If I'm a bit slow to respond through Friday, it's because I am frantically trying to get ready for the upcoming neighborhood clean-up. I desperately want to get rid of the bamboo that has taken over my back yard. The nice thing is, I can get rid of it FREE because of the neighborhood cleanup. I took a few photos yesterday after I had worked for two days.
I took photos from one end of the yard to the other and back again. I still have the north side of the house to get, too. This is about nine hours work so far, and I still have to finish bundling and cutting to specifications (not over 4 ft. in length, etc). Then there will be picking up the small shards of bamboo that gets broken as I walk on the dead bamboo. Updates to come.Yesterday we had a primary election for the City Council and the BOE otherwise known as the Board of Education for our school district.
The polling place was actually one I'd never been to before. 
Although I took my camera inside with me, I didn't feel comfortable taking any photos. It was well organized and I felt quite comfortable since I was wearing my mask and gloves.
When I got home, I took a few photos of my Naked Ladies/Surprise Lilies. I had taken a few photos a few days before, but these were stunning in the late afternoon shade.
Last year I had nearly a dozen of these near the house, but this year only one made it. Maybe they will surprise me and bloom later.
Just to prove I went inside the polling place, we were each given one of these pens. Each person wrote their name on the touch screen to prove we were who we said we were using the black soft side of the pen. That was after we showed our IDs (driver's license or state issued ID card) of course. Then the black side was next used to "touch" the voting screen with our choice of election officials we were voting for.Since my calendars are always so wimpy, I thought you might enjoy something in addition to them now that it's time to show my monthly calendar. Another month of rather boring squares.
You can see for yourself what a boring life I lead. This is the left side of my completed July calendar. Note the tiny bit of napkin left over from the six ATCs I made and sent to T Tuesday participants for our eighth anniversary.
This is the right side. It isn't any less boring on this side, either. The highlights were the party I threw for Squiggles' birthday and completing my ninth year of ICADs. 
Although August has already been written in, I show it here simply decorated using two different sets of stamped typewriter keys. It also qualifies for Neet's Type theme at Art Journal Journey. Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to laugh all you wish. It won't hurt my feelings. I live this life and I am, for the most part, happy with it.
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23 thoughtful remarks:
Wow, this looks like some long, hard work!!!
For once I´m happy to have but a tiny balcony! But your lillies are worth it.
I got such a pen from my pharmacy and at first thought..."? huh? a rubber at the end of a pen?!" And then I felt dumb and ooooold. LOL.
I wouldn´t say you lead a boring life - and you´re helpful! Yesterday I saw a movement outside: Peanut checking the empty bird-feeder - must fill it, and forgot! On to the balcony now!
My goodness you have been busy.
I hope the naked ladies in our garden do as well as yours. We have no bamboo but plenty of ivy. Which will require hours and hours of work to remove.
Clearing away that bamboo looks like a mammoth task, good luck you get it finished on time! The lillies look gorgeous. Glad you voted, I am always shocked that so many people don't bother and then complain about those who have been voted into power! Love the pen they gave you, too. And your calendar is definitely true to type! Have a great day, hugs, Valerie
You have been busy in the garden Elizabeth, handy to have the free collection. The lilies look beautiful, a lovely splash of colour. Interesting to use a touch screen for voting, that's a great pen you were given. Glad to see you're still making your calendar in spite of having little to write. My days are pretty much the same, although I did meet a friend at a lovely RHS garden last week, and we visited my SIL and family by the sea at the weekend.
Hope you're having a good week,
Alison
Twenty plus years ago I so wanted a screen of bamboo in my garden. Wild plans to have an Asian garden based on my travels around China. I planned it all out on paper - that is as far as it got. A friend promised me some bamboo but then he died and his wife had it all removed because she said it had become intrusive.
Now looking at your photographs I am so glad my plans never came to fruition. What a job you have had. Hats off to you my dear friend for keeping at it.
Love the pen you got at the polling station - that was a nice touch to give you all a pen in thanks.
My word, a busy life is there for us all to see and now you have linked your new calendar to the theme at AJJ - what a good idea - and to use those pesky tiny typewriter key stamps too. Thank you so much. I know how hard they are to use - so far mine have stayed in the box.
Hugs, Neet xxX (the big one is for Squiggles' birthday)
Gosh you have been busy in the garden, that bamboo must have taken a lot of work to clear. I loved seeing the photos of the Lilies as well. My calendar is sadly neglected this year, maybe next year I will feel a bit more like filling it in. I have enjoyed reading your posts that I missed this morning and I hope you will fogive me for not commenting on each one.
Stay safe.
Yvonne xx
Bamboo makes a great privacy screen, but warnings about its invasiveness abound. Good luck in your effort to be rid of it!
Wow, you have a lot of bamboo Elizabeth, and a lot of work to remove it all. From the garden programs I watch on Australian TV I've learned there are different types of bamboo and you should only plant non-invasive bamboo.
We also get a free "greens collection" from our local council twice a year. We just had one last week, but we had nothing to put on the verge this time.
That was a nice pen you were given at the polling station.
Enjoy the rest of the week Elizabeth :)
What a Herculean task you've accomplished clearing out the bamboo. Cool pen you got for voting and the the Naked Ladies are very pretty. Your calendar pages are always fun. I have that same cat face rubber stamp. Hard to believe we're already in another month.
Wow, that is a whole lot of work clearing the bamboo. Good for you Elizabeth! You are getting a good work out, and it does look better. Having done a lot of yard work earlier this season I can relate to the effort. And your naked lilies are gorgeous. They must be really happy there for you to get such a beautiful clump of them. I can't seem to grow those Asiatic style lilies at all. They do not like my soil I guess. And good for you to vote. I like how they gave you the pen. Hope the week has some fun art time in it. And nice calendar too! Happy Wednesday. Hugs-Erika
My goodness but that is a lot of bamboo! And quite an undertaking to cut it down, bundle it and set it out for pickup. When my son was 10 years old, he and his buddies found some bamboo in the neighborhood and decided to perform karate chops on it. Needless to say, he needed several stitches in his hand. Bamboo can be wicked. You will feel a great sense of accomplishment when you have that chore done and behind you. As well as an event to document on your calendar. I certainly don’t see a boring life through your calendar. Boring would be sitting watching TV all day every day. I love seeing others keeping a calendar journal.
Oh Elizabeth! If only I could have popped round and helped you! You did well to get so much done! Your lilies looks beautiful.
Your calendar looks great! Those typewriter key stamps are great - I'm sure I have some somewhere! They work well for Neet's theme at AJJ too.
Nice idea to give you a pen at the polling station- if you ever get a smart phone or tablet it will come in handy too!
Hugs,Chrisx
Good grief--all that bamboo! Dare I ask where it came from? That is a ton of work. I bet you feel well-exercised.
And voting--what a concept, to prove you are who you say. Kudos! And BOE candidates. Those, I used to skip over. Now, I study them!
That is a big job-controlling bamboo-I wanted to plant some at the woods home and Larry said NO way it spreads fast from roots and too hard to control--so I can appreciate all your hard wood thinning this out. Nice to be able to take advantage of the free pick up too.
I always enjoy seeing your calendar pages too
ps-I love your surprise lilies and we have one plant flowering here at the lake-need to move that soon-as it is an area that will be rocked instead of loads of weeds.
ELIZABETH; YOU NEED TO HAVE SOME PANDA'S STOP BY !!! ;) ♥♥☺☺
I always enjoy your calendar shots:)
Good on you for voting.
You did some serious manual labor and deserve to put your feet up and pamper yourself.
Hugs
That's a ton of work but will be so nice when it's gone!
Congrats on voting!
I planted some bamboo last year, but then thought better of it and removed it. That is a good amount for sure. YAY for voting.
Elizabeth that looks like hard work, bamboo grows out of control, we planted one when we moved in but soon realised it was going to take over the garden, so we dug it up, gorgeous flowers, beautiful colour too.
You have a lovely big garden , hope you get a chance to relax in in after all your work
Jan
Wow -- I will not complain about having to thrash through an overgrown garden after seeing all the hard work you are doing with your bamboo. It's great that the city is picking this up, though. I live in a township and we either have to pay separately for lawn pick-up or take it to the recycle center, which isn't easy when you have a lot of stuff like that and a little car. Well done! (And the pen is a great idea!)
That's a lot of bamboo! Our zoo will come out and harvest local bamboo for the pandas. I've heard it's hard to cut and handle, so it looks like you've had a lot of hard work. There's a native bamboo that's not invasive, but I don't ever see it at garden centers. The surprise lilies are so pretty!
Oh my, you've done such a great job clearing all that bamboo! It looks like such hard work but well worth it with the neighborhood clean up taking it away 😀. Happy and creative wishes! Hugs Jo x
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