👩‍🍳 Early Dinner: 15 Minutes Prep…so tasty, easy & super quick on this ridiculously 🥵 summer night. 🐓🫘🥒

Focusing On The Beauty & Bounty In The Garden Today…

We Fly In Hope For A Return To Our United Founding Ideals…We The People … ALL of us, together. 🇺🇸

📚 Finished Last Night: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store World 🗺️🌏🌍🌎🗺️…a deeply satisfying read. Immigrants & the most vulnerable often have the truest sense of community. A tale of hope, caring for one another. “Thank you, Monkey Pants” — you gave all you had to give & it was everything.

🧩 Just Finished: Mid-Century Cats…I do like this style. 🛋️🪞🪑

New Neighbors? 🦆🦆🏠🛖…things are happening in the neighborhood this morning. 😊

About as exciting as the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.

Good Monday Morning! … from the front garden Day Lilies & exploding Lantana.

What A Difference 15 Months Makes…looks like repotting was successful. 🙏 Maui Ixora is happy again. 🪴

Nighty Night All… it’s been a long, busy day, we all have full tummies, so snoozes are likely not too far away. 🐈💤🐈‍⬛💤

Early Dinner Is Served 👩‍🍳 🫘 🌽 🌶️ 🫑 🍅 … Cowboy Caviar. OMG. So good & refreshing. Try it! Link: ⬇️ cookieandkate.com/cowboy-cavia...

📍Next Quilt Project…a repeat of a pattern you guys might recall. 🟪 🐠 🟦 🐠 🟪 🐠 🟦 🐠 🟪

Afternoon Snack 😊 … yum.

The Cowboy Caviar Is Marinating…in the fridge for early dinner tonight w/ Scoops!! 😋

6:45AM - 7:15AM The “You’re Going Too Slow” 🐈💬🐈‍⬛💬…we’re hungry for breakfast — Now!

🧩 Just Finished: “Catnap” … there’s nearly always at least one cat/kitten in the jigsaws I do! 🐾

Gifted Seeds From A Neighbor. 🧡 🌼 🧡 🌼 🧡 🌼 … I walked over to admire her Cosmos & left w/ seeds to scatter & grow some of my own. I’ll do just that. 😊

Finally Hung My Both Plant Sale Finds from early April. Hey, it’s not a race. 🤭 🪶

📚 Finished Late Last Night: North Woods 🪵🪵🪵🪵🌲…a tale of ashes to ashes, dust to dust…over a 400 year span starting in the 1600’s , of all inhabitants of a yellow cabin in a Massachusetts forest. The flora, fauna, creatures large & small. And hey, there’s even a beetle sex scene that’s sizzling. 🪲🔥

🧩 Just Finished: 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, Enjoying Life…yep, this tracks. 🤭 🐾🐈‍⬛🐈🐾📚☕️🐾🐈‍⬛🐈🐾🐈🐈‍⬛

Next project on today’s agenda…

9 Windows & A Patio Door… all washed inside & out the last 2 days. 🪟🪟🪟🪟🪟🪟🪟🪟🪟🚪 Now watch it rain w/a dust storm…🤭

Fueling Station ⛽️…a popular destination after morning gym class. I’m running on Empty!

Dear Albania, the world has been watching you and we all are so inspired. Also, that cat is really cute.

It Was Tart — 🍋…so, so good. … getting ready for Pilates class now to “undo” the calories. 🙃

🍋 Made a Lemon Bar Thingy … for morning coffee (if I don’t cave in to my craving tonight!).

📚 Just Finished: Three Days In June 👰‍♀️👰‍♀️👰‍♀️👰‍♀️… our local library Book Club selection. Being a long-time fan of Ann Tyler, this nostalgic, cozy novella of 2nd chances is really...so very nice. And there’s Celine, the stray cat, as the icing on the wedding cake. 🐾 🐾

Thunderboomers ‘Til Noon ⛈️…love the rain as much as the plants do, but not the lightening!

Found This Lovely Feather Today 🪶…it’s now in my glass box of favorite found things. 🧡♥️🤎

🎞️ Just Saw This, Disclosure Day. LISTEN indeed. (I hope they come rescue us). Took bestie’s 13 yr old 😊… he was confused at parts, but enough action to keep him interested. We both enjoyed it & were in various stages of confusion at times. 🤭

OK - one more hair salon visit thing…while my color was processing, I was browsing a magazine. I literally agree with every 36 one of these. No wonder I’m on BP meds. ✍️🩺⚕️🩻

My Hair Salon Is A Happy Place…I do love going. 💆‍♀️ The decor is my kinda vibe & my stylist has become like a bestie. Plus, the pampering is top notch.

I Nearly Walked Into The Trap 🕸️ … walking out the back door. She was a busy one overnight!

💇‍♀️ A Quick Front Garden Tour…before heading to hair appt to get my natural color put back 🤭 (a now every 5 wk occurrence 🫤).

🧩 Just Started & Finished: Foster 🥺🥺🥺🥺A child spends summer w/relatives while her mama has a 5th child. Coming from a hungry, cold homelife literally & figuratively, a short summer spent in a home full of kindness & love is simultaneously heartwarming & heartbreaking. 92 pgs tear your heart out.

Thunderstorms, thunderstorms, please let there be thunderstorms in Washington, D.C. tonight.

Our flag is a profound national emblem representing our unity, ideals and history. I fear so much has been lost, but decided to fly our flag today in hope for the return of those precious things in my lifetime. 🇺🇸

They did it and Knicks fans are purring everywhere. Congratulations New York. 💙🏀💙🏀

♥️ My Friend…he’s the 1st to grab some seed every morning. 😊

The Heat Is On…and the Gazania planted 17 days ago are starting to show off. 💛🪴🧡🌿

🧩 Finished Today: Good Fences, a 1,000 jigsaw puzzle, completed on this most humid & steamy hot Saturday Caturday. Another fun one … with cats of course! 🐈‍⬛🐾🐈

📚 Just Finished: Meeting New People 🙋🙋🙋🙋 At times sad, funny, introspective, hopeful. Barbara, approaching 60, gets dumped unexpectedly by her bestie. She’s befuddled, angry & on a mission to find & be a better friend. It’s challenging at this age…and she’s bound & determined to figure it out.

You couldn't see him, but he helped take down the letters from the Kennedy Center.

📚 Just Finished: Go Gentle. It went, all right —all over the place. 🤷‍♀️ 🫤

I Rarely Pay Full Price For Anything 💰…but come on, irresistible!! No regrets. 🐈‍⬛🐾🐈

Finished Last Night: The House In The Cerulean Sea 🌊🌊🌊🌊🏠…what a magical read. Six very unique orphans, isolated from “normal” society, show that only when we learn to celebrate differences, can we see the world in all its full & wondrous color. Lovely, lovely read (& there’s a cat too, Calliope! 🐈‍⬛).

Albanian cat would like to have a word with Jared and Ivanka. And not a nice word...

The Starter Pack 🐟 … this is what happens when I’m bored, hungry & scrolling IG reels. No regrets, though btw. 🎣 🤭

Good Morning Friday 🌿…another round of rain is on the way. 🌦️

🧩 Just Finished: Catnip … a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of a black kitty, post manicure, sleeping on a fancy table in a boudoir that is decked out in pretty pink and kitty & girly things.💕🐈‍⬛🐾💕