Someone Left the Front Door Open
I had an agenda for this morning, so it was that at 7:00 a.m. I was awake pouring my first cup of coffee. The forecast for the day was hot, and then more hot. It would seem that a measurable rainfall has not been in the cards. I do have my arsenal for times as these: the Miracle Grow feeder put on the garden hose that will reach the 250′ length of our yard . . . I was ready.
Every spring I wonder if I want to work in the gardens. It doesn’t take long and I am out there coaxing the perennials to show themselves. Right now the Phlox are giving a great show.
I was in the far east flowerbed and I noticed a strange red pickup in the drive. Knowing that Dennis was in the porch, I kept my head down and continued with my task. I will say that my flowerbeds look better this mid-August than they have in prior years. Let’s hear it for Miracle Grow! The next time I looked toward the house there was a scooter that had joined the red pickup. It was a good thing we had the lawn chairs out. I took my time as I wanted this feeding and watering to be of a goodly amount and not just a tease. I finished my task and the fellows on the patio watched as I hauled in all the garden hose to get it wound up on the reel. I was a bit muddy. Moving garden hoses that are sweating from the cold water rushing through them while encompassed with humid air . . . one is going to get dirty. I was happy how the flowerbeds perked up by getting their leaves washed off while soaking up some extra moisture.
My second task for the day was to bake out some bacon to have on hand in the refrigerator. Yes, it heated up the kitchen, but that is what the kitchen is for. I heard the doorbell ring and in waked Dennis’s son, Kenny. A Curry family reunion for this weekend in the park brought Kenny in from Arizona. As I pulled out trays of bacon, I looked up and there were Dennis and Kenny in our small kitchen, inching toward the bacon as it was cooling on paper towels. I think I lost a pound of finished bacon right there on the spot before Kenny left. If the kitchen is going to be heated up, there is no point in not doing a good amount of bacon. The price of $2.50 a pound this week in the grocery store was a great score. I had started out with five pounds. It does take some time to put the bacon on foil-lined cookie sheets at 350 degrees. The blessing is that at the end, the foil is striped off and no greasy items to wash.
I was winding up the last two trays of bacon when the doorbell rang. Dennis’ granddaughter and hubby from Silver Bay stopped in with the four great grandgirls. The girls range from 8 months to seven years of age. Some of the girls went right for the fish pond and a few had to scope out the house to see if anything had changed since the last time they had visited. Dennis entertained in the porch and I continued with the kitchen duty until I could turn the oven off and be relieved that a task I don’t look forward to . . . was done and I could join everyone outside. Ava, Addison and Bella had sat on the edge of the fish pond cooling their feet, while Josie was content in the porch watching Snuggles. It was a treat to have Erin and Paul stop in. I will say it again . . . when grandkids take time out to visit grandparents it is so special.
It is now six in the evening. The AC has caught up with the kitchen being heated up, the crock pot is out of storage for six pounds of meatballs to be fixed with Alfredo sauce for the reunion. Pumpkin Pecan bread will be sliced and put on a tray for tomorrow and Dennis is going to make sure our small cooler has plenty of bottles of water at hand for tomorrow.
As I had said, “Someone left the front door open,” this little cabin on Stauffer takes one and all in for a visit while managing to stay on track. I am so hoping the humidity is kind to us tomorrow in the park. It will be a fun time seeing family members that don’t often find their way to St. James.