Poor Ron has been in airports and on planes for almost the whole day, while I was lucky enough to have a great day on the ground.

Picked up and planted 8 Gerbera (pronounced GER’bera) daisies to give us some color in the back before the summer flowers kick in. Looks like we’ll have irises really soon.

Finally finished the grass plugs in the front lawn, at least as many as I have the stamina to do. In the process, I dug up a dozen or so grubs, so mowed and put down Spectracide. I’ll water tomorrow, but left the back for Ron, who likes outdoor work.

Met this morning with the mortgage specialist at Rockland Trust and put in an application for a fixed-rate, 20-year loan to refinance Edgewater.

I finished digging out the new vegetable garden today and transplanted most of the turf to the small patch of grass to the right of the driveway.

Here’s a before (right) and after (left).

The planters are done. I picked up a tray of snapdragons at Roche Brothers and we shopped at Attaquin Acres for sweet potato and marigolds.

The outdoor shower is in place, too.

Robert’s birdhouse has tenants for the first time. I was just outside in the hammock, enjoying the damp summer-like air and watching the tiny birds barrel in and out.

James’ strawberry plants are enormous, and Emme’s money plants are doing great.

Sprayed Bayer on the roses, the peony and some other plants this morning.

Timing has been difficult because we’ve had so much rain. The Bayer promises to be rain-proof after setting for an hour, though.

I’m going to try to finish planting the boxes today and maybe do a run to the redemption center.

Ed stopped by. It was nice for the three of us to have a chance to catch up.

I was in a fog of tiredness all day yesterday, so Ron very kindly offered to take us out for dinner: my choice.

We had tapas at Trevi, first visit for both of us, and it was just what the doctor ordered: low-key, terrific food (grilled artichokes and asparagus, lamb, scallops, Finocchiona), and at Ron’s invitation, I had not one but two glasses of their delicious sangria.

We’ll be back.

Ron bought a beautiful new bed for Fluffles, and yesterday, we put up a feeder for hummingbirds.

Rather than getting something for himself, which would have been very well deserved, Ron redeemed his service award credits from Cal Performance by ordering this GORGEOUS sapphire and gold ring for me.

It’s special, not only because it’s absolutely beautiful, but because it represents 25 years of toil at Cal, including injuries, management issues and crazy schedules.

Without doubt, it’s the nicest gift anyone’s ever given me.

I’m irritated with everyone and everything this morning.

Even my poor husband, who is about as nice a person as you’d ever meet, got on my nerves by not asking if I had a carpenter’s square after getting grouchy because he couldn’t find his. This annoyed the heck out of me because I interpreted his failing to do so as a reflection on my competence, thus ascribing to me the worst qualities of the string of spoiled, selfish, poor-little-rich girls he’s lived with in the past.

Yesterday, I tried and failed, not only once but twice, to fit so-called “universal” burner grids to the Weber.

I drove the truck too fast over a vicious speed bump and caused both of us to wake up with stiff necks.

Ron assured me that he’d be able to replace a rusting light fixture with one we bought yesterday at a yard sale, but he ran into some tool-related problems – again.

Fluffles continues to wear me out with his fussiness over food.

There’s more gardening to be done and I’M TIRED.

Except for the fact that Ron’s things are all over the basement, we are in excellent shape. We have lots of good food and a well-equipped kitchen to cook it in, two working vehicles, and pretty surroundings, including the addition of a nice bedroom lamp and two handsome gold pillow covers purchased for pennies at said yard sale.

In other words, I have no good reason to be so ill-tempered right now.

Two sales today, one at Roach Brothers and the other at the Fairgrounds, the annual Master Gardeners’ plant madhouse.

Ron built a frame for the new vegetable garden AND a sifter. We started clearing the bed for the new garden, and the turf was so healthy that I decided to use it in the front.

This past week, I’ve planted Hyssop (from the Master Gardeners), Joe Pye Weed, a couple of tomatoes and Bee Balm (Monarda). Also bought a beautiful hanging plant for the front and a flat of snapdragons for the pots.

The Miss Kims have lots of buds, but no flowers yet.

The silver dollar seeds that Emme planted last year germinated this spring, and it looks like we’re going to have money plants this fall.

We’ve had the good fortune to trade at our local CVS with a young woman who projects the graciousness that was standard for retail years ago.

Every so often, I’ve been lucky enough to encounter people like this lady working in service jobs in run-of-the-mill places, and it’s like finding a diamond in a coal bin.

I phoned CVS to tell them that they are very fortunate to have this employee on their staff, and that because of her, I choose to trade with them rather than the new Walgreens that recently opened in our town.

I hope that only results in good things for her. I hope.