great things #12

when former White House officials decide to tell the truth. about lies & corruption. and fake wars that cost Americans their lives and love, while making a fortune for those running the ship.

whether it be to truly honor the American people, or to avoid ending up in that special Hell reserved for those that defy truth, honor, respect and the American Democracy. (I like to think that it is a very hot room, with a jury of Founding Fathers. and possibly, Christ.). Satanic Majesties, indeed.

may flowers v.2

a birthday bouquet I had picked myself last week.
















and the poppies. which are now gone, blown out by our weekend storms.

my birthday weekend included bundles of flowers in my house. with what I'd picked outside, and the bunch of lady-like pink & white peonies brought in by mom.

the iris are spent. so are the peonies. and now the daisies are blooming.
signs that June is on its way.

that, and the possible 90degree temp today.

great things #11

money well spent, paying someone to mow the lawn.

may flowers

anyone that loves me, knows how I love May. and not just for birthday reasons.

today I turned a corner of my house, and found my red roses & orange poppies, blooming up against all that purple iris. the colors together made me whole-heartedly smile. and just how often, do I do that?

I picked a few to come in.

surprises

this weekend my friends here surprised me with a b-day party. I was so unsuspecting, that it took a good 5 minutes for me to believe the party was for me, and not just a joke. (that & I had to get over the fact that everyone was looking at me, which is always unnerving.) after a lovely evening on a deck on the edge of town, the party led to a bar, where there was loud show. which led to me losing my voice. and now sounding like I took up smoking again.

thanks friends. I haven't given much thought to this birthday. frankly, I'm not thrilled.

my chubby niece was in party attendance, wearing a sweet little sundress. which I'm now inspired to begin making en masse, for her summer-wear.

as a present to myself, I am planning to find someone I can pay, to mow my eagerly growing lawn.

a present to me, from my brother. an illustration named "peg-leg". this photo doesn't give its colors justice. but I love it. it lives now on my mantle.

mid-may

it bloomed. as have a variety of iris around my house. many of which were planted long before I was. I think these are the iris which mom believes have "bridal" in the name. they are big, beautiful and white. and would be lovely, if one were getting married. in mid-May.
















green beans. they are so big, they actually have to push the earth up, in order to get out into the sun.















am so excited for what is to come. where last year there was one, this year there are five.

stormy may

our afternoons are sunny & warm, which give way to nightly storms. plenty of rain & firepower. so far, my little area of Kansas hasn't been rocked to hard. I'm not a Kansan that enjoys storms. they keep me awake & slightly nervous. but, they are amazing. in a terrifying way.

with the sun, comes bursting plants.
Sunday, finally put many things in the ground. two cherry & one grape tomato plant. the basil (Siam Queen Thai, is center in this photo) which I'd started from seed. marigolds. chives are perennial from last year. the green bushy thing in the background, is some mighty happy returning oregano.

I also sowed:
more Genovese basil
nasturtiums (Empress of India & Fordhook Favorites)
zinnias (Red Spider, Exquisite & State Fair Mix)
green beans (Kentucky Wonder)
globe amaranth (Strawberry Fields)

fun.

this huge iris is about to bloom. the bud is at least two fingers. the stalk is practically up to my chin. it looks like it will be a glorious white flower. I had transplanted some iris from mom's farm, and this must be one.

summer kitchen

the old summer kitchen at my brother's farm, now fixed up with a stereo and christmas lights, has become a lovely outdoor shelter, for parties.
















last night, outside with a fire in the pit (a salvaged bathtub), we spent the evening with a convergence of visiting out-of-state friends. whiskey, beer & friendly ridicule.
















a storm towered to our south, and gave us an impressive light show all evening. with harpy winds. it moved just to the east of us, on its way north. (and, gave others some destructive winds & hail).

a stormy light show, I think, that can only be seen, here on the mid-western plains.