in my garden...

I've spent a bit of time in the garden this week.  Some good, some bad.  

The blueberries are done for the season, but the cherry tomatoes and the jalapenos are doing well.  The lemon balm has exploded and I've baby blooms on my volunteer pumpkin.  I don't know that anything will form, but it's fun to watch.

My Lady of Shallot is blooming and smells so very divine!  I really need to decide where to plant her and get her in the ground and some support so it could take off.  

The blooms on the hydrangea are stunning and vary from light pink to a deep blue, deep purple to light blue.  Just lovely.  If you look closely at the photo of the hydrangea, to the left you will see my brand new, fabulously wonderful, air conditioning unit.  Ahhhh...just in time too, as the temps are to hit the high 90s coming this week.

Now for the bad...  Last time I posted about my garden I showed the progress of my san marzano tomatoes and cucumbers.  Yesterday, I shrugged on my determination and with hiccoughing sobs, and tears running down my face, I pulled them all out and disposed of them.  

You see, a few days after I posted that last post about the garden, our landscaper came along to spray the clover in the grass.  Apparently, this is something that is done every year because certain people in the neighborhood (my next-door neighbor being one of them) find clover offensive to their sensibilities and what kind of yard they want to see.  

I'd planned to ask the landscaper to skip my back area because I am highly sensitive to this particular herbicide (as in my skin breaks out with rashes if I get it on me and I cannot breath until the stuff has completely dried).  I'd been trying to keep an eye out for him, but I just (literally like 3 minutes) missed him.

A few days after he'd sprayed, I noticed the cucumber plants looking very bad and the cucumbers that had been growing becoming deformed (as well as the tomatoes).  It took me a little bit to figure out what was happening.  They just kept getting sicker and it took me time to give up on them.

So now I have no san marzanos, no cucumbers and a bunch of brown spots in the lawn (that I've been told won't be seeded with grass until the fall?!? - FTW?!?).  

It's days like this, days where everything about this place gets on my last nerve (and the next-door neighbor being falling down drunk a lot, certainly doesn't help) makes me want to move.   In fact, I've an appointment this coming Thursday to change my rent status of this place to an own status.  But right now I really don't want to do it.

After drying my tears and cleaning up yesterday I spent a few hours searching the internet for properties.  Part of me wants to just pack up everything in storage, get in my car and drive until I find my place.  Ugh...

Anyhoo...

How are things growing in your garden?  

Thanks for stopping in for a read...
love & blessings
~*~


ps... FTW is my version of WTF.  So instead of saying What the F*@k, I say F*@k the What.  :-)

pps...I've had several questions about the pig pickin cake I mentioned in my last post.  I'm planning a post coming up that explains the cake and also gives the recipe.  I'll need to make another one (oh the hardship!) and hopefully I can get that done this week.  

the new neighborhood...

I think I am all Tea Partied out!  It took me several days to get through all the parties and I tried to reply to each comment but I'm not sure if I did or not.  If you commented and didn't get a message from me, I want to say Thank You for visiting and for commenting.  I was overwhelmed with all the lovely comments in such a good way.


I'm still settling in to my new place.  I need to hang pictures, set up altars and finish un-boxing the studio, but I'm taking my time and going through every item to put in it's proper place or decide if it needs to be donated.  I can't begin to tell you how many books I have donated.  In fact I have two boxes ready to take.  
Since the house isn't really photo ready, I thought I'd show you a little of my outdoor neighborhood.  

This is what is on the other side of my fence.  When I open my gate, I get to see this little pond.

These guys hang out in the pond a lot, as well as turtles and frogs. 

Oh my,  the frogs!  I've never seen so many frogs!  And those little suckers are fast.  I keep trying to get a good photo of them, but so far no go.  I'll keep working on it though.  

I had no idea the sound they make.  They start up at sunset and sounds very much like a bunch of little dogs dying.  It has taken a little getting used to.  I was sitting on the patio last night and saw at least 6 frogs climbing the walls and downspouts.  

This is my new sky.  It is so pretty.  I can see the moon and the sun come up.  No close trees to block the view but on the other hand, no close trees for shade either. 

And this guy...

 

 ...and his cousins are everywhere!  I've even had a few sneak in the house!

 

The super moon snuck up on me last Friday night while I was working on my MTP post.  I happened to glance out the window as I was going to get a glass of water and there she was.  

I think that is all for today.  Just wanted to share a little of my new world.  I went on a bit of an adventure today and I will share about that next time.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and I'll see you soon.

blessings
~*~
 

Let's Move!

The first of the rose blossoms.

I have learned my lesson.  I really have.  What you put out to the Universe is what you get.  I really, truly believe that.  Well, I always have believed that, but I've never been very good at practicing it.  :-)

But...about two weeks ago, I really and truly made up my mind that I had to move.  The house has been on the market since October but with very little activity and also with me having a mindset of "I don't want to move".  So, a couple weeks ago, that mindset changed.  I can't remember what I was doing that really keyed it in for me but I realized that I was stuck and until I completely made up my mind to move and to let go of this place and the dream of it, I'd not make any progress.  

So, I contacted my realtor and told her I wanted to start actively looking at places to buy.  I've been making lists of what is most important in a place I want to live.  I've been scouring through online listings looking at pictures, checking maps and Google Earth to get an idea of the areas.  I started with over 60 properties that interested me.  I went through them all again and again, trying to find the right ones.  

A week ago this past Thursday started three days of showings on the house.  When I came back after the Thursday showing I had a very good feeling.  I can't say why I had that feeling, I just did.  Friday's was a good feeling too and Saturday I could tell as soon as I walked in that they didn't like it.

My realtor and I went out this past Tuesday and looked at 6 properties.  I have two left from that list that are still possibles.  Today we are going again.

This past Thursday, I got up, took my walk and was enjoying the cool and quiet on the back deck with a book when I received a text from my realtor to check my email.  I rushed in and looked and oh my!  I had an offer!

We talked about it a bit and made a counter offer and all day long I stewed and sat on pins and needles.  I'd felt really good about it (it was the same person from the previous Thursday) and finally...

I'm on deadline now.  Yesterday morning, I signed the contract on my house.  She accepted my counter offer and we are set to close on June 24th!

Oh my!  I am very overwhelmed but in a good way.  I have 38 days to pack everything I own, find a place to live, get the financing sorted, etc., etc.

So...just as I plan to come back here things get a bit crazy and I may not be here as much as I want.  But!  That will only be for a little while.  Because now I'm on a new adventure and I know I'll have lots to share.  

I'm off to see where we're going to look today.  And to start on my lists...I'll have lots of lists of things to do, plants I want to take from the yard, etc., etc...

happy weekend!!
blessings
~*~ 

the return

I would say that I am home, but it doesn't really feel like it.  So, I'll just say I am back.  Home was were I spent last week.  That I believe is where home really is for me.  The fresh air, the hills and valleys.  The peace in my heart and soul.  Home.

Yesterday I came back, only to have to vacate the house again for a showing.  Today is getting back to normal routines, catching up on mail, email, blog reading, laundry, unpacking, etc.  I hope to be back in the next few days to share about my trip.  It was so...refreshing.

blessings
~*~

almost time...

My house is a maze of boxes. All of my possessions are put away and waiting to be put in the POD that comes tomorrow. The renovations start on Friday. The photo above is of some of the supplies for the work that will be done.

With all the change that is going on in my life right now, I decided to make one more little change. I'll no longer be posting on my old blog. I'm making some changes here in an effort to merge my two very different sides. We'll see how it goes...I may decide that I don't like it and may go back to the old way of keeping two separate blogs.

I have a little bit more packing to do. I should be outside mowing but really don't feel up to it. Tomorrow the landscaper comes to tackle the jungle that is the backyard and the POD arrives. I'll get to start packing it up. The furniture gets packed up on Thursday and I'll be staying at my mums from then until the end of the renovation. Currently we are looking at 27 days before I can bring my kids home. That is a really long time for them to be cooped up. I wish there was another way, but unfortunately there is no other alternative, except not doing the renovations.

Anyway, that's about all I have right now. Except for a few photos...
my beans are flowering

tomato blooms

daylily blooms

blessings
~*~

Projects

I have a list of projects that I want to do around my home. I decided that I will list them here so that I have some sort of accountability. As they get done, I'll post notes and photos. Sound good? Great! Here we go (in no particular order)...

Project: Yard: Status: begun (I actually have some landscape guys coming next week to start! Yippee!)
My yard is out of control. I have ivy and periwinkle ground covers covering almost everything including my shed. I also have all kinds of trees growing up that I just don't want to have there. In the summer they block off most of the yard and I can't see the back and watch for the dog. I have this grand plan in mind for what I'd like to do to my yard, and the start of that is to get it cleaned up.

Project: Paint Status: on hold for spring
The exterior of my house is cedar shake shingles. I have someone lined up to paint the exterior trim, the front porch floor and the front door. On the front window I have a dark green awning. It matches the porch floor. I'm thinking of painting the porch floor a sage green this time but am not sure about the awning cover and if I need to replace it or just was it. I don't want to remove it because it really helps keep out the heat from my bedroom. I'm also going to paint my front door a "different color". Right now it is white, like the trim of the house. I'll take some pictures and you guys can help me decide. :-)

Project: House shingles
I need to replace the cedar shake shingles on my home. Several are in good shape, but a lot are broken, exposing the clapboard underneath or they are so weathered down that there is barely anything there. One person suggested replacing them with concrete. They look just like wood, but would last a lot longer. I'm going to have to think about this.

Project: Fence Status: soon I hope...
My front fence pieces on each side of the house are woefully desperate to be replaced. One side is falling down, literally leaning about 90 degrees. The other side, the gate is almost impossible to open. The rest of the yard has chain link fencing. On one side, there are a lot of shrubs and trees that have grown up beside the fence and created nice privacy for the yard. The back has a privacy fence about a foot inside of the chain link fence that I think was put up just for privacy sake. It only goes to just behind the shed and doesn't go all the way across the yard. The last side is the problem side. It is the side with the "nasty neighbor". The one that had me looking for condos because I just could stand the thought of putting up with her anymore. Anyway, I have very little purposely growing along that fence, but anything that is there, she comes and pulls off the fence or her dad cuts it all down (over a foot inside MY side of the fence). That side is getting a privacy fence for certain!

Project: french door Status: found the door
I have a room that I use only for storage. It is currently storing my grandmothers reproduction Victorian living room set. There is a couch, two chairs, coffee table, and two end tables. The tables are cherry with marble tops. I have always loved this furniture and always pictured having a big house with a parlor with french doors that I could look into the room and see the furniture and be able to keep it pristine. With my tiny house, it is hard to deal with. Plus I have to keep the door to the room closed because of the kids. With the door closed, I lose a lot of light. So, I decided to buy an old french door and replace the door that is there. Yay!

Project: paint (interior)
ugh...

Project: restore windows
again... ugh... ($800 per window...oh my)

Project: shed
I'd like to turn the shed into something fun... like a little country room or a studio. Lots of ideas for this.

Project: Enclose part of deck
My dad did this at his house. He had a nice big deck and decided to enclose it (really it is a screened porch) but he put a vaulted roof instead of just a flat roof and added some skylights. I could live on that porch. My deck is plenty big enough to do this and I really think I'm going to do it. I might even go so far as to put glass and screen so I could protect it from the elements. I have a table that I want to get from our mountain house (big picnic style table {think Walton's} that is made of wormy chestnut), but I have nowhere to put it. I could put it out there it would be great and it would give me more space. :-)

Project: remodel bathroom
another ugh...

Project: ceiling stripping
My ceilings are in bad, bad shape. Someone put up that popcorn stuff in some of the rooms and it is falling off and the ceilings are splitting. In the office the ceiling is separating. It is bad.

Well, that is all I can think of now. I'll try to keep updated here and if you have any suggestions, please let me know. :-)

Blessings,
~*~