Sunflowers and Honey...

 We continue to come out in the mornings - or what's left of them by the time we get out of bed - and at night when it's the coolest. Triple digit heat remains in our forecast for the next few weeks. So far we have had 34  of the 100+ days this summer. It's the hottest summer since 2011 when we had 71 triple digit days! I guess that means we can't complain about only having HALF of that this year.

Still.....it's very HOT!!!

Once the sun goes down and it cools off a little bit, then that's when we go out to water.

Louis Dean tends to do the night watering in the front yard.....

while I do the morning watering in the back. 

My sunflowers continue to give me a bouquet nearly every single morning.

It was a happy moment when my bottle of Sunflower cologne arrived Wednesday!

I wear it in August through September and October if it lasts that long.

Anyone else have a favorite fall scent for cologne or perfume?

I'm cooking comfort foods these days....and trying not to waste things.

Tuesday night I boiled up over 10 pounds of potatoes and a dozen eggs.

I fried these up for Wednesday Brunch.....

and made a big potato salad from some and a large pot of potato/clam chowder soup!

Waste not - want not, Love!

 It seems like I continue to alternate 'good' days with 'sad' days.

There are moments of joy throughout the day and then I think about not having Nita anymore and I cry.

Wednesday I didn't even bother to make up the bed - I knew I would be back off and on all day.

The cold, dark, scented bedroom is a comfort to me. I slide in between the cool sheets and just be.

I stare at the wall or ceiling or pull the sheet up and close my eyes.

Grief is a private affair.....I know this.

We all grieve differently and yet the same.

And in due time, we will all grieve.

I just didn't know I would be grieving for my younger sister.

Deanie is a comfort to me and we talk and text.

We are grieving together and in pretty much the very same way.

Still.....it seems every other day I turn the AC on and the lights out in the bedroom and crawl into bed for awhile. 

I made my coffee this morning and could hear heavy machinery outside.

They are working on updating the water lines.

A knock on the door and a young man told us the water would be off at 10:45 and back on in 4-6 hours.

It was 10:39. 

Louis Dean and I filled up pitchers and sinks and he filled the bathtub half full.

Sure enough, right at 10:45 - no water! No problem!

It was back on in less time than estimated so our day went right on.

I'm putting the finishing touches on my housework.

At this moment in time - the entire house is clean.

I spent a few minutes in the den sprucing up my Honey Bee table.

Some sweet friend sent me these metal Sweet like Honey signs - but no card came with them so I have never been able to thank you properly.

Nearly all these pretty things are from friends and family.

I love this table so much!

It's been up since May and I am keeping it until Christmas.

The rest of the den is dressed up in anticipation of the arrival of Fall.....

but the Honey Table will remain.

Sherry arrived from the country this afternoon bearing a big bouquet of sunflowers from our Country Camper Home. She turned an ordinary day into a special evening just by being here.

She's spending the night since she will be working out of the Irving office tomorrow.

She arrived just in time to help us with all the watering of our yard as well as our neighbor's.

We grilled burgers and smoked sausage for our supper tonight.

Potato salad made yesterday.

It was so GOOD!

I also had a banana pudding since I didn't want my bananas to go bad plus fried apples.

We buy too much food and can't eat it all up before it gets too ripe!

I have got to learn to buy less......

Our day is done and Louis Dean is taking a hot bath before we go to bed while I am finishing up tonight's journal entry.

We leave on Saturday to spend a week in a mountain cabin in New Mexico.

Son Jesse is taking us and I was so excited!

Cooler weather and it rains there nearly every afternoon.

Folks, I am going to get to wear a sweater!!

Tomorrow will be spent packing and preparing for a super early departure on Saturday.

I close tonight with this photo from May 2005.

Louis Dean and I met through eHarmony in April and this was his first visit to my house in Irving.

We married in June and this became our home together and has been for 17 years.

And we do!!!