MONDAY, MONDAY

As you might know, on Monday, I did not write a blog entry.  Well, I did, but it was more of a temper tantrum or a balking mule kind of thing, than a real blog entry.

Here's what I did instead.

First, I painted one of my very favorite things....my chimenea.

This was really fun and I was wanting me some fun!

It's a 16 x 20 canvas on which I had played one day with some bright red and iridescent gold paint.   I allowed some of the gold to show through here and there...especially where I placed  the flame.

I like it.

Then, I pulled weeds.

I have shown you my mass planting of African daisies.  This is what they looked like yesterday morning.

All over Tucson, these are in full bloom.  As you can see, mine are  not.  Mine are in shade for a large part of the day and African daisies are real sun-lovers....so they are a little slow to bloom in this particular spot.  However, after everyone else's daisies have succumbed to the summer heat, mine are still blooming their pretty little heads off!  So, it's a good trade-off.

You can see how thick they are.  Interspersed among all the daisies is an abundance of weeds.  Tiny ones, for the most part.  Removing them from this planting is either an exercise in futility or a labor of love..however you choose to look at it.

It is rather like trying to single out every brown hair left on my grey head and removing it.

It is a very Zen-ish activity so it was a good way to clear my head of all the negativity I was feeling yesterday.

It is very hard on my out-of-shape body.  I have to be very careful where I put my feet...or where I plop my big butt, or I will squash these sweet little daisies. There is a huge amount of stretching, bending and, God help my aching thighs, squatting.

We have all seeen those plywood cut-out yard decorations of the woman bending over with her big butt just sticking out like a........like a big butt!

I realized I have become that woman.  The squatting must be kept to a minimum...or I will surely die. 

Just look at this!  And try to pick out only the weeds!

Here's one.

Truth be told, after all my  weed-pulling it still looks about the same and I also know I will have to repeat this exercise in futility/labor of love every few days until those weeds are really under control. 

And guess what?

It is raining again this morning..which, of course means MORE WEEDS!

But that's a gardener's life, isn't it?

Speaking of which.............

Do any of you gardeners recognize this plant?

My daughter-in-law once shared some day-lillies with me and these must have been mixed up with them.  The lillies didn't make it...too much desert heat, I imagine...but these have flourished.  I love the crisp white against the Spring green.  They grow so easily that I am sure they are as common as weeds in some parts of the country but I haven't been able to find anyone here who knows what they are.

If you can tell me, I'd be so grateful.

And, I'm grateful that each day is a new beginning and I'm not stuck in 'yesterday.'