Random

I have come to realize that mornings are my most anticipated occurrences.  Yes, it's come to that.  When I go to bed, I'm thinking about how quickly I'll be looking at the sunrise on the morrow... if I can only stay asleep all night, which I never do.  Lately I've been waking up at 2 A.M. every single day.  I force myself to stay in bed until 3, but then I get up.  

Years ago I tried melatonin.  It did nothing for me.  Over-the-counter sleeping pills work, but I won't use them more than once a week, and usually just take half of one.  I've had trouble staying asleep for at least 30 years, so I'm used to it.  It's one of those things I can't do anything about, so why fuss and complain?  Seeing the sun come up makes me happy, and I haven't missed many sunrises in those years.  Sometimes I read things on the Internet that tell me if I don't get eight hours of sleep, I'll get dementia, or my life will be cut short.  Well, I've read everything I've found about how to get enough sleep, but none of it works for me.  I know a lot of people are in that same boat with me, and we all seem to be able to drag ourselves out of bed and start doing what we must to make our way in the world.  

I've been going outside before the sun is fully up and then watching the day gradually brighten as I walk around the garden.  I'm particularly interested in the state of my butternut squashes.  By the way, I googled what the plural is for squashes.  It can either be squash or squashes, but the latter really seems awkward.  

The vines have flourished in the southwest corner of my garden, and there are some huge squashes well over a foot long and still growing; but I've only ever had a crop of them one time thirteen or so years ago.  The rest of the time, just as the vines start putting on fruits, squash bugs enter the scene and the vines are dead within a couple of days.  I did notice some vines dying recently, but most of the remaining vines seem fine.  I'm not counting on anything, though!  If it happens, it happens.

We are eating green beans now, and within a week it looks like we'll have all the tomatoes we can eat.

Last week was wonderful, with our son here from Georgia.  Our daughter lives nearby, and she and her husband ate several meals with us and spent time here off and on throughout the week.  Now it's just us.  Cora will be here tomorrow, though, for her every-other-week Tuesday visit.

I ponder on the fact that I'm 79 years old, and wonder if I'll make it to 80.  Wow, eighty sounds really old!  I'd better get back out to the garden while I can still walk.