I never thought I could grow succulents because I tend to kill plants in containers. Most won’t survive our winter freezes so I can’t plant them directly in the ground. However, I have two friends who love growing succulents and I listened long enough to give it a try. So far, so good – I don’t water them often and they love our hot weather.

You might recognize the head planters. I ordered these online from Stone Face Creations. They make us smile :-). I need to dress them up a bit but that will have to come later. 

Maybe he needs Clark Kent glasses… or a tie.

The aloe vera that mom gave me for mother’s day is thriving. When it gets cold, these all have to come inside. Many of them are going to Steve’s office on campus where there is more room and lots of light. I’m going to miss them!

I leave early, early tomorrow for Goderich, Ontario, via Detroit. I’m hoping for a nice, uneventful travel day.

I read the NY Times on my iPad every morning. I don't live in NYC but the Dallas Morning News got to be so very expensive. Stupidly expensive! I can't afford it… but that is a whole other story.

I click on interesting stories when I read the NYTimes. In that sense, I much prefer a digital morning paper (you can't click a link printed on paper). A couple of days ago I clicked on a link that took me to the video below.

You know, I love my technology. When I am in line, almost anywhere, I pull out my iPhone and check my email. If I am stuck somewhere (in the doctor's office!) I go online. When I'm out and about, I pull out my phone and snap a photo (or 2, or 12). Sometimes I take the time to post those photos.

But I'm 'old' in that I don't pull out my phone at dinner when I could instead talk to the actual people I'm with. (However, if nothing is happening at dinner, I might think about pulling out my phone.)

Sometimes, but not always, my son (no naming names) pulls out his phone at a meal. I have to stop myself from swatting his phone. Maybe I should be more interesting? I try.

At any rate, this video made me stop and think. How often do I live through my device? Not as often as some, but that may not be saying much. It's important to experience NOW! and it never hurts to be reminded of that. Be warned, this is depressing if you are guilty of living through our device at one time or another.

The other thing I realize is that, because I can use my iPhone to do a whole of interesting, useful tasks, I have a lot less down time. That's time that I might use to just daydream. To sketch. To actually call someone for a chat. I do love my technology – but right now I'm thinking a bit more before switching on.

Elanor's favorite jeans are prone to ripping. I've fixed 2 small tears already. 

The knee ripped out a few days ago – from one side seam to the other. 

Rather than using iron-on jean-fixing patches, I use my darning foot and sew fabric behind the tear. It's a whole lot like reverse applique. I could have made more of the fabric patch show, but I think a bit of color peeking through is better.

These are skinny-legged jeans but luckily I was able to fit the leg onto the bed of my machine. It was a little tight for free-motion darning, but it worked.

Once sewn, I turned the leg inside out and trimmed away the excess fabric. I used a red bark cloth because this new, big rip is at the knee. It should hold up reasonably well.

She looks very cute in them, don't you think?!

Steve and I found ourselves at Northpark Mall in Dallas today. It was early, before the shops opened. Northpark is an upscale mall that was developed by Raymond Nasher. Mr. Nasher and his wife collected modern art, particularly (but not exclusively) sculpture.

Northpark mall is a showcase for some pieces from their collection. Click here for more on art in Northpark. Needless to say, walking around Northpark before it gets too crowded is a lot of fun!

As we walked, I saw this in the distance on a 2nd floor wall:

And then I realized why the blocks of color were on the short walls between the floors! I was slow to realize this because I was window shopping. (Honestly, it's a good thing for my wallet that the shops were closed.)

Blue + Cobalt = Periwinkle! That's way subtler than red + blue = purple.

Next, yellow + orange = dreamsicle orange!

I wonder how many people noticed what was on the walls. 1 out of 2?

I really liked this one showing complementary colors…

Again, I wonder how many people are aware of relationships on the color wheel. In this venue, maybe the percentage is higher than the norm. 

I thought the wall masking the new Kate Spade store fit in very well. One color blends into another, and another… If you pay attention, you will see this sort of rainbow blending of colors in ads and in stores a lot. 

There are low, big, round planters all through Northpark Mall. They are currently planted with succulents. Some had a huge number of orange-topped cacti…

The colors in the planters throughout the mall were in the orange/red range, with green. A lot of the new fall clothes seem to be in the red/orange/coral/pink-ish tones. 

It wasn't all about color at Northpark. There were these huge fashion dominoes (or dominos, depending on which spelling you subscribe to)…

Part of me wishes I lived a life in which I had a place to wear such a dress. And then the real me interrupts that thought. Perhaps Steve and I need to get out more :-).

Do any of you wear clothes like this? I'd love to know :-).

Lorna came in this morning and told me to get my camera. There was a picture-worthy spider to go see! Actually there were two spiders but only one was in good light. This one is camoflaged by greenery but its web is at least 36" wide…

We get these big spiders most summers. I've been so busy this year that I haven't spotted them but I'm happy to know that they are out in the yard. That said, I would not want to walk into this web. I did that once and about had a heart attack. Probably scared the spider to death.

He (or she) had caught a bug and was busily wrapping it up. Very efficiently.

I went out this afternoon and the light was better. Click the photo and you'll see a bigger image. The spider is both scarier and more impressive that way :-). It's around 2 1/2" long.

There are also big bees buzzing around the blue salvias. The bees don't bother anyone. I wouldn't grab one, but I am not scared by them. I suppose that's because we've had them in the yard for so many years. Wasps and hornets, however, are to be avoided at all costs.

It may look like we live in the country, but we don't. We live in a smallish house (1780 sq ft) in a neighborhood of similarly sized houses on average sized lots. Our lot is different in that we no longer have grass. We have rocks and trees and shrubs and flowering plants of all kinds. I've ignored the front and side yards for weeks and I realize that I should get out and cut the dead flowers back. That said, it still looks good. If the sun was in the right place, I'd go take a picture. That will have to wait.

I'm going to try to force myself to work on real work now. I've managed to fritter away most of the day. Tomorrow, as Scarlet says, is another day – and I'm going to have to use every minute of it.

Many of you know that Steve's dad had Alzheimer's. He died last week. It was not entirely unexpected. He didn't suffer at the end which was a real blessing.

Steve's dad was an engineer. He was a bombadier in WW2 who narrowly escaped dropping any bombs. He had a sharp mind and ran his own construction business for many years. He was married to Steve's mom, Edith, for more than 60 years. His family loved him. 

The funeral was very nice. Odd to say, but true. When someone has Alzheimer's, they lose who they are long before their body catches up. As I visited with old friends and family members, listened to the eulogies, and looked at the wonderful photos in the slide show, I was reminded of the man I knew 'then'. We all were. Speaking for myself, I'm happy that the 'old' Craig is firmly back in my mind. 

Craig and Edith lived for many years on a 5-acre lot. They had an enormous garden. Here's Craig with Elanor about 7 years ago. 

Craig grew up in Stigler, OK. Edith grew up nearby in Hoyt. These are two small towns. Very small. Back in the day there wasn't a big lake nearby, and no interstate. There must have been a reason that the towns came into existence but I don't know what it was. That said, it is still a real pretty part of Oklahoma. Here is Hoyt's main street, yesterday…

Craig and Edith didn't meet until he got out of the service and they got married not long thereafter. They moved around a bit before settling in OKC where they lived together for more than 50 years. But they both made plans to be buried in the Hoyt Cemetery. It was a 2+ hour drive from OKC to Hoyt but many made the trip.

It's been many years since we were here for Edith's mother's funeral. I don't think it has changed since then. There are some very old headstones and there are newer ones. The views are lovely. It's quiet and peaceful. If it wasn't so very far from us I would happily be buried here.

Death is the one of two things that happens to us all. So many people avoid thinking about dying and I think that's too bad. Edith and Craig planned – and paid for – their funerals 20 years ago. As Steve's sister, Jane, said – it did make it easier because they decided what they wanted and made it happen. Edith seemed very much at peace, yesterday, with the funeral and the burial. I think if Craig had been there, he'd have considered it well done.

We'll all remember him with a smile. 

PS – in case you read this quickly and think that Edith is already in heaven… she's not. She is still happily with us. And we are glad that she is.