Early Summer at Home

Hello,

A few things going on around here: 

I decided to change the color of this metal tray...

...to berry pink. 

It was an intense color, so I am not sure I like it.

This tea set goes with it quite well.  

Using spray paint, I can change it back at a whim.

Like many of you in the country areas with nature all around, my laundry is flying carefree on the line. These cotton towels are from Walmart.

I know there are people who don't approve of my shopping there, but if you will look at YouTube videos by people who visit from Europe and the UK and other places, you will see how they react to their first visit to Walmart.  It is interesting to see it from someone else's perspective, when we are so used to having the convenience.

At my recent visit to Walmart, there were quite a few of what I would call elderly employees and they couldn't do enough for the customers. One person asked me what I was looking for and took me clear across the store to find it, then asked me what else I needed and took me to another place, and soon my list was filled, as this person scouted out everything I needed. They weren't able to cut fabric, so they called someone.  That was such an interesting benefit. I don't think that has ever happened before. The men there were especially enjoying themselves while at work, as they visited with the customers at the same time.

When you go shopping in some of the grocery stores in the evenings, you will find them 

 less crowded and the staff more relaxed, as they joke with one another and with the customers. When the managers are not there, they use the intercom to wish customers a happy evening or fire each other.

These people must have a lot of time on their hands or they are just enjoying the interaction with the customers. A lot of other people are talking about this, too. One lady told me if I needed anything else to call her and gave me her in store cell number!   Now if we can only get some of the local politicians to behave the same way.  

Now that you have seen my laundry, I will show you the flower beds. The vegetable garden is growing like it has been hit with some kind of super stuff, but all it has had is rain, rain, rain. I don't have a picture of it right now, but I have enjoyed going "out" to lunch there. This year I planted arugula, and have really enjoyed eating it. It is also good roasted in olive oil.

I got this folding table and chair set for the trunk (boot) of the car for when we go on road trips and stop for tea. It all folds up so nice and flat and is lightweight plastic. It comes in sage green and dusty rose and is in a catalog called Blair.

The house on the land next to us is for sale and I got a good picture of it. Isn't it cute?  I hope to meet the neighbors next week and am getting a gift basket ready to set on their porch.

Two ladies called this morning and asked to come to tea!  I gladly put aside my ambitious list of things to do (paint the bathroom, sew 5 dresses, clean out the kitchen shelves and drawers, get the bedroom clean enough to have a path to the bed ---that's a joke, you trolls---) and quickly made some hot scones and jam!  

They brought some goodies, too:

More scenes of the garden:

Some pink things on the mantel for the ladies tea:

I like changing this scene or 'scape" for the seasons. The next scene will be sea shells.

Tourist season is just in its beginnings and I am always amused at the things even my own guests from other countries say. They like the clean restrooms,the free water in restaurants and the free refills in the fast food places.  They almost always comment on the clean streets and sidewalks, although I am sure it is not always the same in every part of the country.  

If I were a tourist, neither the friendly service nor the scenery would be the main attraction. To my mind, it is the experience of taking a road trip with Mr. S. who sounds like a tour guide. On your left you see where my brother and I played, and ate dirt. On the right is where we saw a bear coming out of the woods (in 1950). Up ahead is a restaurant we have not yet been to. Etc.  You would think I wouldn't be surprised in the least at his wry humor, after knowing him for so long, but he always catches me off guard with some of the things he says. Being a tourist with Mr. S. has to be the highlight of any trip. He puts a special accent on everything. 

Road trips are a fascination with some of our visitors. We might be a bit bored with our scenery but they are not.  Mr. S. and I have a one-day only road trip planned, were we can be home at night, and I'm really looking forward to it.

The biggest thing our tourist guests  comment on is the flag. "You are never in doubt where you are," they say, "because everyone has the  flag in their front yard or on their house." No matter what the political affiliation or the political beliefs, everyone has the same flag.  And, by the way, Americans don't like people asking who they voted for. It is private, and they don't want to argue with anyone. For the most part, Americans, as my foreign guests tell me, aren't very critical and can't argue very well anyway, so there is no use starting any kind of a disagreement. It wouldn't be very exciting. We would just start talking about the price of potatoes or corn or something instead, or I  would say, "Did you know there is a new WalMart, a new Hobby Lobby and a new Home Goods in the town next to us?" 

Or, like Fanny, in Jane Austen's "Emma", we would simply say "Tea!" when the conversation gets too personal or too critical.

In closing, I want to share about my good looking Canadian cousins I had the privilege of having breakfast with the other day when they drove down from Canada for a visit to the coast. We love and admire them so much. They are a brother and sister, the children of my mother's sister.  They are just so good looking. Did I already say that? It needs to be said twice.  It felt good to connect with them, and they invited us to come visit them, for ...was it Thanksgiving or Christmas?  I think I will try the Canadian Thanksgiving.

The vegetable garden. Mr. S. built it up on a raised bed for me, so I could stand upright while taking care of it. If I get down on the ground, I might not be able to get back up without help, and it might be a long time before help arrives, since Mr. S. is always on the go.

The dinasaur Mr. S. dug up is still there sitting on a board.

The season is late for us here, so the climbing plants are not climbing yet, but I'm looking forward to peas and cucumbers.

Our first salad: lettuce, arugula, radish, onion.

  That is all for now.