Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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Room for Improvement

   Here is a quick list of things I wish I did better. Things I’m working at improving. Weaknesses that need strength-training. Sources of occasional embarrassment. And some pain.

1. Telling great jokes. Or even mediocre ones. It’s just horrible.
2. Delivering high-fives. Mine are enthusiastic, but somehow they just don’t connect too well. It makes for lots of awkward moments.
3. Typing. Also general editing.
4. Returning library books on time. Or at all. This new electronic borrowing system should save me a lot of money. The Oklahoma metropolitan public library system may grow to regret it when they notice a dip in revenues.
5. Keeping my feet pretty. Between running, gardening and animal-tending practically barefoot, and not being willing to fork over a million bucks for a “real” pedicure, it’s definitely an area where I could improve!
6. Thawing our entree meats on a perfect schedule. So. Dang. Mystifying.
7. Demonstrating my deepest love to a few certain people who probably cannot fathom my feelings for them. I am constantly bubbling with the emotion, but when I consider breathing it out, I choke on either the words or the act. I’m so terrified it will be not enough, or maybe too much. 
                                            

8. Typing. And mastering brevity with my ideas.
9. Growing parsley. Apparently a girl can grow either parsley or basil, not both.
10. Praying for my “enemies,” just those relationships in life that deliver the rub, the discomfort and trial. I know by now that the people aren’t really my enemies, but I have a ways to go still in praying for them with genuine love.
11. Typing. And caring about typing.
12. Keeping the beautiful Apartment clean and organized.
13. Not over-eating. Or at least not hating my choices. And drinking more water, less Diet Coke.
14. Finishing one project or book before diving into three more.
15. Acting out the faith that keeps me breathing every day.
   What about you? Do you want to be better at any of this stuff? What else is on your list? 
Let’s Not Grow Stale,
And Let’s Get Really Good 
At High Fives!!
XOXOXOXO 

Inviting You to a Gardening Q & A

   Let’s talk for a while about gardening. I wish you and I could sit tonight outside under the black Oklahoma sky, count the stars, and listen to the locusts and coyotes. I would love to quietly trade with you our best gardening secrets and wishes, mistakes and triumphs.

   If you are a gardener like me, though, your have more joy than knowledge and more questions than answers. Much more. I could write a book containing nothing but questions about gardening. Theory, design, science, history, poetry, spirituality, economics… There is so much worth knowing. You could never ever learn it all!

I would introduce you to some of my most colorful friends.

   That’s okay, to be full of questions. Because I have a friend who is writing a book with answers. It is all about gardening for people like me, people roughly my age who are more rookie than seasoned veteran.

   You have met her here before, when I interviewed her and she photographed me. It was just back in July, called Knowing Dee.  And I hope by now you have become another devoted reader at her lovely blog, Red Dirt Ramblings.

   With her book in the final publication stages and due to release this coming February, Dee has opened a Facebook page called the 20/30 Something Garden Guide.

There, she fosters a warm, welcoming spot where no comment or question is ignored, despite her busy schedule. She is encouraging, informative, and also generous with mouth watering garden photography. I strongly encourage you to click “like” on her book’s Facebook page and join the fun!

This is a cell phone photo I snapped while enjoying 
a completely overwhelming view of Dee’s garden 
about 40 minutes north of the fam.
I inhaled the beauty that evening and have been inspired every since my visit, 
but I sure want to visit again when I can take notes and, yes, better photos.

   In addition to following this great page, will you please jot down some of your own gardening questions and share them? Hey, the more we ask the more we learn. And maybe we all can think of different questions and learn even more.

   Thanks, friends! I hope your Labor Day weekend has been luscious. Garden on.

“Knowing is Half the Battle.”
~GI Joe
xoxoxoxo

It’s Definitely Still Summer, Y’all

  Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! I know this weekend marks the beginning of lots of fun autumn traditions. The season *seems* like it’s changing. School is in full swing for most folks; football games are on every other television everywhere; and apparently Starbucks has started serving their famed pumpkin spice latte again. Don’t even get me started on Pinterest, Hobby Lobby, etc. Not that I haven’t grabbed a few ideas myself… But I open Pinterest and cinnamon-orange wafts up from my laptop. It’s just too much, too soon.

   So, the man made environments we create for each other all tell us it is no longer summer but now already autumn. What does nature say? Maybe not quite yet. Here in Oklahoma the temps are still right at 100. The humidity is high, but the rains are pretty far off. The horses are still sweaty the birds still spend their afternoons seeking shady refuge, doing nothing; and everything is still blooming and producing! Only the sumac has started to don tinges of crimson. Everything else is still a lush, verdant, summery green. It’s still summer!

   The Farmers’ Almanac says we still have 22 days of summertime. TWENTY TWO DAYS before autumn officially begins, folks. That is almost a month. And we all know that autumn itself is in flux. You just never know what it will bring.

   So in protest of a premature fall, I will be wearing all the white cotton sundresses I want, even if I have to wear them once in a while with tall boots or a scarf. In fact I will wear all the white I crave. And I will be laying out to read my book club book. I’ll be tending the garden, swimming, and grilling outdoors every chance I get.

   Because I just LOVE DANG SUMMER SO MUCH.

   Let’s not be in a hurry to see it slip away from us, ok? Let’s cling to every hot, miserable, extended day we can. Grill with me Swim. Pick wildflowers. Take naps outdoors. Watch the summer stars. Count dragonflies in the afternoon and fireflies at night. They’re still out there! They still need love too. Eat as many watermelons as you can find. And fresh basil, while you can.

   The idea that basil will soon be bidding us adieu makes me weepy.

   The only autumnal tasks I’ll participate in THIS EARLY are planting some garlic, starting seeds for lettuce, kale, spinach, etc. maybe a few new trees.

   If your’e not yet convinced to continue enjoying summer… Consider this:

   The Farmer’s Almanac predicts a hefty winter for most of the continental United States. See for yourself right here.  We should expect and prepare for colder than normal temps and wetter than normal conditions, too. It’s gonna be fine, but seriously wintry.

   Remember how miserable you were last spring, after Groundhog Day but before Easter? Remember waiting waiting waiting for that first blush of green? That first daffodil? That first day warm enough to run errands or work outdoors without a heavy coat?

Dormancy has its place in life. Let’s not rush it.
Lets embrace and celebrate the life before us while it’s here!

   Those final weeks of winter are so. Flipping. Long. I was on the brink of insanity last spring, with all the days and weeks of waiting. Every DAY was long. So right now… every day should COUNT.

   For September and early October, then, I intend to squeeze out every last drop of summer. Every grilled meal. Every lap around the pool. Every early morning run. Every weed pulling, even. Because too soon the weeds will disappear, but so will the zuchinni. And the zinnias. And the melon vines. So will the roses and basil.

   Join me, please! Let’s let Summertime 2013 know that she is loved and will be soon missed. Celebrate every remaining week. They will pass quickly. Let’s endure the heat. Let’s endure the humidity and the electric bill and trips to the store to buy chlorine for the pool. Let’s even endure the mosquitoes, friends.

   Because the beauty of summertime is so temporary.

   We can soon enough go back to our fluffy sweaters, orange-clove simmering spices, and pumpkin recipes, I promise. Just not yet.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!
Let’s Swim Through It.
xoxoxoxo

Cool Morning Work

   Hello there! This is Handsome’s birthday week. He has ***miraculously*** taken off from the Commish for several days, and I am so happy. He needs the break, like for serious, and I love having him home. Each day this week is different.

   Today? Today we slept a bit late and skipped Hot Tub Summit in favor of working outside while the temps are just shy of hot. He has several fun new toys out in his car shop, and they should keep him busy for many hours. 
   What shall I do with this time? I have the craving for a good, long run building pressure in my legs and in my ribs, that is true. But also… The gardens. Oh my. Today is sort of “makeover” day for the entry gardens. I have spent so much time in the edibles’ beds this summer that I have let myself grow sort of numb to the worn out, stressed, and cluttered spots you see below.
   Brace yourself. 
     This is the front door. Those lights used to be super cute. But the plug got smashed in the door, so they need to go. That wreath looks so unfinished and blah. The gladiolus have been pecked nearly to death by the chickens. And behind this shipment of cheezits (that’s a whole other story) sits a really worn out concrete urn full of who knows what.

   Walking down the sidewalk, which is dotted with goose poop, we arrive at the jungle-like end of the east flower bed where I have collected rusty milk cans and this fabulous rusty iron garden bench. The idea is great in my head, but it just hasn’t panned out in reality. All of this needs some fresh eyes.
   But thank the garden heavens for zinnias. Amen?
   Oh boy. This is the kitchen door area. I actually love love love this tiny spot on the farm, but I am slightly ashamed to show it to you. This is where the herb bed brings me so much joy. This is where that green and burlap chair cradles watermelon vines. And this is where I grill steaks and chicken breasts a few times a week. Oh, and clearly it is also where we hang our wet clothes and swimsuits at the end of an outdoor day. Yesterday, as you can plainly see, was an outdoor day. That is my running bra and Handsome’s swimsuit and tee shirt.
   This is the herb bed again, looking up from behind it. Isn’t the morning sun glorious? Irresistible. It makes everything look so good, even it its messy jungle-like state, that sometimes I just let it be. Like, for three months at a time. I have plenty of weeding, feeding, and mulching to do in this area today, and if any bare spots show up I intend to fill them with something new. Perhaps zinnias.
   So that is my morning plan! I am looking forward to a cleaner, fresher look to the house entries, a cleaner, fresher mind and body after a nice, long run, and then some more birthday celebrating with my good looking guy.
   What do you have planned today? How is your garden looking? Are we still friends, despite the chaos and neglect I have shown you this morning?
Confession is Good for the Soul
XOXOXOXO

Colorful Chaos

   Hello again! I have been alluding to a lot of activity and excitement here lately, and the truth is that I am so loaded with good stuff to do that I have not really slowed down to share much of it. The days and nights pass by like quicksilver. In fact, this morning I barely have time for a list. Exactly one and a half cups of coffee stand between me and the rest of this beautiful day, and I will use them to organize some of this chaotic energy.

  • Th Apartment is messy again, big surprise; but the good thing is that all of the dresser drawers and the adjacent closet are empty, so the messes are soon to be corralled back into said drawers and closet. In a more organized, productive fashion, Oh, and the curtain dilemma has been more of less resolved. Thanks to some excellent advice and insight from all of you fine people, I know now exactly what I want up there. More on that eventually.
  • Even in the midst of a messy Girly Apartment, crafts are running rampant in my life. Lampshades, yarnish things, paintings, apron sewing, and more are being squeezed out of or into every week. And I just love it. Our friend Marci recently had surgery (again) and one day had just barely enough energy to do a little one-handed crafting of her own. Hopefully she will let me share that soon.
  • Books-books-books. Since our Dinner Club With a Reading Problem (DCWRP) meeting earlier this month, I have been raving non stop about Same Kind of Different as Me. And I do not apologize for that. It’s just so good. Read this book! Also since then I have enjoyed a Tom Clancy espionage thriller and some other easy stuff. I’m not saying it hasn’t been garden-related reading material or old poetry. Our next selection for DCWRP is The Horse Whisperer. It should arrive at the farm via Amazon any second now, and I cannot wait to dive in.
“Our limitation is God’s opportunity.”
Amen amen amen.
xoxoxoxo
  • Speaking of books, I am considering the purchase of an E-reader. I know. My own eyes can’t stop rolling at myself.
Tiny T pities the fool who does not eventually embrace new technology.
  • The garden is going just plain gangbusters. Except for the gross,weird, destructive squash bugs, every bed and every box is thriving. We get food and enjoy beauty daily. In fact, even the squash vines, under siege as they are, still throw  big, heavy veggies at me when I walk past. The melons are only a couple of weeks away from ripeness. The herbs… Ahh, friends… Even Handsome, who is decidedly not a scent-loving guy, enjoys the fragrant herb bed. This morning after Hot Tub Summit he inhaled appreciatively as he walked past it and said it smells like an Italian restaurant. I almost fainted.
  • My children are growing up. I don’t talk about it here much because it breaks my heart a little and I barely know what to say. They are recently sixteen and very nearly eighteen and as beautiful inside and out as any two young women can possibly be. I am working on a special tribute to them but that will take some boldness to share. I do not mention it here even a fraction as much as it is on my mind. Which is constantly. But please know that God is answering prayer in this most precious chamber of my heart, and life is good. Very good.
  • The farm animals are all doing great. Chanta’s leg has healed beautifully. Dulcinea is growing like a weed. In fact, I have lately been saying that the weeds are growing like llamas. Even our hens are producing again, making it more or less possible for me to sell fresh farm eggs for $3 per dozen.
  • I’ve picked running back up, having laid it down gently in the midst of some hot weather and hectic schedules, and thereby having failed at my Iron Goat attempt. Anyway, while intense training for the full marathon next April will start right after the holidays, I am spending the next few months doing speed work and stress-relief runs. 
  • Thanks to my ten-four good buddy Stephanie, my newest design obsession a luscious woman named Tracy Porter. I mean, her Pinterest boards and such are called, “Poetic Wanderlust.” Seriously. She doesn’t even need to be a real person for me to have a beautiful-girl crush on her. And the fact that Tracy Porter also has Instagram means that now I need an extra half hour in every day.
http://www.poeticwanderlust.com/
  • The Apartment is not the only room getting a window-makeover around here. The downstairs living room has two new ball gowns, which I scored at a garage sale for ten bucks each. And the tiny kitchen window, which overlooks my beloved herb bed, is about to shed her silly turquoise cafe curtain with the black and white skinny ruffle… and start wearing something smarter and more grown up: A true-blue roman shade! Made of linen printed with monkeys and fruit, lest we get too serious around here. For this project I have enjoyed the advice of a friend and professional, and  I cannot WAIT to share those details!
   Honestly, I better scoot.My last cup of coffee has cooled off now, and the day outside is heating up. My time to run a few miles and work in the garden is fast escaping me. Then errands in the City, Taco Tuesday for dinner tonight, and projects in between. Quicksilver, I tell ya.
   Thanks for stopping in! I hope your world is colorful, chaotic, and joyful just the way you like it. I hope your prayers are being answered. And I hope you have great books stacked in impossible numbers between you and the television. 
Carpe Diem
xoxoxooxo