Where Do People Come Up With These Names?, That Was a Surprise, I'm Fine

1. Meet Loverboy. He's a pretty, mellow stallion who's staying with us for a short while. It's funny to hear Steve call for him. "Here Loverboy!" Every so often, I ask Steve to call him again. : )

He has the prettiest mane.

2. The sweet, piney smell of our discarded Christmas tree way out back.

3. I still have a mom who calls to see how I am.

We want to hold on to the seductive delusion that our biggest problems in life exist outside us and not inside us. For this, there's grace.   Paul David Tripp

Not Alone, Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?, Pressed Sandwich

1. Steve arrived home from his trip. There's nothing special going on and it's a boring afternoon, but he's around here somewhere and that makes all the difference.
2. That was a big turtle we helped cross the road today! I think it hissed at me.
3. New basil is ripening fast and we needed to use up the pesto in the freezer from last year. So, I made an Italian pressed sandwich for an easy dinner today.

Pressed Italian Sandwich

Slice open a loaf of Ciabatta. I spread the bottom with a hearty layer of pesto. Then layer your choice of about 1/2 pound of deli meats. (I used ham and salami.). Follow with a layer of cheese. (I used provolone.) Top with sliced roasted red peppers and fresh basil leaves, then drizzle a little olive oil on the cut side of the top bread. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place a cutting board on top and weight it with a heavy skillet, 2-liter bottle of soda, or some large cans. Refrigerate from an hour to overnight. Slice and serve.

Photo courtesy of www.seasonsandsuppers.ca

Needs A Home, Retreat, Hungry?

1. One of W.'s clients ordered four hundred begonias to be planted in his gardens. Can you imagine?! W. gave me nine that were left over. They're brilliant. I have no idea where to plant them, but they're so pretty that I just have to use them.
2. You would think sitting on the porch mornings and evenings would get redundant, but it doesn't. Every day is different, each with its own thoughts. That's why the porch will always be welcome to me. I can think things through out there.
3. Tess' friend, Ian had dinner with us. I was overjoyed because he helped us raid the refrigerator of all the leftovers: hamburgers, hot dogs, potato pies, spinach fettucini alfredo, plus some cherry tomatoes from the garden. We made a good meal of it and now I can clean the fridge : )

Left Behind, Stronger, Lighting the Night

1. There are places where farms and homesteads have gone to dust but their shrubs or flowers continue on. In the middle of nothing there might be an old-fashioned white lilac, a forsythia, or a rambling rose, all gone wild.
2. The doe and fawn frequent our property each day. He's running circles around his mom now.
3. One of my favorite rights of summer is to hang patio lights from the Trumpet Vine pergola. They look like bubbles floating under the vine by day and by night they look like magic.

Everything From Tropical to Practical, How Many Do I Need?, The Perspective from the Porch

1. Tess and I had fun browsing the garden shop at Southern States. Our conversation was mainly, "Oh, look at this!". They still have a lot of plant varieties for this late in the season.
1a. My vision has been to plant a small fruit orchard on the hill. Deer or no deer, I think I'll do it.
2. Neighbors K. and W. phoned to check my order for their nursery run to North Carolina. I'm super excited to wrap up two projects for the garden. Hint: One involves Gardenias and the other, Viburnums. Can't wait!
3. Friends R. and L. came by to visit with us on the porch this evening. We discussed both the serious and the silly, which offers a good balance on life in general.
4. Three-year-old Mari looked at Steve's teen photo and asked her mom, "Is that Pop when he was a little girl?"

Serving Up, Pouring Down, Tonight's Feature...

1. Certain bowls are destined to serve certain things. For example, never ever would I put potato chips in this bowl. It would be all wrong. The nectarines are perfect here. I imagine blueberries would be pretty, too.
2. The downpour came just when I had some outdoor chores that couldn't wait. I took shelter in B.'s barn during the lightning part, but otherwise I carried on in the rain. Summer rain feels wonderfully good to play in when you make up your mind to go simply go with it.
3. The deer gather in our field at dusk. Fireflies sparkle all around them. A doe and her fawn are among the group. The fawn is newly born and can barely stand. It stays mostly beneath its mother until she tenderly nudges it with her nose to push it along. My vantage point is about twenty yards away and I'm glued to this entrancing scene.