So far today

Got up, decided it was not too hot to mow.

Mowed front and back yard. Decided to cut some brush, set a goal of five wheelbarrows full.

(Digression: for those of you who either don't live in the South or have gardeners, you have to understand the full horror of brush here. We have several viney things - some kind of wild grape, a blackberry, and fringed twine-vine, as well as greenbriar, that will grow seemingly inches in a day, and will smother anything they can grow over. And neither the grape nor the blackberry makes very good fruit, and the twinevine smells like teenage-boy sweat-shirts that have been left in the back of a hot car for three weeks. We also have several trees - mulberry, privet - that are planted by birds and that ALSO will not die unless you can dig out the extensive roots, which I can't. And we have various trashy elm species that have tiny seeds that get everywhere. So it's an ENDLESS thing and my yard always pretty much looks untidy but I ignore it, mostly, though I worry about the city coming after me)

I got three done. The wheel on the wheelbarrow is flat and it's really hard to move it around so I have to get another one.

(I may make a trip to Lowe's today for it and also see if they will sell me a machete or similar. You NEED it for some of the brush here)

Anyway. Three wheelbarrowfuls. My plan is to work for an hour tomorrow morning and try to get a bunch more done. Whether or not the city comes and picks it up - it's kind of random now when they do; they used to the first Wednesday of the month but now it's sometimes the second, sometimes the third, sometimes some other day. And anyway: I need to get the brush out when I have time and energy, not when I'm expecting the city to come.

Washed my hair and showered (I was sweaty and stunk like fringed twine-vine, and also, I need to get the pollen and crud out of my hair). Got dressed, changed out my nail polish (toes) for a new color (Essie's "Let it Glow" and yes I bought it because of the name. It's a slightly orangish metallic pink).

I also (sigh, this is a thing now) waxed my upper lip - since perimenopause the fine pale hair that was always there has got a bit coarser and darker, and while I may be the only one who notices, still, I do notice. (I've contemplated shifting to wax for legs, except, the thought of that much pain over that much of my body stays my hand, and a razor seems to work tolerably well)

Practiced piano for 20 minutes.

I need to do 20 more, and then I might run out to Lowe's and then have lunch and then go over to school and I guess start moving all the chemicals - new regulations, everything has to be in a locked cabinet even though we have locked prep rooms where they stay. And I will have to move chemicals for a colleague who kind of shares that lab but who is out of town at the moment and he is NOT ALLOWED to complain about how I arrange them in the cabinet.

Tonight is bell choir and I am looking forward to that, looking forward to just laughing and hanging out with what are really some of my favorite people from church.

Even though I said last night I need to save my money I am contemplating a Friday or Saturday trip to Sherman specifically to go to the "big" antique mall, which I didn't get to last time. I figure: I have time to have a little fun this summer so why not? I work hard all school year long and there are far too many times during the semesters when I would really LIKE to get out but cannot make the time.

Edited to add: this is the new nail polish. It's more orangey than I thought it was but I think it's OK



And I unboxed the Paddington late last evening. He is a very good boy indeed, even if he can't sit down (just his arms and his head move). I love the little jar of marmalade.