Catch Up (Not Katchup or even Catsup!)

Today D had an appointment in the afternoon so we were unable to drive down to his hometown to work on the house.  That will happen intermittently because work there will have to be shoehorned in with what we have to do elsewhere.

 

That means that today I played catch-up on things I hadn't done in - well, you'll read how long.

Dawn (the first I have witnessed!) at the lake this summer

First thing this beautiful crisp morning, I went out and worked in the white flower garden (aka the Emily Dickinson Garden).  First, I pulled out armloads of goosenecked loosestrife before it manages to choke the entire garden.  I love this plant for its white flowers and for the manner in which it carries them, but, oh, is it invasive!  This was a job I had thought to do in May.  Didn't happen.  But at least I did it this season!  Next I yanked out the mildew-resistant white phlox.  Only the mildewed ones were pulled up roots and all.  That means most of them were pulled.  Makes me wonder what the professional gardeners mean when they say "mildew-resistant".  Maybe that this variety of phlox will resist mildew every tenth year?  Oh well, they're gone and so is another May task.  Then I planted three clematis plants and two hydrangeas that I purchased in June.  We have an agreement, D and I, that whatever is purchased must be planted immediately and that no other plants may be bought until that's done.  Well, they were the only plants I bought this summer so I guess I followed half of the rule.  That counts, right? 

 

While I was completed the outdoors tasks, the laundry was gurgling away in the basement.  That job took almost all day because we had so many dirty clothes.  Changing several times a day will do that.  As I told ME, it had gotten to the point where the only clean underwear I had left in my drawer was black so I had to chose my "outer wear" accordingly.  Almost felt as though I were still in college and had to scrounge for laundry money because the drawers were empty.

 

By afternoon, my muscles were protesting.  Gardening takes a different set of muscles from those used in cleaning - which I did in the afternoon.  Cleaning and sorting through Dad's things means that some of it ends up in this house, places have to be found for the new items even if only temporarily, which requires a different kind of cleaning and sorting here.   And that's how I spent my afternoon.

 

Still dawn but a little later.

Now that the day is almost over, I do have a sense of accomplishment and I had a good time laughing at myself.  I wonder if I'll ever completely catch up?