Let it be

Amazing how pretty things can get when you just leave well enough alone.  All of a sudden, the succulents have filled out their pots again. They are so easy to grow in everything from old boots to baskets.  Nurseries have expensive, beautiful containers of mixed succulents, although the fancy varieties won't make it through the winter. I'm probably going on the 20th generation of tough old hens and chicks, and haven't bought a new succulent for years. 

Did you hear about the small, country wedding in England?  I shouldn't be cynical, but the media build-up was so all encompassing I couldn't wait for the dang thing to be over.  Then I woke up at 4:30 on Saturday morning, our usual ungodly time, and went downstairs with a cup of coffee to watch on the big television. I was hooked. It was beautiful. The castle, the dress, the cute kids who almost stole the show, and the horse carriage parade on a sparking day in Windsor. 

For some, also a ridiculous display of extravagance and taxpayer waste. But it was nice watching something happy for a change, that had nothing to do with politics (i.e. Donald Trump.)  They did not invite any political figures (unless you count Oprah) to their wedding. Royal marriages don't have a good track record in the happy department, but despite all their celebrity and privilege, this couple seems different. Good luck to them. 

We didn't do much this weekend. As they say in England, the weather was "dull." It can be cloudy in a pleasant way, with the sun shining through, but "dull" adds the idea of gloomy, grey clouds. The weathermen call it the marine deck, which drifts inland overnight and may (or may not) burn off by  afternoon. It is very typical in May and June. People start freaking out when it gets over 75 so they like the marine deck in the summer.  Yesterday we shared the same high temperature with northern Maine, the coolest spots in the country.  The sun did finally show up late in the day and I made a teriyaki steak on the grill for dinner.  There was another big weekend construction project on I-5, and it didn't seem worth the trouble to stray far from home.