Landcaping Pondless Waterfall Now Finished

I have now landscaped both sides of the new pondless waterfall. I have finished replacing flagstone in the pathway.

I am having a landscaper come next week to spread decomposed granite between the flagstone pieces to form a solid path. I must leave that to professionals. As I have about ruined my back and hate to spend any more time on a heating pad.

I went with a brick edging with old bricks I already had in the yard. Because it matches the little brick garden just across the path.

I was trying for a more natural look around the pond, so I've planted grasses and such. My colors here will be mainly white and purple. Oh yes, I haven't planted my white tulip bulbs there yet. Of course I won't see that until spring.

In the left-hand bed, I began with Muhly Grass. It has a soft, flowing pink mist of a flower at the tips.

After trying much of the morning to comment on blogs, and Blogger not allowing me to, I decided to just go outside. I spent a couple of hours sitting on the pavilion with the pets, reading magazines. It is tranquil and the sound of water so utterly relaxing. (What's up with Blogger?)

If you live in my region and want to look into a pondless waterfall, I suggest you look up FNC Ponds and speak to Tanner. He worked magic in my yard in less than a day.

On another note, some of you commented that I might put Abi on medication to ease her anxiety. I should have mentioned that the vet has already tried that. It was the doggy equivalent of Prozac, basically. And for some strange reason, it made her worse.

I do leave on a sound machine that sounds like a waterfall day and night inside. So unfortunately that does not seem to soothe her when I go out.

After reading some of your comments this morning, I wrote a letter to the editor of our local newspaper. I related the story of the two dogs left in the hot car at the grocery store last weekend. And signed my name. If they run it, those people will not be happy with me. But I don't care. I'm not very happy with the way they treat their dogs either.

Welcome Wagon Friday 10/22/10

It's time to circle the wagons. This week I want to introduce you to these four ladies:

Miss Merry's House With The Picket Fence is a blogger in Ohio. She lives in a little gray dollhouse where she has lived for 33 years with her husband, who built her picket fence. She loves to set her table with pretty dishes and dream of fairy gardens with lovely flowers. (Me too!) She quilts, sews, cooks, crafts, reads and daydreams.

An Oasis In The Desert is Cas's blog in Yuma, Arizona. Her husband works for the Navy. And she's recently retired. She loves to play in her craft room all day if she wants to. Loves to decorate her home and make it pretty on a budget. Her newest interest is blogging. (Honey, you're hooked!) And she has a white cat named Abby.

High Street Cottage is Tami's blog. Her style is shabby vintage English country style. She says she can eat an entire pepperoni pizza by herself. Her little toes really do cry wee-wee-wee all the way home. She's frightened of eyelash curlers. (Me too!) She's not above boxed wine. And she's often heard to say: "I meant to do that."

Our Sears Kit Home is Carol's blog. She lives in Pennsylvania. Their home is a 1909 Sears Kit House. Sears sold the kits from the late 1880s through the early 1900s. Right out of the Sears catalog! They are only the third family to own this house. It's fun to watch all they do!

Do your thang, ladies! Head on over and give them a big welcome. This time of year a nice pecan or pumpkin pie might be in order. Sit down with them and everyone get to know one another properly.

Friday Flower 10/22/10

This is not a really exotic or special flower. Simply a Mexican Petunia from my flower bed.

I want to dedicate this flower to Melissa of Miss Sew And So, who, along with Laura of A Place For Tea, hosts Friday Flower.

I'm late getting this up. I got myself in quite a pickle this morning. For some reason that still behooves me, I got it into my foolish head to attempt to take my huge glass L-shaped desk apart and take the part that joined the ends out altogether.

Oh my, you should have seen me. I had no idea what I was doing. I knew the glass was quite heavy. But I was undeterred, because I couldn't get behind the thing to properly clean.

And on top of that, there was a piece of wood molding up top underneath some high shelves that needed another nail, as it was hanging. You know how these tedious little things just drive you nuts until finally one day you get it done. (And I've been mulling this for many months, I tell you!)

So I look around in the drawer to get what I think goes into this strangely shaped thing-a-ma-jig to take it apart. It turns out to be an Allen something-or-other. I got the whole thing apart without incident. Until I got to the last strangely shaped thing-a-ma-jig. It was stripped out. I tried everything I could think of. As this was the last thing holding the metal to the end of the desk.

I live in a small neighborhood of garden homes. Where you find retired school teachers and elderly women. I know one man, but he gets around on a scooter and uses oxygen.

What to do? I was out of ideas to try.

So I remember a man that lives across the street down a bit that has recently retired from banking. I don't know his name. We've talked in the yard a bit. Mused over our dogs.

I go over and (turns out his name was Gordon) ring his doorbell and ask him if he's handy. And I throw in the fact that if he can help me, he can have all the flagstone that's left out back, for free. I know he's working on his back yard, you see. A deal was struck. He gets his big old pickup and over he comes.

Turns out even Gordon couldn't get the stripped thing-a-ma-jig to come loose. So guess what he finally did? He took a hacksaw and sawed it off.

So now I have the thing off. Well, most of it. Except for a rather strange-looking four inch piece of steel still attached that sticks straight up. At least I have it in a corner where you can't see it so good.

Yep, he hacked that thing off and left the stripped thing-a-ma-jig in place. Kind of like taking down a whole fence to get to one board. A backwards way of doing things. But hey, we ran out of ideas!

Don't worry, it's not big enough for anyone to get impaled upon or anything. I will just put things around it and maybe no one will notice...

Sigh...

(You full well know it will drive me to distraction until I get that thing off, don't you now? So stay tuned. I haven't finished doing battle with that thing-a-ma-jig!)

Early White Christmas At Laurie Anna's

Oh my, you girls would have been in white heaven this morning at Laurie Anna's Vintage Farmhouse Christmas. Absolute heaven.

Some of us are close enough to have visited this spectacular event. Someone said that when they opened, there was a long line waiting. I got there six minutes after that door opened, and it was quite a spectacle.

You could not have stirred them with a stick in that place.

It said at the door: "No strollers allowed due to the delicate nature of the merchandise."

Unfortunately it did not list husbands. Can I give you a bit of advice? If it says it's too delicate for strollers, you'd best not take a man then.

Good Lord, I can't tell you how many times I nearly had a stroke from him bumping into things and sending them toppling.

I'm sure Laurie Anna and her crew did not envision this when making that sign.

Shoot, I didn't think we'd get out of that place without something getting broken.

That is Tina of Cherry Hill Cottage fame. Helping her friends with the event.

There was a bull in the china cabinet for sure. And the only other man I saw in there looked uncomfortable too. I doubt he'd ever seen so many women in one place in his whole life.

Every time the men reached over to get something, I think every woman in that vicinity held her breath as I did. Some reached out to steady the items.

I'm sure there were collective gasps amongst the crowd. Oh my, pretties being threatened!

Thankfully we got out without incident.

Took me back long ago to when I would take my two daughters into stores, and my familiar refrain was: "Now don't you touch anything!"

Below was the wreath-making area.

Custom-designed wreathes.

If you're drooling, grab a hankie.

Pretties, pretties everywhere.

Your eye could hardly light anywhere for long. Without the next beautiful creation appearing to distract you.

I wasn't so distracted I couldn't buy things, I want you to know.

I reckon I'd better hush about all that bull-in-a-china-cabinet business though. Because he didn't say a word when he took out his wallet to pay for all you see here.

I'm linking up to The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays.

So What Did I Come Home With?

Inquiring minds want to know. Okay, the unveiling. I fell in love with this birdhouse. Just my style.

And more pitchers. (I already had the red one.) With a pretty blue platter.

A sweet white pumpkin.

Hard to get a pic of this wooden doll. As she's in a corner of my dark garden room. I added one of my necklaces.

Had to buy a basket. Besides, I needed a container to put small stuff in while I shopped.

It was a Christmas event. So I picked up some Christmas trees.

A cute chippy white bird cage.

Had to have this with the birds.

Some glittery eggs. And a pretty bowl to put them in.

A silvery bird.

Twine to tie presents with.

Burlap ribbon. And a couple of little Christmas ornaments.

Am I switching my colors? No. I'm just augmenting my strong colors with some muted ones.

Rearranging The Garden Room Office Area

Look what Kim sent me. The sweetest red and white pillow! (The one on the right.) I love it so much I immediately made a new blog banner to show it off. Thanks Kim!

Since "hacking" the steel and glass desk apart, I've rearranged the grouping three times.

If there was an AA-type group for inveterate "rearrangers," I suppose I'd have to join it.

"Hello, my name is Brenda. And I rearrange my furniture a lot. However there are far worse things in life."

And while I rearrange, I feel compelled to clean.

And dust off my beloved Singer Featherweight.

My most used books.

You know how much I love to organize.

Just another day in "the neighborhood."