Marine Mom

Looking at the back of my classic red truck, it is pretty easy to get the sense that I am a Marine Mom. I am a very excited Marine Mom because Tuesday my most favorite Marine in the whole world is coming home for almost 3 weeks of post-deployment leave! It is a safe bet that I will have spoiled and smothered Corporal Frost to distraction within 24 hours. Semper Fi!

Lance Corporal Frost on Leave

It was a surprise and joy that Alex was able to get a week’s leave. He arrived home just two weeks ago and we were able to spend a wonderful seven days with him.

Here are my boys lounging on the new deck. Please note Alex’s remarkable farmer’s tan. This was just after Peter and Alex went swimming in the pool with the broken heater. It was a “frosty” 72 degrees.

Everyone loves hanging out on the deck. It may have been three years in the making with thousands in legal bills, but it is a great deck and it is completely compliant with all town regs.

One of the highlights for the guys was going to a Yankee/Mets game at Yankee Stadium. It was a perfect summer day and they had a great time. Yankees won 5-4 so all was perfect. We also enjoyed several lovely dinners on the deck and Peter really got into drinking beer so the three of them had great fun trying different craft brews.

Oddly enough they don’t serve New York bagels with cream cheese at Camp Pendleton. Peter got Alex some special cream cheese with jalapenos and lox which was greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

Alex was home for Father’s Day which made that extra special. We had a joint celebration of Alex having been home and Father’s Day on Saturday night.

Here is a surprised looking Dad. Well, not really. He had chosen and ordered his own Father’s Day present and I wrapped it up. It was just what he wanted.

This is what a Marine looks like after he’s been out with his friends until 3 a.m. and has enjoyed beer, tequila, gin an heaven knows what else. It was a quiet last day before we took our Marine to the airport. All in all, I think he got the mothering, relaxing, carousing, and feeding that he needed. And I got to hug the fellow every time I laid eyes on him.

Weekend Stream of Consciousness

Happiness is the onset of summer. So many great things happen, not the least of which is throwing open the windows, enjoying the fresh air and breezes and playing outside.

This was a busy weekend beginning Friday with Ellie’s departure for Peru. They actually have spent the weekend in Miami in training, but tomorrow they fly to Lima and then Cuzco. Ellie now knows that she will be teaching nutrition and hygiene to mostly children and she will also be playing with the kids–something Ellie has always done with happy abandon.

The sadness of seeing Ellie depart for nine weeks was leavened by the arrival of Alex on Saturday morning. Our most favorite Marine will be home with us for a week. He looks fantastic and it is an absolute joy to have him home.

Saturday Peter appeared with two of his friends, Eric and Allison. Although we had heard lots about them, this was the first time we had met them. They ended up staying for dinner and we had a delightful time dining on the deck on a gorgeous summer evening. It was great fun and all the more special because it is fairly rare for Peter to entertain.

After three years in the making our deck is everything we wanted it to be and the plantings are doing phenomenally well. I think our neighbors must like looking over at the deck and the array of blooming things.

This year’s garden to date

Saturday and Sunday, I was very happy to putter at home. I distributed 20 bags of mulch around the garden beds and worked in my vegetable garden.

As mentioned in a previous post, I have abandoned the spoke pattern for planting and have no fountain of sunflowers in the middle. It is, however, coming along nicely.

The sage, thyme and rosemary made it through the mild winter

Also new to the garden this year are peas, carrots, eggplant. Cucumbers and tomatoes make a reappearance.

Sunday Alex, Peter and Jim went to the Yankees/Mets game. I was not invited and, had I been invited I would have declined with alacrity. They had a great time and the Yankees won which made it even better. They returned home tired and sunburned to lounge on the deck with suds.

Even though the guys were gone most of the day, I was not alone. I had my faithful assistant and gardening companion to keep me company.

Of course, after the gardening was over, some hammock time was de rigueur. My mother’s day present was a new hammock frame. Dakota likes to lie under the hammock. I read with my eyes open and sometimes closed. The view is delightful.

One final pleasure right now are the orchids purchased on my field trip with Lauren to Venamy. Both orchids are in rapturous bloom and each time I see them it is a delight.

The Phalaenopsis has been blooming for six weeks and shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.

My Sharry Baby Oncidium is now blooming as well and the amazingly subtle scent drifts through the house.

I don’t believe I have ever written a post with less form and structure. What holds this narrative together? Well, I guess it would be contentment and happiness. With so many beautiful and beloved things around me, how could I ever be less than happy and content?