Late Bloomers

Wildflowers abound in the Ozarks all summer long with something new blooming along the roadsides each week. This week features spikey blue flowers, puffy white things, and daisy-like golden blossoms. I wish I knew the names of the local flora and fauna. My dad was so good at teaching me the names of the pieces of nature we experienced when I was a kid, and I miss that. Of course all this natural beauty has its dark side, poison ivy, chiggers, and copperheads -- all new to me since moving to Missouri and names I have learned.

We definitely have a sense of summer winding down here with school starting next week, the shops featuring back-to-school specials, and the school parking lots filling with teachers' cars.

As the boys get older, they need less of me at home and more of me behind the wheel. They now cook, clean, and do laundry (when prompted), but driving is still a couple of years away. This leaves me time at home for reading and sewing while I wait for the "Come pick me up" phone calls. Having a good book at hand is a blessing when waiting in the car for the boys. Since my Carpal Tunnel surgery I've been on a reading binge -- I've read six books in ten days-- an indication of both how I've been idled by the surgery and how much time I've spent waiting to pick up Ben! Now, I'm ready to sew again.