I'm Just Saying

Summer means hot, humid days, July 4th fireworks that seem to go on until August, and afternoon scattered storms that, like popcorn, spring up on radar with precious little time to take cover.

If it’s not the January 6th Congressional hearings, it’s another mass shooting. If it’s not a mass shooting, it’s Britain’s Prime Minister resigning…

Sometimes I need to turn everything off, go outside and look up.

In our never ending quest to restore this small cabin to a somewhat respectful level of hygiene (not easy with 3 dogs and 3 cats), Paul brought home one of those trendy ‘stick’ vacuums.

I was on the phone, nodding with empathy, as a dear friend vented about her final days at her job before leaving for, literally, greener pastures.

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” she began...

“But…” I coaxed.

“But…I hate office send-offs!” she hissed. “Hate them! First of all, there’s that giant sheet cake—“

I am trying very hard not to be jealous of Paul as he continues to share photos of his garden tour across the pond, showing him and the gang strolling along the beach at Brighton, having lunch in the open air in the garden of the estate of Lady Collum (Lady Collum, herself, well into her 80s and wearing the most magnificent hat), and hoisting a

As I write this, Paul has emailed that he is soon heading home after successfully leading another tour of rose gardens throughout England. Much anticipated after a two year delay owing to Covid, he joined 18, die-hard rose enthusiasts as they ambled through Sissinghurst, in Kent, to Shropshire, and all points in between.

Anglophile that I am of course I watched copious amounts of coverage from Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee. It seems impossible that I had actually been in England during her Silver Jubilee and what a big deal that seemed then— a reign from 1952 to 1977.

Any woman involved in a dangerous sport is a pretty tough nut, I find, and I was reminded by this upon running into a horsey friend at a local event.

“So how are things with you and your ponies?” I asked, giving the silly nickname we tend to give for horses.