Gee, I wish I had more time.....

...to post on this blog!! But, being OCD, I only allow myself three hours a day on the computer. Otherwise, I would get NOTHING done!! That time has been spent listing new items for my web store. I have about two more days to go until I am finished!! We have about 30 new items listed this week.

Did stop long enough to get this photo on my way to pick up some sewing supplies earlier this week. I just LOVE rainbows!!

Don't forget.....we still have free shipping at Aunt May's Cottage until the end of July!! Hop on over and look at some our new listings.

I have something in mind for my next post that will promise to be a more interesting read.

Gotta run!!

What did YOU do over the Fourth???

Here's what we did......

We dug and pulled vines from the cottage gardens. If you've been with me since the beginning, you will know from my past posts, that this cottage and garden were abandoned for more than a decade. During that time, the vines (honeysuckle, Virginia creeper, trumpet vine and poison ivy) had taken over, not only the cottage, but the gardens, too.

I've fought them for four years now and decided that they were NOT going to win!! Soooo....out they came. With shovels, picks, saws, hatchets and axes, they have been controlled for now.

We also lowered the gardens by about 18 inches of dirt. The constant movement of those vines had mounded up the soil so that watering became impossible. Every rain or sprinkling by hose ran off and did little good to the plants. Watering also moved so much soil into the paths that they had to be reclaimed each spring. What a chore that was!

I was able to save a few plants and lots of bulbs, so those will be replanted. Sadly, some of the herbs were lost, but will be replanted next year. There are still plenty of herbs left in the other portion of the garden that has not been so invaded with vines.

Here you will see the portion of the garden that we left. It is full of lavender, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, bee balm, Russian sage, obedient plant, milk weed (for the butterflies), black eyed susans, purple, pink and white coneflowers, delphinium and sweet william.

As you can see, the bee balm is just beginning to bloom. Believe it or not, it's taller than I am! Most of the herbs bloom in late summer and fall. Next spring, I will move many of these plants to the lower portion of the garden so we can redo this, too. I would miss the blooms by moving them now. It's just too hot here in Michigan right now to guarantee a successful transplanting.

It's amazing what two old people can accomplish, if they set their mind to it! You can click on any photo to enlarge. Thanks for visiting!!

Oh, and don't forget that the Cottage is giving FREE SHIPPING for every purchase in July. Your purchase will help replenish these gardens.

Yesterday Was My Birthday.....

...and I started out feeling a little low about it. I thought about it for the better part of the day then, it came to me.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy neck, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, and my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.

I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio.

I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.

And, I shall eat chocolate every single day if I feel like it.