Why not a list
Posted: May 18, 2012 Filed under: Garden, Happy things, Home and family, What I've been doing 7 Comments »Kelly often uses the list as a tool to make order out of the details in her brain…to much success and entertainment. So here I go…..
-I apologize for being absent from the blob for so long.
-Its spring, and I have been doing those springy kind of things…cleaning up the outdoor furniture:
-Planting:
9 window boxes, put new soil in all of them this year. I try to do that every other year. How about you, do you start fresh or reuse the soil?
I filled most of the window boxes with my most favorite, easy and dependable plant….red dragonwing begonias, and vinca vine….for hangy down interest. They have already filled out quite a bit.
-The garden is lush with new growth, I can’t help but stare and take photos:
-Jackie is working on her new house, and Jeff and I are helping. Jeff is replumbing (his favorite job, ha!). And I am wielding a paint brush. All her closets were hunter green, deep fuschia, or chartreuse. Why would anyone paint a small closet these dark colors? They are now white. I don’t think they have been painted since the late 40’s.
- You should see my sewing room. Stacks of stuff, boxes, furniture piled in front of other furniture, all awaiting Jackie’s move. No wonder I have not wanted to come in here and use the computer.
-I went to Home Depot with Jackie to help pick out wall colors. They had a large display of “Favorite Colors of Empty Nesters”! That would be us. But no, I do not want any of those colors.
-I do understand the feeling of wanting to feather the Empty Nest! I have some plans to shuffle, and reorganize and tweak our living space.
-Back to gardening: After a failed attempt at a wisteria given to me by a friend, I purchased one. It’s a native plant, an american wisteria, with slightly shorter blooms. So excited to watch what it does. Yes, I am easily entertained.
-The requisite photos of the viburnum in its blooming splendor:
-We have the second robin nest of the season on the climbing hydragnea…there are three babies about ready to fly on their own. I have enjoyed watching them. But have no way of getting a good photo.
-The Japanese peony had a record number of blooms this year…for the short week it bloomed, quite lovely:
-The spring peepers have come and gone in our pond. But there was a new danger for them….waiting on the warm rocks. This particular one was caught in the netting we use to hinder the heron. Luckily, we rescued him and no others got tangled:
We have since come across a couple in the the plantings and grass. I am have never seen them around before, and am glad they are there…but they can surprise me when I’m poking around pulling weeds!
Hope you have a great day….
Expecting…..
Posted: May 7, 2012 Filed under: Baby and kids, Happy things 5 Comments »in early June.
That would be my niece’s baby bump…(used with permission!).
We had a baby shower for her a week ago..can you guess whether baby is boy or girl?
I especially enjoyed the occasion because many of my favorite peeps were there…
Grandmothers Babe and Patrice….
Most of the Baguettes….
All the Capri’s minus one were there:
And my mom and daughters and daughter in law and even grandson were there….no pictures, drats as Colton would say!
I guess I was too busy in sharing the fun of seeing Erin start her new life as a mommy!
Words from a 3 year old who knows his own mind
Posted: January 25, 2012 Filed under: Grandbaby!, Happy things 7 Comments »After having fun grinding salt and pepper over his mashed potatoes:
“I don’t like those, they are too tasty!”
While giving me a tour of their soon to be home, and his mom calls him because its time to leave:
“Can’t you see were talking here!”
I’m reading him a dinosaur story book, and he sees one of those flying bird dinosaurs:
“That’s a pterodactyl, a flying reptile.”
We are talking about dinosaurs, and I ask him if he would like me to make him a dinosaur quilt…
“Yes, and we can make a fort with it. Let’s do it right now, can we use this chair, Grandma?”
After refusing to give his Aunt Steph a hug and kiss goodbye, I ask him why he won’t:
“Because I’m too dirty, I need a bath to get nice and shiny again.”
Going down the basement steps with a flashlight in his hand, and Marlo, our dog, is following him:
Don’t worry Marlo, I’m your protector, I have a light.”
Caught during a stream of talk, going from one subject to another without a pause:
“I want a baby, Grandma. A real baby, not a fake one.”
After his dad warns him not to do something. His mom had just explained to him, a day or two before, that dad isn’t yelling at him… he just has a big strong voice that can, evidently, be a little scary:
“Daddy, we’ve talked about your voice before!”
If he said this once, he has said it a hundred times:
“I can do it myself!”
While him and I are sitting on the floor, putting together a puzzle, he looks at me with a big smile and says:
“Grandma, this is so fun. I love doing puzzles with you.”
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2011
Posted: December 31, 2011 Filed under: Happy things 6 Comments »Wishing all a happy New Year 2012! And a year of health, happiness, love and peace!
Looking back, before looking forward….full of thankfulness for so many blessings and good memories.
January—
The year started out surrounded by family while we all gathered together to remember d’mama after her passing on Dec. 26, 2010.
Winter hit us pretty hard in February
And in March we all escaped to North Captiva Island
Also in March, I (we) converted an “unused” closet into my mosaic closet…so glad I did it!
April….my two daughters became registered nurses.
In early May we had a party for our new nurses, and got to see so many of our favorite peoples!
June started a summer of fun on Jeff’s new boat.
I also went on the annual “Up North Retreat” at Kat’s cottage, so fun!
July= warm weather…mosaic making
August brought a huge family gathering up north, in honor of d’mama on what would have been her 90th birthday.
September…brought the beginning of Bible Study Fellowship, aka BSF with Kelly.
October’s highlight was a peaceful weekend up north with Jeff…..
November…..lots of flower production, but also some experimenting in new directions.
And here we are, the last day of December…..
We are in Virginia enjoying sunny and relatively warm days in the mid 50’s….
Its been a good year filled with family, friends and art. I can look back with a joyful heart.
Mr. C’s Handmade Castle
Posted: December 28, 2011 Filed under: Grandbaby!, Happy things, Home and family, Jeff 5 Comments »Jeff started with a wooden crate and some mailing tubes…
Cut down the crate, notched the turrets, cut out a drawbridge(with an opening door, of course), made a circular stair case and painted the facade silver and black….
It was an immediate hit….he had lost interest in opening any other gifts!
We hope he will add his blocks made by Uncle John, and a whole new imaginary world will entertain him for years….
Christmas Celebrations
Posted: December 28, 2011 Filed under: Happy things, Home and family 1 Comment »A few photos of Christmas Eve:
Potent Quotable, 6-19-2011
Posted: June 19, 2011 Filed under: Happy things, Quotes 4 Comments »To become a father is not difficult, but to be a father is.
-Unknown
Jeff’s reaping the benefits today….he is going on a boating excursion with his youngun’s.
Happy Day!
Posted: April 28, 2011 Filed under: Doodles and sketches, Happy things, Home and family 6 Comments »A Day to Celebrate!
Graduation day…for my two soon to be registered nurses! Congratulations Steph and Jackie!!!!
Keeping busy….
Posted: January 15, 2011 Filed under: Happy things 3 Comments »Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon!
Cooking can be an creative adventure:
-Made turkey soup from scratch….Mom had baked a turkey and I requested the carcass for soup. I was worried that adding 5 cloves of garlic was too much, but no…..delicious. (Will keep the Altoids handy.)
-And….made bread. Lately, I have a bread making obsession. Lots of experimenting, some success….
-Grouted all the key mosaics, too.
I had at least one person who loved it:
Have a good Saturday,
Deb



