Happiness is a porch...

and a chaise to sit on - 

especially when it's raining and it is still 80°F. 

 

***

I just need to say it again - my garden is beautiful. This week, irises, that I had forgotten I'd planted, bloomed.

This gorgeous purple variety. Now they've bloomed,  I remember my goal: to find the same purple irises which had bloomed in the garden in California where I grew up.

 These ain't them.

Don't get me wrong, these are beautiful and I am glad to have them in my garden.... 

but you know, there is something nostalgic about what you grew up with. Those irises were small - deep purple, darker than this, and had that iris scent - very strong. They only bloomed when I was a child, by the time I hit my teens they seamed to be finished.  

Maybe someday I'll find that particular variety again. Maybe there is an Iris Society out there!? If there is a Violet Society there must also be an Iris Society. (shall investigate...)

In case you are tired of all of my garden pictures, I include this one:

Last night I (finally) made a pillowcase for my square pillow. I've had this square pillow for years. Why? I have NO idea.  Especially since I only have 1 square pillow case! I am forever shoving this thing into cases that squish it into horrible-hard-not-fun "pillows". First world problems - I know. So last night I solved my first world problem by digging through my first world stash of fabric and finding fabric that I cannot imaging having any other purpose...my large ladybugs.And voilá! a new pillowcase. 

And all of this blog comes from sitting on my chaise with the inspector who is currently keeping a watchful eye on the garden - there are mice and birds and ?