Was going to be a Peony Story.....

Thought I might write about the beauty of peonies this week since they are blooming so profusely in my garden this year but Alicia Paulson has done such a lovely job here that I will not attempt it. These are some of mine on my windowsill above the sink. They smell heavenly. (Donna McGee vases with mint and peonies on my windowsill.)

Holiday weekend in the USA but on a farm it is barely noticed. Life goes on. Amherst Farmers' Market Saturday but Julia was feeling very ill so The Farmer did it himself, me hoping Julia would feel better. I hate to miss a holiday grilling weekend with a chance to sell our lamb. Our niece Celia was graduating from High School on Sunday and we were all to go. Instead, I took Julia to the ER early Sunday a.m. for stomach cramps and digestive probs. When your kid says to you at 5:15 a.m., "Mommy I think I am going to die because I am in so much pain," it's hard to do much else. Spent several hours there with no definite prognosis ("must be a virus - it will run its course"), took her home so The Farmer could watch over the ill child, went to the graduation, missed Celia graduating but saw the family after. Hot weather but good to see everyone.

While we were at the ER, Petunia had six kittens in my underwear drawer.

Came home from quick visit with the famly, took care of sick child. Sent her to school this a.m. Took Kate, the Border Collie puppy, to get sts removed (where else but a knitting blog can you write sts and expect people to know that sts means stitches), got the call to pick Julia up from school because still not feeling good. Picked her up. Waited for a specimen to happen whilst working on current project. Took said specimen to hospital for testing. Picked up homeopathic remedies at food coop. Quickly went to grocery store to pick up Diet Ginger Ale, applesauce, bananas as that is about all she should eat.

And then the thunder, the lightening, the rain --- all while in grocery store. Drove home in a panic, after leaving child alone -- trying to get through the thunder, massive rain, wind, hoping to get home before something awful struck the house..... much less the car..... knowing that Julia with learning problems would probably not know what to do if disaster struck. 

Arrived home to everything okay. Looked for three Border Collies (the real secret to a functioning sheep farm) to only find two. Thunder and lightening are not good things for Border Collies - one of our old ones would run for miles during thunder and lightening. The one missing was, of course, the one who really runs the show. The Farmer calls from the Farmers Market in Northampton to say he is on the way home. No rain there. Did you put the sheep in like I asked? No, sorry, had to get here to see if the child, house, dogs were okay because of the storm.

Thirty minutes later...... The dog came home. The rain, thunder, lightening subsided and The Farmer arrives home. Market decent. Did you put the sheep in Bernardston up? No, sorry, too dangerous.... as I sit knitting on the current overwhelming project. "Okay, I'll go," he says.

Half hour later....... He's back. I ask, "How were things?" He said "Lightening hit the electric fence charger - it exploded all over the place. Chards of plastic everywhere. No power to the electric fences." Okay, let's hope for the best. At least it was an okay market. It will only take one more to pay for the new charger to keep the sheep in. All in a weekend. Whew.

Alicia's peony story is much better than mine could ever be. Go read it.