Azaleas On My Block

Above are the pink azaleas in my backyard.

Below, the white ones in my west side yard.

The smaller tangerine ones in my front yard.

The ones below are directly across the street.

The whole block is awash with waves of blooming azaleas.

Here I’m looking over the gate in my neighbor Liane’s yard.

Aren’t they incredible?

You would have to see them in person. Photos just don’t do them justice.

Technorati Tags: Azaleas,East Texas springtime

A Make-Do Gardeners Potting Bench

There just comes a time in a gardener’s life when they realize that they need a potting bench. I purchased a wooden one at a consignment shop a few years ago. But it didn’t seem to hold up to the elements. So it ended up here…

Yes, it is in my kitchen holding pots and pans and teapots.

I found this old vintage table at a local antique mall. I like the painted detail on this table top. I’ve never seen one quite like this.

I had been looking for some time for a table that wouldn’t fall apart outside. I got this one for around $50. There’s a leaf on two ends of it to pull out for a bigger space in which to work.

There is a coffee cup in two opposite corners. Does anyone know when this might have been produced? Or remember it being in someone’s kitchen?

Anyway, I find it rather endearing. Kind of reminds me of the “I Love Lucy” era. I placed a shelf I already had on top for storage.

I put my plant fertilizer in vintage jars for easy access.

And I’m already enjoying homegrown tomatoes! They taste so much better than what you buy.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Technorati Tags: Potting bench,gardening,homegrown tomatoes

Welcome Wagon Friday 5/28/10

Here it is Memorial Day weekend, and Welcome Wagon Friday as well. I’ve found some blogs I think you’re really going to love. And many of you have a three day weekend to blog hop.

Faded Prairie is Kristin’s blog. And it is eye candy for the soul. Truly. She refers to it as a prairie girl’s almanac. And herself as a small-town girl who yearns for “what was.” Here, she says, you will find her passion for all things faded, rusted, worn and forgotten.

This Old House 2 is written by Karen. It chronicles the resurrection of a 1835 farmhouse in New England. On her May 25th post, she tells us about cooking old family recipes at a church. Then loading the food into cars, and taking them to a nearby homeless shelter. It will make you look at your home and life anew.

The Painted Hive is Kristine’s blog. She describes herself as a part-time perfectionist.At the top of her blog, she writes “Making House A Home For Honey.” She says she is out to prove that, in this world, you don’t need royal jelly to have a happy hive.

Whether you’re sitting down with your first cup of coffee or tea, or settling down in front of the computer after putting the kiddies to bed, take time to visit these wonderful blogs. Fix up a pot of virtual stew or bake some delectable brownies and then ring-ring their doorbells.

Technorati Tags: Friday Featured Blogs,Welcome Wagon Friday,new blogs to read

My Favorite Space

When I’m not out in the garden, the room I truly feel most comfortable in is this one. You’ve seen it a multitude of times.

My favorite things are in this room. It is my place to unwind, check in with my bloggy friends, and create (when I get off the computer long enough to do so.)

You would think I might want more tranquil colors in here. But no. I’m most soothed by my bright patches of color everywhere. My one nod to a serene backdrop was to paint the walls blue.

Right behind my reading chair is a coffee bar. Yes, the white shelf is gone, in use outside on my potting table. So this brown one that needs some updating (still pondering that one) came in from the garage and got the cobwebs cleaned off. And put into service. The Splenda and Equal packets are in the two drawers.

At the back there is the kitchen, then the garden room (as I like to call it), which opens right up to the bedroom. Very convenient, as these are the rooms I really live in.

Everything in here is washable and casual and comfortable. And this is where I sit and visit all of you. Right here in my little bloggy corner. It’s a bit dark with only a couple of small skylights and no windows. My dark little dungeon. But still, I love this space.And I'm so thankful I have it.

Where is your favorite space to spend time?

I'm linking up to Wednesday Gratitude At Heart & Home.

Technorati Tags: Favorite spaces,garden room,decorating

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!)