10 Things, lots of iPhone pics

I wanted to share some updates and thoughts. Maybe a little short story telling of what’s been going on personally. I’ve been a little absent on social but really it’s just because it can overwhelm my brain!

1. Our backyard Chinese Pistache tree is dying. Probably due to the shock of us redoing the backyard last fall just in time for my big 40th birthday party, to me using an entire packet of Molly Suds on the concrete trying to get rid of leaf stains (thinking it was organic and would be fine washing away) but it burned the roots. To Benjamin and I decided to use fertilizer stakes to help the struggling tree to throw it over the edge. We came home and it was a crisp. So lesson – if you see a struggling tree call your arborist ASAP to help it with some fertilizer that won’t burn and don’t fertilize it yourself. (The leaves are now orange and crispy dead but here it is when all the leaves went crisp).
2. My house is feeling quite full/finished. It has been one total update makeover after another. It seems this past year or two I have been going full steam ahead with the estate sales, just transitioning my home from all the stages to its current stage. Now I love everything and though this is wonderful given our crappy economy due to inflation (nice to have almost all the furniture), it also makes me wonder well what will I do next? Fall needs to come so I can work on the garden.
3. I bought a new ceiling fan for the living room. The ten year mark really makes you want to change things and our ceiling fan in the living room is too craftsman as my friend told me one night. She was pretty hilarious a little buzzed and pointed all the things in my home that felt off – because I was in a transition stage. It really helped though!! I was so grateful for her honest (it was kind trust me) input about needing to take out a light fixture, swap a lamp shade and now the ceiling fan. It’s taken about a year to do, but that’s how it goes until you find the right things. How many blades do you like on your fan? I decided I like 5. Also, since when are fans so overpriced now? Oh the economy and inflation, riiiiight. Womp womp. Anyway this is it – if you click the image it will take you to a link.
   
4. I went home to see my parents over July 4 weekend. But then I came down with bad strep throat right after the fourth that was developing when I had hopped on the plane days earlier. I got an online prescription sent through (only cost $35 for the visit online and didn’t have to even see a doctor just filled out a form!) and picked up my meds (well my parents did) and I was in bed the rest of the week. Sucked but I guess it was a good time to be home. We celebrated Benjamin’s birthday because that night we flew in and I think I am no longer the favorite child (out of two) but it’s Benjamin – haha!
5. I feel literally nothing when someone I know unfollows me on social. Is it maturity? Long story short I had tagged a few people in a story noticed one didn’t see it which is odd because now tagging shows up in your inbox. So then I thought maybe it doesn’t if she doesn’t follow me. She doesn’t any longer, which is fine she’s not a friend more of a work thing but anyway, I didn’t mind. I didn’t even choose to unfollow her back because it doesn’t matter. I’ve noticed that the things that used to make me sad or I’d take personally, I no longer feel any of that. I don’t know why, but it’s wonderful! I’m not hurt, sad, offended or care, it’s not even in a mean way it’s like, I just understand or let things…. be? Is this what happens when you turn 40? I wish I felt this way at 25.
6. I completed adding casters to the bottom of vintage screens (two of them) a total of 16 legs!! You know those type of projects where halfway you begin to ask yourself, Why did I decide to do this? Well this was one of them. Ordering half the casters thinking that was enough only it wasn’t, to waiting to order more which took another month, then wanting to replace the brass bottoms which meant removing nails and then new nails….aye. But I did it when Benjamin was out of town at a work meeting so I could hammer away into the wee hours while listening to an audio book. I should have made a reel, I should blog about it, but sometimes you just want to do a project like a normal person.  We plan to use these two panels (only one pictured below) as a privacy divider when we have long term guests or small group in the garden room..
7. I went to Tucson for my Little Sis’ 30th birthday. In college I was part of Big Brothers Big Sisters and I meet my Little Sis Ariel when she was 9. I can’t believe she’s 30 now!! I drove down for the day, went to Beyond Bread had lunch by myself went to UofA bookstore then headed to her house for a dinner with her family and friends.
8. I bought a walk-in fruit cage from England! That’s right!! It’s a walk-in fruit cage for our peach tree and it has a gothic roof because Benjamin said the others look like it was a batting cage LOL!! It cost about $300 US to ship but I didn’t care. Garden item made by theEnglish and French have beautiful thoughtful items so to me it’s worth it! We will install it this fall when the weather cools but we won’t need it until spring. I hate the birds who have come to eat my peaches. I can’t wait for them to see this ha!!
   
9. We need monsoon so bad right now.  Last summer it was glorious with so much rain. The summer before we had like 1 day of monsoon and this year, we’ve had three. But we need more, my roses are struggling so bad I’m worried they are going to die. I’ve covered them and been told to deep water them so they will hang in there but I’m still so worried. I ordered some shade cloth and lot of bamboo stakes hoping it will help. My plants need relief.
   
10. I want to add embellishments to our security front door. There are things you dislike but you have to keep because your husband will have a fit saying the house isn’t his at all if you don’t leave it alone. One of those things is our front security door. I have to admit I do like it for its purpose when I am opening the door to strangers, but I also hate the way it looks. I removed the swirly things on it a while ago thank goodness but it’s been blah since. Then I saw this gate I liked which would pretty much look like ours with the mesh thing:
    But what I really prefer is Liv Tyler’s door – but I don’t think Benjamin will get rid of the mesh. But isn’t this beautiful?? So I think I might research adding some iron embellishments. It’s one of those things I’ll eventually get to – IF it works out.

More photos just to share –

Well, I think it’s nap time now. I was already outside clipping some suckers off the tree and it took me an hour to cool down! I think it’ll be nice to fall asleep on the couch! I hope you are having a good summer and it’s cooler than here! Pray for rain for us!

Diana Elizabeth never knew summer rain existed. California never gets summer rain but apparently most places in the country do? Do you?