The yard, the summer, etc.

This year is a non-stop roller coaster and I'm dizzy. Up, down, backwards, forwards. Things are getting better, things are great, things are terrible. It's almost over, it's back, stop worrying, don't panic, panic. Don't you care about your children? Stay home. Go out. Focus on your kid's well being. It's safe, it's unsafe, you are risking their life, you are risking their mental health. Be safe, but that might not be safe anymore. There is no right answer, but you need to make the right choice. 

The fatigue is real. 

(We are doing everything we can to be safe.) 

These days, when I'm feeling good (which is most of the time now as long as I'm careful with my food), my life is ruled by to-do lists. Work at my full-time job like I don't have kids. Take care of my kids like I'm a stay-at-home mom. Make memories as family. Try to enjoy the summer. See people outside while we still can. Keep up the yard and garden. Make a homemade meal. Clean the pool. Another load of laundry. Keep the house clean inside. Make plans, stress over the weather. 

I don't really mind the outdoor to-do list nearly as much the indoor to-do list. Cleaning is a drag and I'm trying that 7-day cleaning cycle plan where you divide up your house into 7 sections and do 1 section a day. It prevents marathon cleaning sessions that were overwhelming my chronic-illness-fatigued body. Outdoor chores feel less like work. Cleaning the pool is at least time in the pool. And yardwork is time outside, I like that it's exercise, I love the results in the garden and how pretty the yard looks when everything is tidy and weeded and pretty. I love that we have a yard full of happy pollinators - bees, butterflies and even a hummingbird. Plus there's produce from the garden. The bouquets of flowers. The yard is a pleasure to be in. 

I thought I would share a few pictures of the backyard because I'm proud of the flower beds. Everything is always a work in progress, but when the borders are full of color, it feels like a rousing success. I finally finished mulching in early July... by running out of mulch. Apparently next year I'll need to order 6 cubic yards. I didn't account for the additional beds running along the back and back left side of the fence when I made my estimate this spring. I also need to order mulch in March (not late April) if I want to everything mulched by June. Notes for next year!

Sweet peas and honeysuckle are blooming on the obelisk I built. I love how they intermingle. 

I need more space for dahlias. I can't get enough of them and the collection keeps growing. This is one of my favorite places in the yard. 

Happy bee on Waltzing Matilda. 

The coral painted knockout rose is reblooming - the colors in this are just amazing. 

The Lady of Shalot climbing rose is over the trellis on its own and blooming up there! It's been slow but steady progress since we planted it. I love the colors in this rose so much - it's a favorite. 

At the base are some dahlias for additional color. 

The splashes of color - pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, purples... I think the variety works and keeps things interesting. 

The gold flame honeysuckle is just glowing over the pergola. 

Next on my to-do list is the garage. It needed to be repainted in a few spots (chipping paint) even before we sealed it up with spray foam, but now it REALLY needs a touch up job (thanks yellow jackets!). I also need to paint the mailbox, but I don't want to disturb all the bees so that will have to wait another month. When the weather cools down we'll do the deck too. The forsythia bush has become overgrown to the point that it needs a FULL chop. Like cutting-it-all-the-way-back trim this fall. It's too big for the space, it's stopped blooming, it grows back too quickly. So that's on the list as well. 

Plenty to do around here. And in the meantime I'm going to go clean the pool on my lunch break while I wait for the laundry to finish. We'll count it as a swim.