Summer Doldrums

As the heat soars into the three digit numbers, it is time to recoup the summer's plans and work.  The yard and garden have been foremost in my mind.  I started early with seedlings done in February and March, cold frame planted in April, garden organization and planting in May.

This is a set of unique LED lights that my husband, Dan, arranged for my bedding plants.  There is one blue then four red light in strips. They are meant to be optimum grow lights for seedlings.  The tomatoes loved it the most growing an inch a day.









Things were going along smoothly until the happy interruption to the process.  Off we went to Indiana for a week and then to Maryland to visit Ariane for a week.  It was an interruption well spent.

At the Tennessee Temple with Kopin's family.

Caught resting after Eagle Court

Kobin Kempe, Eagle Scout

In May my oldest grandchild (and grandson), Kobin Kempe got a mission call from our church to the Tokyo South Mission in Japan.  I was so surprised (and not surprised, really) to learn that he had been learning Japanese all through High School and into his first year of college.  Kobin has always been a brilliant child, skipping a grade in elementary school and graduating from high school one month after turning seventeen.  He was accepted to Vanderbilt University attending his first year before his mission call.  (By the way he became friends with David Archuleta at Vanderbilt.  [name dropper])

Unfortunately, but not so unfortunately, his mission venue was changed to the Honolulu Hawaii Marshaleze Speaking Mission because supplying his diabetic supplies would be too costly out of the country.  He left the Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah for Hawaii today, and he was so excited.  Who wouldn't be excited to go to Hawaii?

Kobin in the MTC.  Clever at making interesting drinks.

Quick look at Maryland:  We visited Fort McHenry in Baltimore , and took in a local parade on Memorial  Day.  More on these exciting adventures later.

Lifting cannon balls at Ft. McHenry, MD

Parade at Odenton, MD on Memorial Day

Watch for my garden escapades of Summer 2016.

Preview of Garden Tour:

The Garden Gate laden with grapes.

HAPPY GARDENING,

BLOG'n GRAM

Memorial Day

Memorial Day observance was done by us this year on Sunday.  On Monday we worked  on the new patio all day and a  steak on the grill for the two of us.  It seems weird to celebrate the holidays alone.  It doesn't seem like a holiday that way.

We made the rounds to the graves starting with Hanna.  I was able to make some pretty pink and purple bouquets for the girls this year because the Peonies bloomed Sunday morning just in time to cut. The Iris hung on for a long time this year in spite of the early warm weather.  The cool,  rainy stuff we had the last two weeks slowed down their demise.  Roses were out, but not in abundance.  

First Stop Hanna's:

 Memorial for 9/11

Hanna's tree is the big pine tree left of the water spray.  It is easy to find now that they built this memorial.

Sorry about the rose petal covering up the Anderson.  I spread them around, but didn't see it on the name.  I bought the mums in case the flowers were gone.  I just saw these pretty white blossoms and they looked just like angel blooms so I bought them--one for Hanna and one for Emily and Richard.

We moved on to Wasatch Lawns.  We always have to clean up the grave markers there.  They are all overgrown and dirty.  We made a pink and purple bouquet for Emily and a mostly blue one for Richard. 

We clean up the next door neighbor, Bertha Kreutner, too.  She never has any flowers.  We have adopted her as a grandmother. When I was in Elementary School I walked to school with a girl named Jane Kreutner.  I just like Bertha because of it, I guess.

We then located Dan's brother's grave.  It is by this gnarled old juniper tree, probably the only one in Wasatch Lawn.

Then on to the other side of the valley for the rest of Dan's family, at least the deceased ones, Norman, his father, Leona, his mother and Ken his younger brother who died young at 39 with MS.

Ken

Norman and Leona

Last, and least, we buried Molly, our oldest and first chicken on Monday morning.  She died sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.  So sad to see her go.  She must have been at least 6 or 7 years old.  RIP, Molly.

I made a craft.  This is a door decor that I put together.  I am rather pleased with the way it turned out.  I can do crafts!!  I used vines from my own yard and some pretty flowers from JoAnns.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

BLOGnGRAM