Some Knitting & Some Flowers

I'm trying to be more balanced. I'll probably be trying to be more balanced for the rest of my natural life, but I'm taking another stab at it today. I'm trying to go a little easier on myself when I fall short (which is usually) and enjoy the attempt(s). I've finally come to grips with the notion than I'm probably never going to be perfect (for long) so I need to appreciate my natural wackiness and just run with it.


At Friday Night Knitting I consulted with the others and came to the conclusion that I need to knit about 1 1/2 more inches of foot before I make my short-row heel. I hoped to have this sock done before I go off to The Clearing next Saturday for my week in the woods playing with wood but I might not. Oh well. (See the mature lack of self-recrimination? Growth!) The foot is the long part of these socks and I lose track of how long I have to knit on it so that it fits right. I should write it down.



I got the Lava Shawl out of hibernation again on Friday and added a few rows. It's starting to look shawl-ish and I adore the colors. I understand that it's not going to be wool shawl weather for about 5 months but I'm liking making it anyway. I even end up with the correct number of stitches on most rows and, when I don't, I can see where I went wrong and fix it. (See? Learning!)




I've slowed down on Bandwagon Block #6. Don't know why. I've slowed down on all my projects lately. Must be because it's officially the dog days of summer. I finally learned why it's called that. This is when Sirius, the dog star, is above the horizon and long ago people thought that the bright star added its heat to the summer to explain why it's hotter in July and August. Pretty clever, isn't it? Wrong, but clever. Everyone knows it's because of all the cookouts and campfires. Sheesh.






Here are some pictures of all the things blooming today--red Cock's Comb, Daisies, and Lantana looking fantastic with its pink and yellow florets.
















Durwood picked his first tomato yesterday and ate it before I could take its picture, but he said that this one's mine. I might be a nice person and let him have this one too. Might.



See how the lettuces are rebounding? We'll get a couple more suppers' worth of salads before I replant.


See the baby Patty Pan squashes? They look like tiny, pale green turbans at the base of the blossoms. We can't wait until they're ready to eat. I made the mistake of giving Mom a couple last year, now she wants more. Luckily one plant will make enough for both houses. This is one of those sneaky plants that hides its fruit until it's gotten big and then you find it, or it uproots itself with the weight of it. I promise to keep a closer eye on it this year.






I love lilies. I like Asiatic lilies







and day lilies









and Stargazer lilies.






I just wish they bloomed longer--or more than once a season.