13 July, 2020 - Hyperosmia & Packing Up Stuff for Goodwill

Dear, Mom -

I had hoped to talk to you today, but it is my fault for not getting ahold of Joy. I was in a groove getting all my paperwork from the last couple months filed then getting rid of stuff to give to the Goodwill thrift store. Here I am again at 10 pm, but it's alright. I had a productive day and I will get to bed soon.

I think I may have hyperosmia. All that means is a very acute sense of smell. I smell more in the range of a dog sometimes, or maybe I just think I do. I don't know. The reason I bring it up is because there are certain smells that I ask people if they can sense and people just say, "No. I don't smell anything.". The darn chicken coup that stinks behind the neighbor's side of the fence is always wafting into the bedroom. It's to the point that it is very hard for me to sleep with an open window due to the smell. When I had people over the other night, we sat in the back yard. I was embarrassed that it was all people could smell, but I guess it was just me. I lit some incense to help, but I guess I pretty much just lit it for myself more than for everyone else. Okay. It doesn't matter. I'm just frustrated that the neighbors can't clean up after their farm animals. I am going to politely talk to them tomorrow and see what comes of it. They aren't particularly approachable, so I am a bit nervous. They don't like cats. Someone who really dislikes cats has a screw loose in my book. But I digress...

Garden Phlox

I took this photo today and I think it is one of the coolest pictures of flowers that I have ever taken. There was something about the way the sunlight was hitting the camera, the background colors contrasting with the focused color of the Phlox, and just the overall framing. I didn't do any touch-ups at all. It was a happy accident. I might have to get this one framed.

My hydrangea in the front yard is staring to have little blooms in the middle of the big blooms. I was out watering and thought the water droplets were pretty.

I've seen so many gorgeous roses on our walks recently. I love it when the blooms are so different.

This is a close-up of the middle of our daisies out from. All the tiny stamens making up the middle of the flower. I wish they smelled better. They are definitely more for looks then smells.

This little Asian lady beetle was on our front window screen. I thought it looked pretty neat close up. The design on it's exoskeleton is quite attractive. 

Sweet Pea!

Flowers blooming on my Dusty Miller that I brought back from almost dead. I didn't think it was going to come back, but I kept at it and it finally agreed it was worth it.

This is Al. He isn't a real grasshopper, but he lives in the succulent plant out on the porch. He seems to be quite happy out there.

I went through all my paperwork and got it filed, as I stated earlier. Then I started on my dresser and got rid of a couple boxed worth of shirt, socks, etc. I have way too much stuff. I watch a lot of videos about living simply and it makes me realize that I really need to scale down. I don't need to have so many things saturating my space. I am slowly working on weeding out clothes and general things from my room, then the mud room, then the art studio. Maybe I'll actually get the deck built around it this year. If I don't, all my free cedar is going to end up rotting, which will in turn make me very sad. I have such great plans for the wrap around deck. Regardless, two boxes is a start, right?

I am off to sleep now. I have an early morning tomorrow. Maybe after work around 3 pm we can have a video chat? That would be great. I need to see your sweet face. I love you and miss you very much, Mom. I want to bring you out a bouquet of flowers, but it makes me so sad that I would be right there, but unable to give you a hug. I'll see what I can do. You deserve a huge bouquet of flowers many times over. As do all your friends there.

All my love to you, 

Your Daughter, ---Sally Ann