Monday Morning

It was one month ago today that I quit smoking. So far, so good! This morning, like every other morning, I miss my routine of coffee and a cigarette sitting in my backyard and taking my time waking up. I'm a slow waker-upper. I need that time. For a month, I have not sat in my backyard to enjoy the morning as I have been trying to break old habits and form new ones. I have not yet found a routine to replace my old onea and, quite honestly, I miss it.

I spent a great part of Saturday reading a new book I bought last week and will be reviewing it later this week. It is quite a step away from the kinds of things I normally read, but not so far away from what my personal interests are and have been for years. It is "A Deadly Misunderstanding" by former Congressman Mark Siljander. Right now I'm letting what I read sink in and trying to decide how I feel about what Mr. Siljander has to say.

I finally finished the baby quilts I've been working on for the new grandbaby, though I am not entirely happy with them and did not feel very inspired while working on them. Usually I enjoy making my quilts, but for some reason this one was just hard to get done. I don't know why. Maybe I burned myself out last year in the making of so many quilts and maybe I'm just tired of the design I've been working with and it's time for something new. Or it could be that my attention span has become somewhat like that of a two year old and I get bored way too easy! These quilts take a lot of time and repetition to do.

The days have become hot and humid in Houston and the air is full of mosquitos now. They are spraying every week to rid my neighborhood of the nasty flying blood suckers, but I'm not sure it's making a difference at all.

The peas in my garden are done producing and died back already, so I pulled the plants up yesterday. The beans are just about done as well. the lettuce is still growing, but is full of bugs and snails. It may just have to come up, too. It's getting to hot to plant anything to replace what is done growing now, but this fall I plan to plant some winter crops and see how they do.

My tomato plants are doing much better than I expected and the onion sets are growing strong. I'm getting strawberries now -- if I can get to them before the ants do. Bugs are a real problem but I refuse to use any kind of insecticide on them. I need to find some natural insecticies, I think.

More later. I have to catch up on the mountain of laundry and get ready for work. Please check in later this week to read my review on Mark Siljander's book -- which is very interesting -- and to read what I have to say about the man himself.

Peace,
Amy