Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. Henry David Thoreau

Monday, August 31, 2009

Landscaping Therapy!



Let's Play In The Dirt!


After months of 

chopping and hacking away
at vines, brambles,limbs and stumps,

I have decided that it is time

to make some Pretty.



I don't know what it is with me....


but looking back at my life,

there is one thing that connects the dots for me

rocks.

I realized that at every home we have  
rented, built or restored,

I have installed some sort of
rock garden.

What is it about the rocks?

I don't know,
but I think it is a serious
addiction.

I love rocks.

It was very good therapy
this weekend 
for me to become one
with the rocks.


Let's unload this pallet of rocks, shall we?



I will spare you pictures of me
covering the entire surface
with newspaper 
anchoring the newspaper 
with wood scraps
when the wind whipped up
and threatened to
blow all the paper away.

Then removing the wood anchoring the paper
as I spread top soil and compost
over the paper.

Then re-stacking the wood to get it out of the way,
spreading the dirt around,
and 
unloading every rock and 
looking for pieces that 
would fit together well.

Separating rocks that
didnt want to be near each other
breaking up rock fights
and such.
Must be girl rocks!

Notice how I kept the lawn chair 
very nearby for
frequent rest and water breaks.




Sometimes you just have to
walk away from the rocks

and let your eyes rest.




But in the end

there was rock harmony.





And rock beds
where the rocks can sleep in peace.


Right now there is just a thin covering of dirt,

just enough to keep the paper from blowing away.
I will be bringing in
more bags of topsoil and compost
to make it ready
for plants.

Plants.
Flowers.
Groundcovers.
Flowering shrubs.
ok, back to work~


Corbels



Just when you thought

you were through 

learning new words,

I have a new one for you.

Corbels.


Beautiful,
big,
heavy
cedar
corbels.







Here is the A Team installing
the corbels




These corbels are not made of anything
poly.

Nope, they are solid cedar
and they are 
heavy.




I hope Brian knows there is a sharp
pointy thing ready to catch him
if he loses his balance.








Here ,hiding in a very tiny space 
is ATeam Leader
installing the support brackets
that will hold this bad boy up.

It looks very crowded in there.





I dont know how he got his whole body in that little space.
Note leg sticking out of the  window!

ATeam leader is 6'7"
Hole is 6'5"
He didn't stay in there very long!






Here they are
all installed in their new home.

Looking very strong and important.

Like they are holding the whole roof up.

Actually, they aren't holding anything up.
They are just for looks.

Don't they look good?







Job well done, A-Team!


ps...I stained the corbels.

All 9 of them!  
Yeah team~!









Friday, August 28, 2009

Lady in Waiting


Here she is

in all her nakedness.

The dresser on the left
is stripped of all her 

hinky-ness

and waiting for

the perfect white dress.

I mean paint.








Notice the depressed 

hinky- oak c-olored

sister
on the right

waiting for her turn.





She is orange with envy.





Don't worry little sister,

You too will have your day
in the sun.

You too will be shabby chic

When my fingers stop throbbing.



this is for Kimberly.

Sometimes

a thing

just calls out your name.






I love old things.
I love flea markets.
I love seeing how creative people
take old things
and give them a new life.




When I saw this old thing
I could not walk away.

The green color 
is delicious.

I smoothed it down 
just a little
and rubbed it down
just a little.

And now it is waiting
in my garage
for 
you
Kimberly.

Waiting for you
to give it new life.

I know you will love it
and will find
a special place
for it to live.

And 
I can't wait 
to see
what you do with it.

When I first started
to clean it up
I started to suspect
that it was in such good shape
that it might not
even be old.

But then I noticed 
that the metal parts
are all rusty.
And the nails 
are square.

Square.

But the thing that called out my name
was
the
green
color.

I hope it makes you smile
when you see it.

I love you.

Monday, August 24, 2009




Hello friends.
I know, I know,
it's been a long time.

There is much progress 
out at the cedars.
I have pictures to prove it.

But for some reason
my camera is not wanting to
let go of the pictures.

It may be a couple of 
dead batteries.

It may be a full moon.

It may be menopause.

But there it is.

No pictures.

Let me tell you
about it instead.

The deck floor is almost finished.
The soffits are almost finished.
The windows are almost all installed.
Hubs is almost finished measuring for cedar trim boards.


I have been staining the cedar beams that hold up
the deck.


I have been stripping the finish off
an old oak bedroom set
so that I can paint it white.

Yes, Lisa I know you are cringing...
I can hear you!
Trust me,
this hinky orange-y oak-ish
orphan furniture
will be 
lovely and loved
once again!

I am building my first flower bed
island 
among the trees in the front yard.

I am spraying the weeds and vines again
and continuing to chop
and trim cedars.



I
cannot get the black
stuff out from under my 
fingernails.

But I don't care.

My house is very dirty.

But I don't care.


We are moving forward.

Pictures at 11:00!


Thursday, August 13, 2009

hit the fast forward button!

I am counting my blessings,
naming them one by one....

Since this picture was taken,
there are floor boards in place
ready for the composite decking
that is laying in a pile on the ground.






The two beautiful arched windows
are installed in the
dining room
and Jim's office.





The reports are back
on the lawn mower.

Experts have deduced 
that it was not my fault
that the thing died
while I was using it.

It''s been in sick bay 
for two weeks now
and 
today I went out all ready to mow
when one of the tires
indicated that it did not want to mow today
and hubs was too busy with his
cleanup project
to go get it fixed
so I didn't have to mow.


Final stages of repair.
Yesterday I swept the entire house.
It took me all day.

I have two large blisters
and some very sore muscles.

I got up all the rubble, sawdust, nails
empty energy drink bottles
and general trash.

Today, I picked up nails outside and
Jim spent the entire day
cleaning,
picking up trash,
loading up extra lumber 
for the lumber yard to take back.


It looks a lot better with all the lumber and debris gone.
Tomorrow I will mow, hopefully
and stain the cedar poles holding up the deck floor and roof.


The framing team has pulled off for a week
to work on some other projects
so it will be quiet.
Very quiet.

I like that.

When they return
they will put the floor on the deck
and build the stairs coming off the deck.

Install the last two windows and
install soffits.

Then maybe the front door.

Then siding and cedar trim.


ahhhhhh.

Life is Good.


Monday, August 10, 2009

ouch!


What do you get

when you look to the left
and you look to the right
and then you 


back straight 

into 


tree?





You get this.







Here.

Let's try looking at it
from another angle.



I am currently trying 
to think of something funny
about this.




The only funny thing I can think of
is that I got out of the car,
went to the back and looked
and did not see this.

I was looking at 
the bumper.

There was nothing there.
Nada.
Nary a scratch.

I even said a prayer of thanks to the 
Good Lord
for protecting my little car 
from that mean old tree.


And I put my rubber boots on
and got to work 
picking up trash 
and throwing it on the fire.


Feeling proud
of my strong little car 
and her strong little bumper.



Of course, 

my trusty son
the one who sees 
and knows
all
came over

 and the first words
out of his mouth were


MOM  what did you do to your car????


What do you mean?
Nothing.


Well, ok, I did back into a tree.

But I checked!
there was nothing there.
Whew, I said.

Lucky me!

Husband and Son dash outside
to inspect the damage.


Husband predicts
$1000 - $2000

in damage.



Husband and Son cannot believe I didn't see this.

I even opened the back hatch to put my boots away.
And did not see it.



The  only thing that is keeping me out of the doghouse
is the fact that

Husband has a big dent 
in the passenger side door of his
Chevy Silverado
from when he



backed into a tree
several months ago.



Hahahahahaha.
I'm not  laughing.
I'm just chuckling inside.






Sunday, August 9, 2009

firebugs



Burnin, burnin, burnin,

keep those trash piles burnin....

gotta keep em burnin.....








Rawhide!





Men , they won't be learnin,

they'll always be a yearnin,

though it's too hot for burnin,


Rawhide!






Giddyup, hm-mm,
Somethin, somethin,
Giddyup somethin,
Somethin, somethin...
giddyup
somethin
somethin....

Rawhide!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

W - is for Windows.





Wow.
Wowza.
Woah.

Weally?





Waiting.
Watching.
Wondering.
Wonderful
Windows




Here is what it waiting in the truck.
Woo Hoo!

It is Wonderful.
Wery, Wery, Wonderful.








Aren't they precious?







Look at these two sweet twins!





Outside.





Inside.






Can you feel the Wonderfulness of it?


Wait til you see Monday's
Window Wonderfulness!

Wait for it.


Monday, August 3, 2009




I'm leavin
on a jet plane...
don't know 
when I'll be back again..



oops, that was a mistake.
we're actually gonna load up
a trailer
and go get some
composite decking
for 



the back porch.

be still my heart.

Emanuel and Antonio
are working hard
on the roof.

Preston has been working hard
on the stairway to the basement.

I am on my way out to
mow.

Isn't this the time of year when
things dry up 
and turn brown?
Parched and dry...
dormant?


Not this grass, vines, poison ivy
pretend blackberries, and honeysuckle!
No parching here. Just green green tall grass
all around.
And so I mow.

And then I'm

leavin on a jet plane,
don't know when I'll be back again!

Just kidding.  I like to be silly on Mondays.
It's August - the month I hate most
in all of the year.
So be gentle with me.
I'm trying to get August cancelled 
and I have decided to pitch this idea
to my congressman.
Just think how much money
we could save if we just
eliminated one month out of the year.
We could probably bring the deficit back under control.
Im surprised  chairman  O hasn't already thought of this.




It's just wrong. 
OK, I'm through ranting.
I'm off to Walmart for milk, coffee and a new box of crayons. (Before they are all gone, it being August and all.)
Welcome, August.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." Ralph Waldo Emerson

About Me

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Welcome to my happy place. A place where I can share ideas, projects, and dreams. I am a nester, a crafter, a creator and a dreamer I hope you will find inspiration and encouragement for the journey you are on. I am a Jesus follower, wife, mother and nana. Blessed beyond measure, just trying to live my life gracefully and make a difference in my small world. Join me!