Taking last week off was exactly what my heart and body needed.  I went to bed early, slept until I woke up naturally, lingered in bed, watched TV in the middle of the day, played with watercolors, wrote in my journal, read, painted, and made myself a big diner-style breakfast one day with home-fried potatoes, a cheese omelet, and sourdough toast.  My mom and I visited the local art museum, had a lovely lunch, and shopped at a few antique stores.  I let my body recover from a summer cold, crying, lack of sleep, and an allergic reaction.  I gave my arms a break from working outside in the heat so they could heal, and while they still look ugly, they feel so much better.  (I had some crazy allergic reaction to either insect bites or plants that resulted in blisters, reddness, swelling, itchiness, and an infection.  I’ve never had anything

I’m going all in on the hydrangeas in the backyard around the pool.  I’ve planted mostly limelight hydrangeas because they are such reliable bloomers and, in my experience, seem to be pretty easy-going as long as they have enough water.  So, I’ve planted some traditional limelight hydrangeas as well as a Little Lime hedge around the patio and A/C unit.  I also added some phantom hydrangeas to fill in the back corner because I got them for $12/each.  I am excited to see them all in a few years when they’ve really had the chance to mature and fill in.  The ones I planted last year are already growing and looking healthy and happy. Because so many people suggested it, I have started watching Gardener’s World.  I’m just going to embrace being middle-aged fully and watch gardening shows in addition to buying rain gauges and feeding the birds.  In one