Another sunny blue sage shot, with calendulas in the background and one butterfly. This view is dominating my whole imagination this summer. How did I live for thirteen years without this garden area in my life? (I did love the pecan tree that used to dominate the scene on that side of the yard, but now that it's gone, I don't miss it) I am loving the summer lushness so much: the sage and cosmos that are taller than I am, the brilliant zinnias and calendulas and marigolds, the tomatoes, the sweet tiny strawberries, the chard and arugula and peppers that we're eating regularly. I can't wait to walk with my kitchen garden through all the seasons, including the quiet bareness of winter. And I'm already thinking about next year's layout and what I'll want to plant.
With the fence --- though I do let Dora come in with me --- this garden has become a real bird haven, too. Granted, they're eating my blueberries faster than I can pick them, but I didn't have that many blueberries anyway this year, and I don't begrudge them the treat. It's fun to see them picking around in the pine straw, hanging around in this safe place where nobody (cough *Dora* cough) can chase them. Birds and bees and butterflies . . . it's a little enclosed paradise, which is so exactly what I was hoping for.
Today's agenda:
*walk dog
*wash hair
*write something
*find Sun poems
*dentist
*figure out dinner
In my 4/3 Challenge week, I've filled my three non-default-outfit spots, and am back to my favorite default: my Wool& Sierra dress, with the EVA Birks.
Shown here post-walk, pre-hair-wash. Again, technically a "nothing outfit," in terms of effort, as I was ruminating on yesterday, but something more than nothing, thanks to being a dress, a dress in a good wool fabric, a dress in a cut I like, with shoes that frame it well despite being a total default choice, and jewelry so I look like I thought about things a little. The hair needs help, but it's about to get it.
I might change into my red Xero Mary Janes later on for the dentist, just to give them an outing and the Birks a tiny rest, but when what I do first thing in the morning is walk, I put my feet in the readiest walking shoes. My Xero Colorado sandals (pictured here at the beach) ---
--- have gotten a long rest, partly because as much as I love them, they don't breathe quite as well as more open shoes. We haven't been hiking in the mountains yet this summer, to my great chagrin (since it is slipping away from us), but I'd choose those Xeros for all but the rockiest hikes. And who knows, since I'm now thinking of them, maybe I'll decide to wear them to the dentist.
LATER:
Wet-hair art shot:
No styling involved, just shampoo and conditioner bars. I squeezed water from it in clumps with my t-shirt turban, but didn't put it up in the turban (aka plopping, in Curly-Girl lingo). I want it to air-dry, and it'll do that faster if it's just out in the actual air. At least it's clean . . . I have a hard time making myself wash my hair, because there is so much of it, and in the summer especially, the idea of getting into a warm bath isn't as appealing as it is in the winter. But I faced the overwhelm that comes with dealing with my hair (a major acedia trigger, but I really don't want to cut it short), and now it's all fresh, which feels good, even if the wet drippy experience does not.
LATER:
The going-to-the-dentist outfit tweak:
The zippy red shoes make everything instantly more fun.
Also, hair:
This is almost-dry hair, about two hours after washing, just before I left for the dentist. I didn't use any kind of styler, just shampoo and conditioner bars, as I said. So I get these kind of friable, fragile waves and curl patterns that probably won't last without some help, which they probably won't get, but never mind.
I took some hair shots in the sun, too, trying to get an idea of how it really looks. And:
The good: the wave/curl pattern held its shape all right. This is about as much definition as I ever get, and it's okay.
The not-so-great: this seems like a lot of frizz. At least, if that's what it is, that's okay. Life is too short to battle frizz in your hair. But I wonder if it's actually breakage, as from wearing my hair up a lot, putting strain on it. Not sure what to do about that, because as long as my hair is long like this, I'm going to be putting it up. But I should probably be even more gentle with it than I thought I was being. Otherwise it could be new growth, since I went through a phase of a lot of fallout a few months ago. Silver hairs are wirier anyway, and tend not to blend well with the rest of my hair.
It's also been a long time since I used a clarifying shampoo. I could probably stand to do that. Wet frizz/damp frizz is also attributable to buildup.
My ends are looking pretty scraggy though. I really do need a trim sometime soon.
Post-dentist hair, all the way dry:
I think a lot of this is just unruly silver hairs. But I also still think I need a haircut.