Post-op

My mother's twin sister Maureen had shoulder surgery on June 8. Ma and I went down to help her out.

Are we crazy going to Arizona in June? The temperature topped out near 100 degrees each day, about average for this time of year.

Maureen has a lovely traditional southwestern home. The yard was full of plants I couldn't possibly grow in Illinois.

Maureen was incredibly cheerful and lively after her surgery. She wanted to do a lot of things herself.

We made some pretty great meals in this kitchen, not to mention banana bread and brownies!

For breakfast each day we sat outside and enjoyed the cool morning air. The view to the front of the house included this terrific palm tree.

Also within view of the patio table was a cactus that was just beginning to bloom.

Bees don't have a lot of flowers to choose from in the desert, so I can see why this one was buzzing around.

Alas, the day came when we had to return home. We dropped Maureen off at one of her many friends' houses.

It was great visiting you, Maureen! Get well soon!

The stately iris

This post is dedicated to my favorite flower in my entire garden: my purple Siberian iris.

The color is so amazing. They catch your eye even from the road behind my house. It contrasts nicely against the blooms on the chives. (In case you're wondering, that's a peony almost ready to bloom on the left.)

Sure, there are other kinds of iris, like these yellow bearded iris which are also blooming in my yard now. But they don't hold a candle to the elegant leaves and the distinguished beauty of the Siberian iris.

I spent almost the entire weekend preparing my rear garden for planting. I turned every inch of soil and spread wildflower seeds. (The green stalks are dying daffodil leaves.) Man, those iris look good!

Why wildflowers this year and not a ton of vegetables like years past? Well, I'm scaling back my vegetable garden this year. I have many weeks and weekends already booked this summer, so my time for weeding and watering will be limited. Wildflowers require a few initial days of watering followed by an entire season of no maintenance. Plus, I'm tired of feeding the local fauna and having so little to show for all my efforts. They've never bothered my lettuce, peas, cucumbers, and bell peppers, so that's what I'm planting this year.

Some day I'll be brave enough to dig up my Siberian iris and divide them. I'd love to encircle the entire yard with them!

Dining room

I need your help picking out new dining room chairs.

I bought a new table for my dining room a while ago. I love it. It fits the space perfectly. Speaking of the space, you probably can tell just how tiny it is. So, size will definitely be an issue for the chairs I choose. It's directly adjacent to the living room, so color harmony will also play an important role. The living room colors are red and black with a few splashes of orange and green thrown in.

I've got a couple of these chairs right now, but they have absolutely no cushion for my tush-n. So, I will keep these as extras for when my house overflows with guests. (And I greatly look forward to that, whenever it happens.) The table has two big leaves, so I'll be able to accommodate quite a crowd.

Here's a nice versatile option. These chairs sit very nicely, and their size is perfect. The downside is that I will probably have to replace the fabric regularly because it will get dirty. But I could reupholster in whatever fabric I wanted. Orange perhaps?

I found these on-line, so I haven't had the opportunity to try them in person. It's upholstered in bi-cast leather. (That means it feels like leather but wipes clean like vinyl.)

Here's another Internet find. Also bi-cast leather.

I love the look of these chairs. Their size is a bit big for my space, though.

They also make them in white. White may make the chairs disappear against the carpet and walls. That could be good or bad.

Here's the most stylish option. The legs are dark brown instead of black. The back is very "upright" when you sit on it, but I kinda like that.



So, which should I choose?