These Boots Were Made For *

I have a lovely next door neighbor, the one I've mentioned before who was so kind to feed me during my illness earlier this year. She and I visited across the fence the day I was going to work in the back yard (yesterday's post). She expressed concern that I was wearing sandals because she had observed several snakes in her back yard, and had killed one she described as a "ground rattler" on her patio. I eased her mind by assuring her that I would dig out and don my snake-resistant "rubber boots" before beginning my tasks.  I'm happy to say I didn't observe any snakes anywhere in my yard, but there are some unmowed areas where they might be lurking.  I suppose it doesn't hurt anything to be cautious.

 My person, as seen by a charitable observer, would be described as "matronly." I'm well padded from my shoulders to my knees, but that's where the padding stops. I still have trim calves and ankles (I think), and long and extremely narrow feet.   Both my father and mother had very slender feet and, evidently, I  inherited a double dose of  genes which resulted in my having "spaghetti feet." I've never in my whole life had a pair of shoes that really, truly fit.

I used to dream of running away to Italy and ordering ten pairs of custom-made shoes, a luxury which has been denied me, so far, and with no prospects of it happening in my lifetime.  I make do with what I can find, locally and on the Internet, but even a 4-A (slim-slim) shoe is still far too wide. I must have been behind the door when God passed out size 7-B feet. 

Gardening Daughter also has skinny feet, but not quite so narrow as mine.  When I was responsible for keeping her shod, it was quite a challenge to find shoes for her that came anywhere close to being a good fit. My other two daughters can buy shoes almost anywhere, as their feet are "normal."  I'm jealous.

As you might imagine, my boots don't fit my feet, either. I have to wear three pairs of socks just to keep them from falling off.


*someone with wider feet

Playing Catch Up: The "other" Iris; Other Flowers; Stuff and Junk

IRIS

This is the other Bearded Iris I mentioned in my last post.  A pretty thing, isn't it? I'm glad I got the photo when I did; Sunday's 5.5" downpour, which fell in about 45 minutes, beat the remaining bloom to pieces. 

OTHER FLOWERS

Other flowers in my yard are starting to bloom.   Yay, Spring!    The hybrid day lilies are in full bud; the first one, shown above, opened this morning. I no longer remember its name; it's one of three varieties that my Virginia sister sent me several years ago.

"H-14," the otherwise unnamed day lily that I mentioned last week and in June, 2009, is full of buds and about ready to pop. I expect to see multiple blooms any day now. 

Last year, Gardening Daughter and I created a window box that I can easily see from my kitchen, and it's generally the first thing I look at each morning.  I planted in it two pots of multi-colored Calabrachoa (Million Bells) and four small pots of Sweet Alyssum.  I had no idea at the time how much pleasure it would bring me.

WINDOW BOX ON EAST WALL OF DEN

The spent flowers do not have to be picked off for it to continue to bloom, and it has made a lovely cascade. All in all, a most satisfactory plant. It receives the morning sun, but is shaded from the strongest heat of the day.

STUFF AND JUNK

I've been under the weather for the past week, having developed a particularly nasty sore throat on Tuesday last, which turned itself into general upper respiratory symptoms with lots of coughing; I seem to be prone to this sort of illness.  It's going around town, and must be transmittable by telephone, as my Nebraska daughter reported yesterday that she had almost exactly the same symptoms. No fever, just extreme discomfort.  Biological warfare, that's what it is!

Next door neighbor, about whom you will hear a bit more on Thursday, has been keeping me supplied with edibles. Earlier last week, she delivered meatballs and spaghetti sauce, collard and turnip greens cooked with ham, cooked pinto beans, pot roast with rice and sides of green beans and toasted garlic bread. I asked her if she had "taken me to raise," but she assured me that these were leftovers from her cooking for her two adult sons.  All were gratefully received; I didn't have a lot of energy to devote to preparing meals.

This afternoon, she called to ask me if I felt up to "messing with" some collard and turnip greens. Her nephew, who lives in a neighboring town, has a large garden and keeps her supplied with all sorts of fresh veggies.  I accepted from her a large bag of collard greens, a large bag of turnip greens, a bag of beautiful leaf lettuce, and four lovely spring onions. It took me a while (ah... several hours, between sit-downs) to get them all picked over, thoroughly washed and bagged for the refrigerator.  There are some good eats coming.  The lettuce is already earmarked for Wilted Lettuce, like my mama used to make.  If you've not ever had that particular Spring delicacy, you've been missing something tasty!!

After picking and washing and bagging, I know why these particular veggies are known as a "mess" of greens!  I surely did make a mess!

I promised I would post about Hay Bale Gardening, but enough is enough, and that post is already written and scheduled for Thursday.

More, later.