In my New England garden, the optimum period to pluck hydrangea blooms to dry indoors is when summer turns to fall and before it frosts. For the best vase drying results, patiently wait until they’ve already started to dry on the plants. From there, the rest of the process is simple. I turn my dining room into a drying station where I’ll collect specimens at the end of the season when I don’t mind cutting the glorious buds from my flower garden.
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The first potential heat wave of the season is predicted in my area this week which reminds me that we’re in the middle of the dog days of summer. According the Old Farmers’ Almanac, this period occurs July 3 to August 11 in the Northern Hemisphere. Living in central New England, these 40 days are truly a gift from Mother Nature that I treasure. Sure, the heat and humidity can be uncomfortable during a heat wave, so I do appreciate having central air when it’s needed. But overall, I embrace the summer heat. I patiently wait all winter for warm weather, so when the hot days hit, I try not to complain knowing I’d gladly welcome them in January.
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I’ve embraced smoothies and I feel better for it. Really. It’s not a hardship to sip on a delicious and nutritious breakfast while getting in my veggies and fruit first thing every day. I’ve never been a big breakfast eater, so adopting smoothies has fit in well with my lifestyle. Plus, they’re so convenient working from home or drinking in the car when commuting to work or running errands.
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Getting away for summer weekends is always on top of my to-do list. Thanks to friends who shared their charming vacation condo in Killington, VT with us, we had the opportunity to unwind over the July 4th long weekend. It turned out even better than expected. Why? There was so much to do and relax and recharge with no hassle. No crowds, traffic or long waits.
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Vacations have a way to provide perspective about your life and how you spend your time. My recent getaway on the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin gave me the pleasure to check off to-dos under my 2022 goals. Most significantly, I consider myself fortunate to cross off items under the Pure Joy/Fun and Adventure/Travel categories in my Commit30 planner. Allow me to elaborate briefly on three goals in this pictorial post.
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