The Return of the Fireflies

In the midst of a drought, we finally began to experience rain showers from time to time. We even welcomed the storms, praying they did not become severe, to water the parched earth.  The crops have been very thirsty.

I loved July as a child and teenager.  It was a magical month starting with Independence Day and ending about the time of my birthday.  I always looked forward to the return of the ditch lilies (now with the more refined name of day lilies) as well as the most magical part of the month... the fireflies.

I had read that there are fewer fireflies than there once was and I find that to be true this year for us.  The forest is usually lit up once the sun goes below the horizon and the little lights appear even on our porch.  This year there are far less than usual and I'm wondering if it is due to the heavy smoke from the Canadian fires.  (How I feel for you in Canada, I have been praying!)

The air quality here was borderline hazardous many days.  Both my husband and my son had to stay in air conditioning and my son had to purchase an extra portable air purifier since he has asthma and seems to have inherited his father's environmental allergies.

I didn't have the problem being outside that they did but each decade that has gone by, heat and humidity are more annoying.  I remind myself that the corn fields especially need hot weather and I feel all warm (literally) and cozy when I drive past those fields as I take the long way home.  I expect it is something akin to how those people who grew up by the ocean feel when they spend time near the sand and waves. 

I still enjoy spending mornings on the front porch with the container garden and a cat named Mouse.  Even I played it safe and didn't sit on the porch during the worst of the air quality alerts but they have cleared for now.  When the morning is young, the birds of all kinds are singing in the forest and while sitting in the tall trees near our house.  The bugs are mostly not awake, yet.  A very good combination, along with cooler temperatures in the morning.

I had a very good doctor's check up and I continue to feel much better than earlier this year.  My insulin challenges seem to be resolved for now. I have three months of pens for both types of insulin.  Apparently, insulin is a very good thing and keeps us alive but our bodies require us to use the same insulin they are used to or there can be trouble.

I mostly stick close to home because everything I need is within a couple miles of our house.  However, once a month I drive to the part of town that has the antique mall for my eye injection. As long as I am not tired already, I stop by the antique mall and it is good to walk around and enjoy looking at vintage and antique items.  Quite often I find something small to add more of a vintage feel and or/beauty to the house. 

Recently, I found a small Longenberger basket for $10.00.  It was made to hang against the wall or on a peg.  It was just what I needed to place between the dried Sweet Annie swags on the long peg board my daughter had given me.  It holds bittersweet and yes... that is more autumnal... but those colors look good in that room.

Speaking of my daughter, she purchased pretty flowers for her daughter's high school graduation party and the photos reminded me how much I like the mini carnations.  I purchased a bouquet of them in the coral shade at Kroger and that filled a vase, a vintage blue Ball jar, and two small "vases" on my kitchen windowsill.  

Their pops of color in my already colorful kitchen make me smile and are worth far more than the small amount I paid for them.  The mini carnations last a very long time, too. I think they look like small roses.

I am not a trained interior designer like my daughter but we both share a love for making homes comfortable and beautiful.  It makes me happy when people walk into our home and feel relaxed right away.  I couldn't do that professionally like she does.  It would place too much pressure on getting everything perfect for other people's taste instead of just mine.  

I'm still reading the books I mentioned the last blog post.  Mainly because in the summer, I have never read as many books as I do in cooler weather.  I have enjoyed simple living and decorating vlogs on YouTube to counter the few prepper vlogs I still listen to from time to time.  

I continue to listen to Prepper Dawg quite often as he purposely keeps his videos short and while he comments on various headlines, he tries to keep everything as light as possible.  He often lets his two cute dogs say hello.  I listen to others according to what they will be talking about in that video.

I have watched Larry Alex Taunton on Wednesday evenings on the NRB Channel for many years. First with the Fixed Point Foundation programs and later with the video of the podcast he had with a woman that I enjoyed very much. It ended when he was in Europe the first few months of this year.  

He has a new podcast that one can listen to or watch on YouTube called Ideas Have Consequences with Larry Alex Taunton. I have found it very beneficial to understand the history of socialism and what is happening in the world today.  It is especially good for people who enjoy history and he is an excellent communicator.  Not boring at all!

I have been writing while my husband was visiting our long time friends that I have spoken of before.  They are Jewish and we are Christian, they are very liberal and we are... not.  However, we have been friends since we were neighbors in the late 1990s.  They have turned their backyard into a garden and had vegetables to share.  I will always accept free organic veggies! He has just returned home so there are vegetables to wash right away.

I pray that you all have a wonderful summer (winter for our friends in Australia, New Zealand, etc.) and I hope to have read a few more books when I write again.  I have quite a few parked on the Kindle.

The world continues to get crazier each day but we can rest assured that Jesus wins.  I have read the last chapter of the Book.

Mentioned in this Blog Post

 Prepper Dawg on YouTube... here.

Ideas have Consequences on YouTube... here.

Image:  This photo was taken long ago but it is still a favorite from when I used to have quiet times on the deck.