New Beginnings, Old Friends

I just had an amazing trip, visiting my parents in their new home, still in greater Chicago, but a different place nonetheless. No more English Garden. Who knows, the new owners of the old house might just raze the whole thing and deck it. When you leave a garden, that was planted and tended with love and care, you have to let it go.



Even though they have moved a bit further away from where we were, I still had the wonderful, wonderful opportunity to see dear, dear friends. What joy.


I guess I missed the good weather here, as it is pissing down rain today. But of course, it's good for the garden, and means I didn't have to water (I know it was done, once or twice at least, while I was away). The tomatoes have doubled in size already - well, they were only an inch high so that's two inches now. I would take some pictures, but for the endless rain ...


But who am to complain about the weather? It was amazing in Chicago - so much so that I went to the beach and got a tan! Chicago has brilliant beaches.





My main priority was unpacking for my parents, and helping set things up. It's a beautiful place, but all week, I kept looking out the window at this




I think the people who maintain the grounds leave a little space for you, in case you like gardening. Oh, I could have had fun with this. Just enough to put in some lovely flowers and shrubs - it only gets morning sun so it would need some research as to what to exactly plant. I even found a garden centre close by, but never managed to get there. Too much unpacking going on. Also, I would need to set up some sort of irrigation system - just a soaker hose, but I didn't even find out if there is an outside tap. Low maintenance is key.


But even the lovely patio is crying out for at least one pot of flowers.




Time ran away from me. It was time to come home.


It's a funny old life sometimes when your heart lives in two places.