Gardening reduces stress and anxiety???

 Daughter E called us and we talked for an hour.  She loves her new job and of course the income, and we can really see a difference in her happiness and way less anxiety.  

We both got a chuckle when we were talking about being a stay at home Mom.  She said, "after seeing what Mom does every day, I don't want that job, I would rather work outside the home" ha ha ha!

Although some days are extremely busy, there are a few days where I get to take the day slower, but yes, homemade cooking takes a lot of time, produces more dirty dishes, more dishes to wash and whatnot.  I do prefer the real foods and prefer home grown, which is also work.  I get it, but some day she may change her thoughts on that.

Weeds!  Not sure this is a stress reducer or anxiety reducer, ha ha!  I'm tired when I'm all done.  I am thankful some of the gladiolus are coming up.  I only put a dent in one flower bed, but today's rain should make the rest of the job go easier this next week.  If it does really rain. 

I have a nice mullein plant that showed up in my flower bed. I need to move it or plant it in a pot.  So happy to see it though.

I can't believe it's Friday already . . .

The recent rain gave the garden a sip of glory, but not a full drink so to speak.  There is a good possibility for a good soak tomorrow.   The gardens are doing well, and my green onion is springing back to life.  I check it daily, as those squash bugs can lay eggs in a hot minute, and I have to keep the sensors on my motion sensors out there clean, and make sure they are charging.

I started weeding the herb garden and flower beds, but it will take several days.  We did not mulch the flower beds, as we had plans to expand one flower bed (for easier mowing).  It is on the back burner for now.  

  

I'm still working on the utility room, by washing up hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, and coats, and drying them on the clothesline.  Anything I haven't worn for the last 14 years, is going in a donation box.  That all came out of one coat cubbie, including more sweaters that I put to dry inside on hangers.

One coat cubbie scrubbed clean.  These are the only coat closets we have in the house.  No linen closets etc.  Each one has two hooks in the back.  We installed rods to hold coats, jackets, rain coats, and sweaters.  These were installed by the last homeowner, and have no doors on the cubbies (other than the one we installed recently.  There are small cupboards above and below, and I am going through every single one, purging, cleaning and re-organizing.  It will take some time, now that the garden is producing.

I have found some "are our serious?"  items found way back in a corner, and some "what were you thinking" items, ha ha!  I have added two more plastic storage drawers to the garage project.  I cleaned another upper cupboard, and now have an official storage (out of sight) for our paper towels, napkins, and toilet paper.

(There are about 50 more of these to take off the walls upstairs, ha ha!  Kids!!)

On the upstairs updates, I bring down anything that the kids left every trip up there.  I am almost done cleaning out what was left in the other closet, but progress is being made.

I'm compiling a trip to town, with several lists, and two donation drop off locations.  I found a home for 3 binders that had craft instructions for any type of handmade craft.  I saved pages from magazines, printed stuff, and kept free patterns and instructions from the craft store  (elementary classroom parties, teaching crafts at MOPS etc).  I knew that if I took them to donate to the thrift store they would toss them out, so I inquired with the recovery place, and they were excited to take them.  They do a "creative" weekly, so I am happy I found a good home to donate them.

I'm still adding to my lists, and dreading the trip to town.  My hometown has road construction at every (literally) entrance into town, and adding many round-abouts (we all feel are ridiculous), and we all have to go many miles out of our way to get to and from places in that town.  It will be bad for the next 30 days.  The town is a hot mess, and we try to avoid it as much as possible.

I have placed a few online orders, but that is becoming a joke too.  I may share my experience with that in another post.  I can't believe it's Friday already.