What I did on my summer vacation

Early last week I worked in my basement and finally got my boxes unpacked. I even did some rework and changed a few things, including my hallway shelving. I will save that for another day. I also had all the furniture (chairs and lamps specifically) in my kitchen, which I finally managed to drag, push, or pull to the basement. Once again I can get to my kitchen table. It was just in time for two reasons: one was out of town company who ended up staying from Wednesday evening through Sunday morning, and one was because I had received the last envelope in the ABC (yahoo group) eighth anniversary swap. If you are in this swap and want to be totally surprised when you get your package, don't read any further.


I like to use my kitchen table to spread these packages out and was dreading having to use the living room floor because I did that once and it killed my back.


For this swap, I also had to use my counter top. I began by laying out a flat rate envelope under each package.


Next, I opened each package (which seems to take forever since I never open them prior to the completion of the swap) and laid

each package or group of swap items on top of the package sent to me.



It took forever to swap these beauties, and of course my friend (who also is camera shy) was awake before I finished. Here they are all swapped and you can just barely see her sundress in the background of the above photo. I wish I had her dress because I love the fabric. You can see the completed swap pieces are now sitting on top of the return envelopes. This is how I keep track of things. It works for me, but may not work for someone else.

Sadly, I still had to recount everything, stuff the envelopes, and add postage and an address label to each before we could sit and enjoy our coffee. It was already too hot to sit outside and enjoy our morning refreshments. Fortunately, the packages made it in that day's mail, because we decided to stay in except to visit my bank and grab a quick bite at a local family owned restaurant. My visitor, a dear friend from college, is from a much cooler climate.



One thing we did was tour the grounds early Thursday morning. Even my herbs are doing poorly. Some of the seeds I planted never sprouted, so there is mostly basil, dill, and sage. The "crop" that is doing best is the cantaloupe vine from seeds I threw in the garden this spring. I liked how the sun reflected off the camera lens in the above shot.



Even after the rain we got, which was more a flash flood, rather than a steady soaking, my front garden still looks starved for water. The only things still growing are vinca vines and lemon verbena. The hostas I love so dearly have gone to ground, so to speak and won't return till next spring. My rose bush is alive, but that's all I can say for it. Even my naked ladies didn't last for my friend's visit. I realize my front garden is pathetic this year, but


not nearly as unkempt as my next door neighbor's yard. I don't think they have mowed all summer and it shows. Too bad it's close to my property line because I can't even crop this mess out of any front garden background shots I take. And yes, those are all weeds. For those of you visiting for the first time, my house is the one showing the porch.

How does your neighbor's property shape up? Would you like to live next door to this? Now you know how I spent my summer vacation. Have a great beginning of the week, dear friends.