Random 5 for June 30 – Salads, predictable, vacations, books, reunions

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June is a great month for the pond!

Enough with the vinegar – We try to be as environmentally safe as possible here. We use a vinegar-salt mix to kill weeds and it’s effective. However, it smells like salad dressing for a while. I was on the screened porch while the beloved husband was spraying. I got a craving for salad. Wonder what that was all about. #bellyuptothesaladbarsaidnooneever

A weather predictor – We had a hot week with evaporation on the pond. I decided to top it off to cover some rocks. It wasn’t much. It rained an hour later. Buckets of rain! I could have saved myself the trouble. #murphyslaw

Where’d everyone go? – It seems that families take vacation as soon as the kids get out of school. This past week has been very quiet. Traffic was almost non-existent. Even Starbucks was slower than usual. Not complaining. It’s a vacation from people for me! #lesspeoply

Silver linings to being sick – I’ve read five books in the past week. I often don’t read that in a year. Once I got in the groove, I didn’t want to do anything else. I wonder how long I can milk this “sick” thing. #fakingit

Anticipation – I’m gearing up for my family reunion. I’m hosting this year. There is always something going on and way too much food. We don’t get together often. Some of the people I only see at the reunion but I enjoy them. It’s a great family to be a part of. Not everyone can say that. It’s at my house in a month so a lot can happen until then. I hope the weather cooperates. I’d love a perfect day. #whatcouldpossiblygowrong

So how was your week?

 

70 thoughts on “Random 5 for June 30 – Salads, predictable, vacations, books, reunions”

  2. I hope the reunion goes well and the weather cooperates. When the kids get out of school it seems the stores and places to grab a bite all get a little busier. I like the school year, nice and quiet in the mornings and early afternoon..:)

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      • What is the mixture or straight vinegar? My neighbor got a paver brick patio and also a front walk and she just sprays Round-up (more than I would do given the issues plus she has a small dog) … she also puts something in it like chalk to make the bricks standout more (they are a reddish color). It’s like me – I have river rock on either side of the house and lava rock in the back against the house and in a side garden. Never again as all the small seeds flutter in between and it is difficult digging them out. In the mulched areas, I just rumple up the mulch and break the roots and call it done.

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        • It’s a cup of salt to a gallon of vinegar and a tablespoon of dishsoap. I don’t like to use chemicals as they can leach into the pond and it’s just not healthy. I don’t like stones for the same reason although some of my neighbors just blast with roundup.

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          • Thanks Kate – I’m going to try that to get rid of some pesky weeds in my river rocks and sidewalk cracks. Years ago I saw a weed killer make the rounds on the internet with Dawn Dishwashing Soap and I never knew if anyone tried it,

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  6. If I was having a family reunion at my house I’d be a wreck already sweating the details. You are made of stronger stuff than I am because I wouldn’t have been offering! Some people have the whole hostess thing down perfectly. I’m not one of them.

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    • As I’ve gotten older, it gets harder. I don’t have the interest in entertaining like I used to and I worry about the multi-generational thing. It’s hard to have activities for everyone.

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  9. We live fairly close to a “main drag” up to the mountains so it’s NEVER quiet – especially during summer when everyone wants to go up there to camp, hike or get some “cooler”…..so we are peoply all the time. Darn. Love your pond – our backyard turns into one BIG pond when it rains but it’s definitely not scenic like yours is. Just red clay mud! Glad you’re feeling better – “sick” is never fun is it……..Bah humbug.

    Hugs, Pam

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  10. Glad you are taking advantage of this sick time 😉 It gets quiet here too once summer vacation starts. Not downtown or in the tourist areas, but in the regular, “resident” parts of town it definitely does.

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  14. We’ve used dishsoap for plant rehab, but haven’t tried the vinegar and salt weed solution – that sound great -….it’ll probably drive the local squirrels crazy looking for the buffet (right now they are all into checking the fig tree next door for ripe figs – once they ripen, the word spreads like wildfire among birds and critters (some not really welcomed…except by cats)
    YEA for water lily in pond. Beautiful!

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  17. Years ago, traffic eased up during the summer months, but sadly it continues to get worse. Speaking of getting worse, our heat and humidity is starting to climb. Have a great 4th and good luck with the family reunion prep, Kate!

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    • It’s usually slower from January until early spring but no so this year. I don’t know what happened but it was annoying. This past week was a big vacation week but I’m hoping the summer has less traffic. We have had a hot week. It again went from cold, rainy and dreary to 90 and humid. Sigh! Not complaining though. Better than a snowstorm. I’m starting to feel old for reunion prep. I just have the meats and drinks to supply (plus chairs and plates, cups and silverwear). It’s the worry that is more exhausting. Will it rain? Do I have enough food? That sort of thing.

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  18. Summer fluff, winter warmth….it is good for ones health and well being to take a reality break. Even if it is only on the pages of a fun book. We have enough reality and trauma in the real world. Enjoy your fluff!

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  20. A chaise lounge chair is my rain predictor. If I leave the cushion on it will definitely rain and collect in a big puddle right where you sit. If I remove it via forecasts or clouds the clouds will blow away and the sun will shine. Good luck with the family reunion. I am so envious of your big family.

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    • My childhood family was truly big as both parents came from large families. There were over 50 cousins. My family now is much smaller. If everyone can make it, there will be close to 30. I really miss the old days when there were the big picnics in the summer. Nowadays, you don’t see them much. Even companies are eliminating.

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  22. I love the quiet when school is out. Most of the traffic in my neighborhood disappears. No one parks across my driveway, either.

    I have tor bribe the school admin with cookies, though, or she “forgets” to turn off the bells.

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    • 1 gallon vinegar, 1 cup salt and 1 Tbsp dishwashing detergent. It kills the weeds but doesn’t prevent more from germinating so we do every few weeks. However, I don’t have to worry about the chippies or it washing into pond and killing the fish (or getting cancer from it).

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  27. I’m not sure, if I even remember last week. It feels like I got up Monday morning, then went to bed that night. When I awakened, it was Friday. Now the whole month is almost over. I guess it’s the heat.

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