planter, added a bag of chicken manure & some fresh soil, & hung some shade cloth, so I’m going to reseed with leaf lettuce, spinach, radishes, green onions, & carrots.

I am reading...

Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility for the Ravelry read & knit along, Slay Bells by Kate Kingsbury (an Edwardian mystery), & Moving On by Sarah Ban Breathnach

I am hoping...

the temperatures stay reasonable for the Holiday~ last year, it was over 105°, which discouraged all of us from doing anything beyond sitting inside all day

I am hearing...

David Russell’s Renaissance Favorites for Guitar, the laser printer cranking out month-end reports, & my boss chatting with her daughter for the 6th time this morning

Around the house...

The house is rather tidy, since Sam hasn’t gotten around to finding a job this summer; my portable sewing machine has taken up residence on the kitchen table- I believe it’s time to rearrange the study so I feel more comfortable working up there; I was excited to “find” two forgotten sprinklers in the front lawn- the guys have put in new pop-up heads, so now maybe my ferns won’t need hand watering.

One of my favorite things...

The smell of alfalfa- fresh or dried, it doesn’t matter

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

A mercifully quiet week ahead- no meetings, no classes, no appointments; I need to have my car smogged so I can send off the registration; I was considering spending the Fourth in San Francisco- we haven’t been in 2 or 3 years & it appears we will all have the weekend off.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

This is what the morning skies have looked like for the past couple weeks; fortunately, the air is beginning to clear as the winds change & the fires are being controlled.

Stick a fork in me~ I’m done!

Well, maybe not exactly done

More like “Buried at a reasonably manageable & familiar level, lower than in the past 8 weeks.”

You know, ankle high instead of neck deep.

At least until October- but I’m not going to think about that right now.

So, what have I been up to, since I have obviously not been investing much brain activity around the Garden?

Work, mostly~ you know, that J-O-B one is forced to attend, in order to write legally negotiable checks for bills & such. The chi around the office got seriously out of whack- right in the middle of some heavyweight state-mandated reporting deadlines (which naturally fall on me), we lost three employees in as many weeks, one of them from my already minuscule accounting department (& no replacement on the horizon- ugh). Workload has trebled while we try to regroup, so I’ve been putting in late days & several weeks of Saturday work time to get on top of things. This past one was brutal- we were in the midst of triple-digit temperatures when the A/C in my office either couldn’t keep up anymore, or simply gave up; since I needed access to all the programs & files on my computer, I ended up working for 6 hours in +90°, with an ice pack on my neck & frozen water bottles under my feet.

It wasn’t a pretty sight by the end of the afternoon- but I’m done with Saturdays for a while.

So, why didn’t I come by to write you all in the evenings or on the weekend (what was left of it, that is)?

Because I couldn’t face any more time in front of the computer.

Because I didn’t seem to have the ability to string together cognitive sentences.

Because I was looking at a backlog of home projects that really needed my attention.

Because I was feeling lazy & unmotivated.

However, I am done with that also.

Well, maybe not the backlog of projects- that never ends.

Oh, and the lazy part- that’s pretty constant, too.

Nevertheless, as I am creeping up on my second Blogversary this week, I feel a renewed need to invest part of my self- my time, my creativity, my personality- in this little cyber-garden of friends.

Okay, enough mushy stuff~ read a fortune cookie & I’ll catch you later.

Outside My Window...

I see more than a dozen bunches of grapes slowly forming on the vines, my potted hydrangea blooming in vibrant pink, & the lemon cucumber plant climbing toward the sun.

I am thinking...

About ways to swing the cost of a road trip up to Oregon next month & a possible stay-over at Crater Lake

I am thankful for...

A whole month off from choir commitments- I’m beginning to feel burned out & unmotivated to practice

From the kitchen...

Homemade spaghetti sauce with lots of veggies, grilled zucchini, & fresh fruit for dessert

I am wearing...

Navy knit capris & a sleeveless white shirt- just got back from a walk

I am creating...

More blocks for the Church quilt & working on Chris’ pullover vest

I am going...

To try making some new slips- it is getting harder & harder to find the kind I like (split skirt, like culottes, with no lace)

I am reading...

Still working through Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber & Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskill

I am hoping...

To be caught up on my backed up work at the job & back on schedule by this weekend

I am hearing...

The guys discussing seasoning for the sauce, Modern Marvels on the television & the floor fan humming

Around the house...

It is pleasantly cool inside after a hot day; Dahlia is napping atop the newspaper stack & chasing ghost birds; there are entirely too many bags sitting by the front door (& only half of them are mine)

One of my favorite things...

Classical Guitar music, especially Baroque

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Haircut on Wednesday (my stylist finally sent me a postcard announcing her new place); at least two visits to the gym (must get back up to 5-6 days a week); lots of carting Sam around to classes & lessons; & another dentist appointment to cement in a new crown & start the replacement on another

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Lavender Hollow Farm

Please drop by The Simple Woman blog, to visit other ladies sharing a glimpse of their day- maybe you could even join us!

Guilt can be a wonderful thing.

Really.

My boss has felt soooo badly about all the late days & weekends I’ve had to work lately to meet state regulated deadlines (& I suspect a huge amount of relief that she hasn’t had to take on the responsibilities herself). Really awful~ as in “a very generous gift certificate to the LYS” awful (which appeared on my desk Tuesday morning after her return from vacation).

Also, last week, when I told her I would be in late on Wednesday because Sam had an out-of-town doctor’s appointment, she insisted I take the entire day off.

Huh?

If she was expecting an argument, she was sadly disappointed.

Serendipity being what it is, Wednesday was a Garden Club day meeting, & they were taking a field trip to a lavender farm. Even better, Chris ended up having the day off & offered to take Sam to his appointment. Yeah me!

So here are some pictures of our day at Lavender Hollow Farms:

We were given a tour,