slow goodbye to summer

Mr. Volvo is in the shop for his yearly tune up. This is the first piece of equipment my husband usually works on before harvest. Yes, I said it harvest! My ultimate favorite time of year. It's coming whether we are ready or not. Before we know it, leaves will be changing, pumpkins and mums will be everywhere and the fields (and roads) will be busy with farm equipment. For some it's hard to let go of summer. People aren't ready to close their pools, toss out the browning annuals (some of mine need tossed now) and dig out the *gasp* hoodies. 

Mums are actually my second favorite flower, I don't get excited about swimming or laying out and I happen to own about 40  hooded sweatshirts. I'm pretty much ready. I'm not quite ready to let go of some of my perennials and annuals, however. 

It's always so hard to say goodbye.

We spend all summer watering and dead heading only to sit back and watch them slowly die as fall approaches. I know it's only August but you and I both know it goes by fast.

I actually live  just down the road from a Mennonite greenhouse that sells the most beautiful mums for a very good price. Last year, I hung them under my porch in baskets and I've been aching to do it again as my current baskets look horrific. I am blaming it on all those bird nests.

I think I may pay a visit to the little greenhouse this week to see if they have mums for sale yet. I don't care if they are blooming or not. I'm ready.

I think the greenhouse could use some new graphic media, don't you? I've been wanting to offer to design them a logo but I am not quite sure how to bring it up without hurting their feelings. Any ideas?

They also have a pumpkin patch and gobs of melons. I guess you would call gobs of melons a melon patch? I remember when Dan and I first started dating, they left some kind of unfamiliar melon on his porch. I couldn't tell you what it was... Maybe my MIL remembers. Anyways, he was telling his mom that he thinks the neighbors left a "Mum" on his porch because they had their "Mums" sign out. We had a good chuckle over that. He's come a long way in the world of flowers. Trust me. 

Those of you who aren't ready for summer to end, no worries. The corn is still plenty green and we still have the combine, several wagons and three tractors to tune up. You still have plenty of time to swim, eat sweet corn, wear shorts and do what all you summery people enjoy doing! 

Me, however, I am closing up shop early this year. I'm tossing my hanging annual baskets and I'm going on a quest for some mums. And if weather permits, I may get my hoodies out from storage.

Okay maybe, not. I just checked the weather and we will still be in the mid 80s for a while.

Who is ready for fall? 

I'm worse than Wal-Mart.

On a side note, I've been working on a simple makeover project that I am excited to reveal the end result of soon. 

I am saying goodbye to the dated look of my grandpa's lamp and turning it into something fun for my office. I am really excited because I haven't had a chance to work on a lot of DIY projects the last few years and I am ready to dig in!

I've been in bed sick the last day and a half so I'm ready to put it all together to see what it looks like. It may or may not be a total bust. 

Stay tuned! 

And happy pre-fall y'all!