SANDY, I'm so glad you are going with the flowered dress. I guess I'm in the minority but I felt the grey a little too matronly for you, beautiful though it is, and also a little formal for a fun garden wedding. Also, you will be able to wear the flowered any old time and can dress it up or dress it down appropriately. More practical in other words. Don't change the neckline, you can carry it off. I believe you mentioned previously you might.
Anne.

A cool start to my day but we've walked in the woods with the brat pack (!!) and I've just finished cooking a batch of George's lamb meals. He had a wonderful time at the beach yesterday while I strimmed and cleared the communal footpath because not all neighbours consider their shared responsibilities so it's me or nothing done! It left me with aching back and hips but that's eased today and I'll get back to tidying my own garden.

Patsy, here's my plant of the month I purchased as a tiny shrub many years ago, a white Hydrangea that changes it's colours with the temperatures and is now as tall as me!


Sandy, I knew in the end which dress you'd feel comfortable in would do it and anyway we are a diverse group in our own way. The dress I photographed myself in and posted here never did get packed for my cruise in spite of nice comments and is now in a charity shop bag!! My friend doesn't get to me until September 6th as she will first visit friends of ours in Plymouth... time for me to prepare myself!! LOL

Buzz, Kenny is the only Gnome sitting under my granite mushrooms unlike some gardens that as you no doubt saw in your mentioned documentary become crowded with little men in red hats doing a variety of chores!

No more politics for me at the moment, just big sighs at whatever goes on both sides of the Pond because I find I'm otherwise speechless.
Happy days dear friends.
Jackie

Good morning

Anne, good grief, how will we keep in touch? No MFP and no email?? I hope you get things working again soon. Need my daily fix of info from Anne and the Jilly Bean. It was very hot here yesterday with the heat index around 100F I believe with very strong winds. Today it looks stormy. What a year.

Jackie, wow, what a lovely hydrangea. It is mammoth and so loaded with blooms. You do have a green thumb. My Grandma had a similar plant but of course the blooms were always white. They were snowball bushes and she had many around her lot and cut the blooms often. The bugs and bees loved them.

Sandy, I agree, you should wear what makes you the most comfortable. There wasn’t a bad choice!

Patsy, I hope you find the perfect volunteer activity. We only have so much time and energy to give. You are such a kind person to share with others. What did you find at Home Depot? I always say I am going to stop there as we have a store that I drive by often but never swing in.

Buzz, good morning to you. I hope you are well and that volleyball is going well.

I need to get moving. Mah Jongg this morning and making cards at the library this afternoon.

Hugs all round.

Lin

Have you read the BBC headline "huge military exercise justified - Russia (plus Chinese/Mongolian Troops)". Good God, what has this president stirred up! Makes my iPad problems minuscule in comparison. 36,000 tanks, 300,000 personnel and troops. I hate commenting on this but we older and wiser girls of past experiences know something must be done and quickly! I almost wish my iPad HAD conked out and I hadn't read this. Sorry girls. I guess ignorance isn't bliss, it's dangerous.
Hugs to you all, we need a communal hug methinks.
Annie.

Warm here as well! Sunny day but I think it will not get too hot. We have a high pollen count and my nose is running, headache and gluey eyes. The joys of allergies and hay fever. The only way of dealing with this is to press On! With vigor!

Katie is assisting by non-stop barking at some unvisable and unknown threat. I am not as wonderfully tolerant as dear Anne and Jackie. I have to bite my tongue to keep from yelling and snarling at her. Of course, I have never seen this technique make any difference at all. When barking, her ears turn off.

Sandy: you are an inspiration to me. I need to update my sad little wardrobe. They have snags from playing ball with Kate, paint spots that will not wash out, generally old and faded and out of style. Time to throw out and rethink my fashion statement! Dumpy senior citizen fashion seems to be my normal style.

Anne: as an iPad user, I recognize the problems you described. Not sure if it will help you but I have to reset my iPad, close all pages by pulling the pages up to the top of the screen, empty trash, delete all mail. My server gets a full mailbox and just refuses to send any more email until I delete adding more space. Sometimes all this helps...realizing this uneducated advice comes from me! A well known twit regarding computers.

Jackie: beautiful bush! I have one of those. Mine is purple/sort of pink sometimes. Not sure about why mine changes colors. The plus is that the deer are not interested in nibbling it. I am really interested in a couple of house plants to add to my growing collection. Something is always about to croak! My Chinese evergreen is looking sad and on the way out. I suspect John is dumping his leftover coffee in some of my plants. Or I forgot to water the poor things.

Buzz: water is a problem...either coming or going or staying around too long. I am sure an important exercise for me is running or as least walking as fast as I can to the bathroom. John and Katie know to step aside when I am heading that way.

All the flags around here are a half mast. Our son said even the sailboats in the marina are flying at half mast. We are all doing what we can to preserve dignity and patriotic demonstration. McCain was an inspiration to us all no matter the party designation.
Patsyq

Popping by to say hello. It’s off to Tai Chi, discount day at the store on organic products, then afternoon Tai Chi class.

Later.

Hugs.

Lin

Mark popped by, and yes it is a scam. But it was so well done, Apple logo and all.

September should be interesting. Both sons will be away on their two different holidays and have managed to pick the same two weeks, there goes my security check! Not too worried for me, but I do worry about our Jill who incidentally is having a good old bark at the moment PATSY. It doesn't bother me much at all, in fact she makes me feel safe. Particularly at night. She is better than a security light and camera!

JACKIE, apparently if you put iron nails in the soil around a hydrangea the pink flowers will turn blue.
Here's my pink bush.


I gave up volunteering a few years back Patsy. I was on the reception desk at the local Senior Centre for a few years. I value my free time these days, put out to graze as it were. For a while I felt guilty with such a laid back lifestyle after working from the age of 15, but not anymore! Time to smell the roses.
Anne.

Yesterday's post from me seems to have disappeared. And today the WiFi is bouncing all over the place. I'm fine, though many changes are taking place That are both sad (people fired) and a cause for hope! Very difficult finishing this post it keeps going blank! I'll try again tomorrow!
Buzz