Ahhh summer...

First things first- my brother Wayne is somewhat better. He is still in hospital, and will be until the first of next week, at least. The antibiotics by IV seem to be working and the swelling is going down. He is feeling a bit better and his appetite is returning. The surgeon removed three of the pins from his foot, as that seemed to be the site (and the cause?) of the infection, but he is hoping to be able to leave the other 7 pins in place for at least 2-3 more weeks. It has been 8 weeks now since the accident, and Wayne has dropped 20 pounds...
Summer continues... hot humid weather.... gardens are growing. My vegetable garden is coming along, some things doing better than others. Can anyone tell me why insects love to eat the growing veggies, but they won't even sample the weeds???? My perennials are 2-3 weeks ahead of "normal" - I don't think there will be anything left to bloom by August. I guess the early spring start and all the rain has pushed things way ahead. My lilies are nearly done, and in a normal year they are just starting to bloom about now.... I continue my ongoing nightly battle with earwigs and slugs....ugh...
One of my favourite things about summer is more time to read. I just totally ignore the television (not that I watch much anyway) but once darkness falls and I'm finished watering, I curl up on the couch with the windows open and read for a few hours before bed. I'm currently reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I recently finished Gap Creek: The Story of a Marriage by Robert Morgan, one of Oprah's Book Club choices; and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I really enjoyed the latter, written as a series of letters between a young journalist (Juliet) in London and the members of a Book Club of sorts on Guernsey Island. As they relate their experiences during the German occupation of their island during WWII, Juliet becomes fascinated with this varied group of "characters" and decides she must journey to Guernsey to meet them. It is a story of warmth, humour and great courage under adverse war-time conditions, a great read. A big thumbs up!!
I have a stack of books waiting for me to get to them.. The Pillars of the Earth, No Great Mischief, House of Sand and Fog, The Heart of a Woman, Dewey, among others, plus of course I'll have to read Larsson's The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest ... I truly NEED more hours in my day!!! I picked up Diana Gabaldon's newest book, An Echo in the Bone, in paperback yesterday, when I was at Costco in Moncton. I was in Moncton for the Celtic Woman concert which was fabulous by the way. Beautiful women, incredible voices, wonderful music (LOVE those Irish pipes!) and awesome lighting. I think I enjoyed the wonderful color combinations of the lighting effects almost as much as I did the music. Of course no photos or videoing was allowed during the concert. :(
Just FYI, I AM working on the wallhanging from NYC - hope to have the top done in another few days... lots of little pieces...

Piece,
Linda

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." ~ Russel Baker