Category Archives: Garden

Lately…

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Hey peeps, it seems I’m finally transitioning from summer to autumn. I think I had the last of my favorite summer salads, last week. I’m officially ready to put down the salad fork.

And pick up my soup spoon. I made this 15 bean soup over the weekend. I threw out the seasoning packet that was included with the beans and added my favorite spin on the soup. I also used 1/2 vegetable juice and 1/2 water for the broth. I tossed in a pound of carrots and a large diced sweet onion. This is my new favorite sort of meal this time of the year. Something warm, soft and comforting.

In other news. Well I don’t know that I should call it news, or just thoughts. Nonetheless, my thought “lately” on this old red bird house, (that came with the property) is that it does not pop enough. Like it’s missing something.

While that red color (above) is the color, the image below is something I worked on in Photoshop. I was trying to come up with something that matched my thoughts for what the color of the bird house should be. And to be honest, I love it! Now if I could only reproduce it. I think this project will have to hold a while. Just a thought for now, I guess.

And lately, the koi are down to one and only meal a day. During the spring, summer and early fall, they get between 2 and three meals a day. As the temperature drops in the pond, I will stop feeding them altogether during the cooler winter months.

Ha! I said cooler like it turns bitter cold here. It really doesn’t get too awfully cold, but the fish slow down as the temperature drops, as does their metabolism. Thus it’s not healthy for them to sit on full tummies.

My project over the last week is painting our kitchen cabinets white. The cabinets were started months ago. But I did something to my back and hip that sort of slowed me down for a while. So I got all set up to start my project, when I realized I was completely out of a much-needed item.

So I set out to the local Home Depot. And you guys, I got pulled aside by this site. So I just had to look at all the Christmas stuff out front and check out all the Christmas stuff inside. I checked out light fixtures and a whole bunch of stuff that had nothing to do with my painting project back home.

That’s how I do, it’s such fun to just let go of the focus and follow the path that tugs on our heart. This was exhilarating and didn’t take up too much time or cost a dime. Well worth the time to smell the roses along the way.

I finally made my way to the paint aisle, picked up my item, and I left all other goodies on the shelf.

My painting project is finally underway. I hope to finish up another section this week and move along to a new project next week.

And finally on my lately list. So this year, we had decided not to lug out all of our Christmas decor. I’m still a little uneasy climbing ladders while decorating our huge tree, as I still have a fear of falling. It could have something to do with recovering from my broken wrist earlier this year. While I’m feeling better, I’m not in the mood to mess up a good thing.

But the other night, literally, I put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and had the thought of this little pre decorated fiber optic tree just hanging out in the closet in no box.

I ran with the thought, literally as it popped into my head and ran back to the closet (mind you, popcorn is cooking in the microwave) and had it set up before the bag finished popping. Seriously, the fastest I’ve ever set up a tree to date. This is my kind of decorating this year. And it makes me happy that we have a little something to brighten up the holidays. All is well with the world.

Isn’t it the little things that make our days extra special? I hope to enjoy distractions, take in the things that tug on my heart, live in the moment and still get the necessary things checked off the list.

Blessings – Debbie

Roses and Sunshine and Dinner with Nephew

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Happy Weekend Everybody! Yesterday was such a joy filled day. It was also the hubs Friday off work week. Cheers!

I started the morning with a quick zip over to the local Wal-Mart for our grocery pick- up. And back home in a flash to start the day. I had an extended visit in the garden where I was prompted to pick some roses for the weekend.

I took a few quick pix before putting them in a bud vase.

I couldn’t decide which shot I liked best, so I used all of them.

I’m enjoying the choice of polish for the week.

We received word from our nephew that he would be in town on business this week. He asked if we had Friday evening available for dinner. The answer was YES!

What a glorious evening to visit and dine outdoors.

This is “The Basket” that confirms you are at the Cheesecake Factory.

White Chicken Chili for me! This packs an amazing punch of flavor and goodness. It’s my new favorite Cheesecake Factory dish. Really tho, I haven’t had a bad meal at the Factory, ever.

Time well spent catching up.

Until next time dear nephew, take good care and enjoy the rest of your stay.

Blessings – Debbie

Fog in the Garden

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Lately, we’ve been hit with a little fog in the early mornings. It’s that sort of dull haze providing a tranquil, quite calm, just before the welcome of sunbeams. I just love this time of the day.

Shot a couple of mornings ago on the upper terrace.

While in the fog, I shot the things that called my name. Like this flower, as it prepares to shed her petals, making room for more to bloom in her wake.

The roses, oh how I love each one.

And the jade plant as it begins to show its buds for a nice winter blossom.

One of my favorite sounds in the garden, is the sound of the waterfall as it tumbles down a series of mini rocky falls, when it reaches the pond as if nothing had occurred.

And shot one of my favorite hobbies in action. I love populating succulents by snapping off leaves to create new plants. The little plants are bigger than the original leaf already!

I feel extra thankful for the little things in life that make a difference.

Blessings – Debbie

Mothering Pups & Spooky Gifts

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Sago Pups, to be clear. Did you know sago palms produce pups? These little gems grow from the mother palm, either from the side or base of the palm.

In the last 4 or so years, I’ve had a wish to extract the pups from the palms and try to root them myself. My first year was a total failure. But I didn’t give up. While I don’t have 100% success, let me be clear, it is well worth the effort and care when one begins to show new signs of growth. This is the latest pup stretching its fronds for the first time. How exciting is that? I plan to give her a new pot this winter/spring.

This is the true mother of the pup. I don’t have any “pup” examples as this sago underwent a nice trim this week.

Since I’ve had success with 7 pups with well-developed roots and fronds, I believe I’m finished with mothering pups. Now I’m off to find exciting new places for the little palms.

This is one of my pups from a couple of years ago.

Speaking of mothering, let’s review the plumeria I mothered from a clipping. It continues to put on a display this season. What I find interesting, is how the fresh blooms are such a deep rich color. Then as the days progress, the flower lightens to soft pink with an inner yellow starburst.

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Wow! Ordering groceries from Wal-Mart has been life changing! No really.  I’ll refrain from getting too carried away. But check out our latest goodie bag! They are so good about exclusive goodie bags around each holiday.

New chip clips! They included two this time.

We used to use the regular binder clips for chip/cracker bags. We’re not picky, but the freebies are fun!

The contents of the little box (from the picture up above) held some fun treasures. The hubs enjoyed these little goodies. The sweet potato Good Thins and the chocolate fun size bar were a solid thumbs up. However, the cinnamon brown sugar snack was not so great, he said. He may have wrinkled his nose while eating said snack.

And from that box, I munched on the oven baked Ritz Crisp & Thins Sea Salt. Yum, so thin, flakey, crunchy and yummy. I would have a hard time sticking to one serving if I purchased a bag of these. I’ll just savor in small doses when goodie time rolls around.

But check out that little Trident Vibes Spearmint Rush piece of gum. Since I’m fresh out of my gum, it was a perfect time to add this to the new Wal-Mart shopping cart. You guys, this gum is so soft and packs a real nice Rush, living up to the name.

Not only do we enjoy our quick grocery pickup, we enjoy the little treats and how they go out of their way to service their customers. Sometimes it’s the little things that go a long way. Yay! I found my new favorite chewing gum, that’s huge!

Blessings – Debbie

Feeling “Off” But Good to be Home

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I’m feeling a bit off this week. Perhaps it has to do with getting home from Chicago Monday. The hubs worked from home Tuesday and he’s feeling the same “off” feelings with me.

Yesterday felt like Monday and today feels like, well I really don’t know. But I do know tomorrow is Friday, and that makes me happy.

Another thing that makes me happy is a new nail color for the week. I know, I said I had a new favorite color last week. But I believe my new favorite color changes each week.

I didn’t realize my nails matched my favorite coffee cup, until sipping. And I didn’t realize the coffee cup brought out the color of my top, until I looked at the image.  I love how the cup ties everything together. It’s the little things…

One of my favorite things about being home, is to submerge myself in the garden for several hours. After digging around in the dirt, planting several new things and watering the pots, I shot a few things that make me happy.

The winding stone path, bird house and trees on the upper terrace.

The wildflowers and lavender that continue to flourish, year after year.

This old birdhouse sitting along the side of the path. While there is no resurrecting this little structure, I will continue to love it, just the way it is.

The mushrooms continue to pop up. And I let them blossom where they choose.

Happy Thursday People! Friday is coming!

Blessings – Debbie

Nature and Fun Discoveries

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What a glorious day, filled with fun little treasures. I trust your week is moving along in a good direction.

I had to cut back to 1.5 hours in the garden this morning. I made time to water the potted plants and sprinkled a little love to the fishes too. And I had just enough time to shoot a few things that make me happy.

The orange rose-tree is a one of my favorites. But then again, all the roses in the garden are my favorite.

This is the gateway to the little table and chairs for two.

Just past the arch, at the foot of the second terrace, is this lovely spot for two.

The society garlic, is dotted on the hillside leading to the upper terrace. I’ve worked to populate many of these beautiful grass like bunches with deep purple blooms throughout the yard.

Time outdoors was cut a little short, due to an appointment at the salon. No haircut, just a color touch-up.

I took the liberty to add a fun dimension to this image, shot with my cell phone. This is a great way to pass the time.

While sipping this Coke.

Once home, I tried the new MAC lipstick I purchased. Where in the world have I been? This is the best brand of lipstick I’ve ever tried. Not that I wear makeup much, I really don’t. But still, This has my vote.

I was also in a pinch for some new foundation. Clinique has been my go to since my 20’s. Unfortunately, or shall I say fortunately, they no longer have a color match for me.

The Clinique department at Macy’s, introduced me to my new best (makeup) friend Estee Lauder. Hello Sweet Estee, I’m smitten with the coverage and overall feel on my skin. Farewell Clinique.

What a delight to stumble on a few little things that compliment the oh so little things in this wonderful life.

So my little thought of the day is “If we never try new things, we may never know what we’ve missed”.

Blessings – Debbie

While The Hubs Was Away

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Hello World! I hope this finds you doing well. Hey, I’m posting a second post today. What’s up with that?

I suppose I’m in the mood to get caught up on things.

April 16th – 23rd

It’s that time of the year for new growth. And word is out that there are new baby egrets over at the nearby lake.

Which brings me to the reason our pond is still covered. This guy came for a visit last week, only to discover he was not able to reach the fish, thank you pond net for holding up.

It’s also a busy time in and around the pond.

The fish have spawned several times and I’m working double duty to keep the pond nice and clean. In the process, I think I’m getting a little extra vitamin D.

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Monday evening, the hubs called to see if I wanted to watch our show together. While we were worlds apart. Or so it seemed.

Note: If you are anyone that knows me well, you know I’m not a TV person. While I enjoy the shows we watch together, like survivor, Master Chef and Better Call Saul, I don’t bother turning on the TV when the hubs is away.

So on that particular night, he had to walk me thru instructions, just to get the TV on.

Once “we” (the me part of we) got to the right channel, we were all set to watch Better Call Saul.

The fun part was texting between commercials and even during the show. That was my favorite night, as he felt really close.

One day I picked roses from the garden. It makes me happy to bring the outdoors in.

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What makes my heart sing – Sometimes things grab our attention without trying to notice. Like this canister at the front of the store in the after Easter clearance sale. Several thoughts that ran thru my mind in like 1 second. 4 dollars and change? really? I love it! It’s cheerful and happy! For that price it’s ours. And so it was. Next year, I’ll have to make a cozy little spot for us to enjoy.

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One day the hubs sent a text…”How many pieces of fudge would you like?”

You see, he was in Ft Worth again, staying in the Stockyards next to the candy store where they sell my favorite fudge in the world. Of course not counting my mom’s fudge, her fudge is the best, but only made once a year. That’s another story for another time.

Back to the number of pieces I wanted. I responded “One piece baby, just one.” That was my fudge order.

Well fudge, I didn’t think another thing until he got home Friday afternoon with a couple of boxes of goodies. I wonder if he left enough fudge on the shelf for others. Obviously he was not concerned with sharing. That’s 8 huge pieces of fudge for me. Yeah, he’s not a fudge kinda guy, so it’s all mine.

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The best part about this fudge is, the decadence of peanut butter and chocolate in one smooth creamy bite. It is sure to satisfy the craziest of chocoholics.

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After the hubs busy week, we decided a laid back weekend was the ticket to rest up. We did enjoy a few dinners out, a quick stop at the ice cream store and a lot of relaxation.

And with that, my wish for you is a Happy New Week.

Blessings – Debbie

New Season New Projects

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It’s such a pretty time of the year. A magical time when things begin to appear after a little nap. Like the gladiolas, day lilies and water lilies. The water-lily pads are leafing out and we look forward to the pink, white and yellow flowers to be on display any day now.

The backyard has been an ongoing project. A fun project. A labor of love. The arbors are fairly new but the one on the right is the latest edition.

See the bird houses up top? They’re not new, but I applied a new coat/color of paint to make them pop.  And each of them have been moved 3 times. I think I like the spots they’re in this time around.

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The yellow bird house, zoomed in a bit.

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And the green bird house with a new splash of paint. See the yellow dragonfly, flying thru the lavender? I painted him not too long ago as well.

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This arbor is the second (matching) arbor added to the upper terrace. I’m super excited about the little project that will complete the area. It’s probably weeks out, but still, exciting.

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After working several hours in the garden, I craved a nice tall glass of sweet tea, made with honey.

I took my nice cool beverage to the patio and sipped and thought about the next project I would like to tackle.

I “think” it involves paint.

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I’m happy to report that we had a glorious spring day. And I look forward to sharing as I go along the way.

Blessings – Debbie

Fort Worth Stock Yards

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Hello peeps!  How are you? Yes, I’m here! Has it really been over a year since I had something to say on the blog? I find that hard to believe.

The blog’s been on my mind, it seems daily. And the weight of all the things left unsaid seemed to push me further away. Like a mountain of stuff piling up, and  not knowing where to begin. Things like 3 weddings in 3 different states, memories of my grandma, gardening projects, monthly book club fun dates, painting birdhouses, our trip to Hoover Dam, Meteor Crater and the Grand Canyon and little things like ducks adopting our pond and the hubs and I named them Mack and Daisy and we became Certified Kansas City BBQ judges! And other stuff that I would find blog worthy.

But at some point, it’s good to know that it’s ok to start blogging right where I am. And not fret trying to get things in chronological order.

So for now, I would like to post an update from two weeks ago.

On Monday, April 3rd, our alarm rang at 3:15am. The hubs had a business trip to Fort Worth and we decided that I should go too. Our bags were packed the night before and we were up and at it and out the door in record time.

Fort Worth was our destination. In fact, we stayed at the Hyatt, right smack in the middle of the heartbeat of Fort Wort, the Fort Worth Stock Yards.

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While the hubs worked, I found plenty to do, just steps away from our room.

One of the things I was excited about was the cattle drive.

The Old West comes to life during the Fort Worth Herd’s twice-daily cattle drive. Genuine Texas cowhands drive a herd of Texas Longhorns down Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District every day at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

On Tuesday afternoon, I arrived exceptionally early to experience the excitement on the street as people started to arrive.

I found a nice shaded bench on the sidewalk and found myself in my own little world enjoying the passing moments.

A little while later, I heard a sweet voice coming from a gal (Genevieve) who found a  place to sit on the bench next to me.

In no time, we became friends and exchanged stories about our passion for art, photography and travel. Turns out, she is traveling the entire lower 48. How awesome and impressive is that folks!?! We also exchanged blogs and emails.

She also encouraged me to get back to blogging. Many thanks to her, the blog is back sooner than expected.

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Every detail of the cattle drive—from the saddles and chaps to the boots and hats – is authentic and historically true.

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On Wednesday, the next day, I watched the cattle drive again.

“Here comes the parade!” Ha! I got such a chuckle out of the gal behind me when she uttered those words. I guess you could argue that it’s a parade of Longhorns.

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It was sweet to see the baby. His little horns are adorbs.

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And that’s a wrap on the cattle drive. Till next time…

At the Cow Wash – I love how the hubs came up with the name cow wash. This was located just behind our hotel.

They didn’t enjoy getting sprayed in the face.

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But didn’t seem to mind the rest of the wash.

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Who knew Longhorns got the full service?

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While in the Stockyards, it was nice to get out and stroll.

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While on my stroll, It was nice to take the time to enjoy the finer things. Like this furniture store (Rios) located in the heart of the Stock Yards.

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Southwest flare is pretty cool.

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The Texan swagger is on.

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A cool statue I shot one bright sunny day.

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The hubs and I enjoyed a nice BBQ brisket meal at one of our old favorite places.

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It was a must to take a picture where our daughter used to work. Just for old times sake.

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Another evening, we went to Rodeo Goat for burgers.

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Overall, the two of us got to enjoy some special things. Like our favorite fried chicken establishment, Babe’s Fried Chicken. We took a side tour of our old homestead, visited with our old neighbor in passing and enjoyed the time when we were able to do things together.

I was also blessed to visit with a good friend Jan over lunch one day. What a delight it was seeing her again, after 10 years. It’s a wonderful feeling when we are able to catch up with old friends. And able to pick right back up where we left off and not miss a beat. Does my heart good.

Our time in Fort Worth was a treasure, I gained a new friend Miss Genevieve, we were able to experience old favorite places and visit with old long lost friends. What a blessing after 10 years of separation to the place we once called home.

I have so much more to share, and look forward to posting again soon. I think it’s safe to say that I’m back and ever so happy to be here.

Blessings – Debbie

Mama said there’ll be days like this

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There’ll be days like this my mama said. Such a smart lady my mama.

Some days beg for a little vent, a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen as we share little challenges, all in a day. That was yesterday and today we’re still without water.

First things first, we woke to no internet. Ok, no biggie, the hubs can get to it later.

Next, I noticed our sprinklers were not turning off and water was pooling.  This is the second ordeal with the sprinklers in the last week. Turns out we have a bad valve and we look to replace them over the weekend. But in the meantime, we have the water turned off for the entire household. Luckily we can turn it on for showers and such and then right back off it goes. I told the hubs this morning as he was getting dressed for the outdoors that it was as though he had to make a run for the well before he could shower this morning. And then it took me back to the days before me, when folks really did have to pump their water. And then I thought of how thankful I am that all we need to do is turn a knob for running water. It’s not so bad after all.

Note: this issue it unrelated to the broken/repaired pipe I shared last week.

So last evening, the hubs insisted we go out for dinner. It was a nice treat with all that was going on at home.

But folks, the shoe dropped once again after dinner. As the hubs went to start the car, it would not start. We both grinned, looked at each other and agreed that we were ready for the nonsense and day to end.

We were also delighted to have AAA to the rescue. They were by our side in less than 30 min., they came equipped with new batteries and provided the best service on the spot. And our car was good as new and back on the road within 45 min of our first call.

While the internet was down, I painted in Photoshop (yesterday). It’s the image that so inspired me to shoot the other day. I can’t express the amount of joy that comes from painting. And I can say it was good for the body and soul. Amen.

The first image on the left is a underpainting. Image in the middle is the next layer, what I refer to as intermediate strokes and the last image is referred to as detail strokes.

While the layers are far from finished, it gives an idea of the steps taken while in the process of putting the layers together as one.

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And with that, I shall continue to move forward. And feel grateful that we have so much to be thankful for. Even if we have a mound of dirty clothes in need of washing.

Blessings – Debbie

Flowers and Friendship

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Happy Day! Today feels like flowers and friendship, because it is.

It’s flowers, because I noticed the ice plant on the upper terrace beginning to bloom. It’s also known as delosperma cooperi or mesembryanthemum cooperi.

However you call it, I find what little we have to be so very pretty.

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And friendship, because a few of us got together for a little brunch and had the best time visiting over coffee before and after we finished eating. In fact, our special time together, prompted another brunch date in a couple of weeks.

And now to finish a little more work around home sweet home.

I’m sure the hubs and I will have another fun date (this evening) catching up on our new favorite show, Downton Abbey. I think we watched 3, if not more episodes last evening. It’s bound to be GOOD! No spoilers, we are still catching up.

Blessings – Debbie

Good Bad and Ugly

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Lately we’ve bumped into some good, bad and downright ugly situations. But first, I’ll start with the good. Actually the good part of this should be more like GREAT!

Great in the sense –

  • Weekend dates are wonderful!
  • We’ve had a hankering to try this new restaurant in town and we finally got around to going.
  • They have ribs on the menu. (I love ribs, really good ribs)
  • They advertise fall off the bone ribs.
  • I’ve been searching for really good ribs since our move to So Cal a little over 6 years ago.
  • I need look no further for my rib fix. Finger licking good, let me tell you. We’ll be back!
  • The hubs had their filet and from what he said, it was really good too.

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The Good – Another wonderful thing this past week was the girls book club get together. It was our first meeting of 2016. We had such a wonderful time discussing the book – Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

The bad – We had quite the storm over the weekend. Wind, rain, power outages in the area for up to 6 hours. Our friends, a mile or so up the road, brought some important frozen goods over that evening. Luckily our power, powered thru the storm.

The Good – During the storm, the hubs and I did a little more binge watching of the old but new to us show Downton Abbey. Love that show! Where have we been? We are caught up thru season 4 already.

During the stormy and ever so windy night, I thought the wind was going to literally carry us away. The hubs slept right thru it.

The Good – The morning after, we woke to pretty sunny skies with a little sprinkling of hail left over from our storm.

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The Good – A pretty red rose in the garden for the “love month”.

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The Ugly – Late yesterday afternoon I noticed a bit of a waterfall on the upper terrace. I quickly sent the hubs a message saying that it did not look like a sprinkler gusher, but close. I then made my way up the terrace and quickly took this shot with the cell phone and sent it to the hubs saying “we have a problem”. Then he gave direction for me to turn off the water main.

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The Good in the midst of Ugly – In true hero fashion, the hubs came home and saved the day! And we had running water once again last night.

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The Ugly – The “root” of the problem. It’s pretty crazy the amount of trouble roots can cause. We plan to have more roots removed and new pipe put in the ground.

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Life is not always roses and sunshine. But it’s what we make of it thru the storm.

Blessings – Debbie

New Growth and Color in the Garden

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Happy Weekend!

It’s an exciting weekend. We’re relaxing, enjoying each other and the fruits of our labor.

Early this morning, I snapped a few pictures to remember some of the things in bloom late January.

Last weekend we started our annual garden. We are thrilled to see our tomatoes already! Each day we take note of how much they are stretching towards the sunshine.

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Our little daisies made an appearance too!

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Out in the garden, the blossoms are many. The ice plant in full bloom.

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What a delight to watch the ground cover that we planted last year. It is filling in beautifully.

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Our birds are in full bloom too.

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Even the tiny flowers on this rather large bush are so delicate yet colorful.

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The honeysuccle adds such a punch of color on the upper terrace.

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The roses tend to bloom year round in So Cal. Another bud getting ready to share its beauty.

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While we enjoy the growth and beauty, it’s still a little on the chilly side to stay too long out doors in the early morning hours. We have mid to upper 60’s in the day and low to mid 40’s at night. Welcome to winter in southern CA. But we are not complaining.

While the seasons change, I’m thankful to find beauty along the way.

Blessings – Debbie

Oh Summer You Went So Fast

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Dear summer of 2015, thank you for your bountiful blessings.

We were so excited about our grape-vine this year, that we picked up two more vines and planted them. Unfortunately, around picking time, there were no grapes left for us. Lesson learned, we will cover them with a net to keep the birds away next time.

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And our little pumpkin patch flourished with more pumpkins than we could use this autumn. Unfortunately, we just ended up tossing them as we planted a little too early this year. Lessons learned…

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Fresh summer California berries deserve a standing ovation. Amen…

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July 10th – An exciting day! Our solar panels were delivered. A big shout out for solar energy, oh happy day! We are so thrilled to have that done.

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Enjoyed our Sweet 16 Anniversary. Feeling blessed and so very happy to spend life with My Love. It truly has been a great adventure.

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Mid August – Taking pictures lately? That’s the question my photographer friend asked while we were out having some girl time. No was the reply. No was her reply too. We think it has to do with the overload from school that put us both over the edge. However, we both still love our camera and in no way are we putting it on the shelf. Just taking a little breather. Here’s an image of roses I brought in from the garden. Made me so very happy…

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August 31 – Spent hours by the waterfall = My favorite place to chill. The activity in and around the pond = priceless.

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I love a garden with flowers and fish. I’m thankful each day to have both. Love our Shubunkin pumpkins as I fondly call them. This guy was wondering when I would stop shooting and feed him.

Threw a paint filter on this in Photoshop, because I thought it needed a little something somethin.

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A little early September morning blessing from the garden.

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Loving my babies! It has to be one of my favorite spots to visit.

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Yes, we have watermelon! And I must say, it is some of the best melon ever. It continues to produce and we’ve enjoyed it daily for weeks.

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One of the great blessings of the week is – I have the hubs home taking a little vacation with me. Loving this time together around Home Sweet Home.

Back to celebrating his time off. Happy Day! And Happy Catching up on the Blog… Well as much catching up as I plan to do. I know there are things I missed like special dates and such, but I’m calling it quits and caught up. And feeling blessed.

Happy Day and Blessings – Debbie

Early March – In Like a Lion

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Well good day! Finally, I’m back!

Yes, I’m back to bite off early March, bit by bit. I’m not so thrilled when I get this far behind, but I refuse to carry on as if nothing happened. There is so much to catch up on and there is no better time than now to start. Well, all of those yesterdays would have been a good time too, but they’re gone.

So here goes…

The date, March 2nd. – There was a crazy loud boom as March unfolded. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. We were blasted with hail.

Totally in like a lion.

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I don’t think the fish have ever experienced this much commotion. I know I haven’t.

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And I know the palms were probably in shock. This just doesn’t happen in So Cal. Or does it? It was a first for us in the 5 years we’ve lived here.

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It was a month of fire too. Nice evenings spent around the fire pit. This was another early March weekend evening. (actually, this shot was taken the morning after) I still remember the day, it was one of the many days I had spent 99% of my time outdoors. And looking up into the clear night sky peppered with stars and planets, was glorious.

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During late February – early March, we had the old plantings ripped out of the immediate left side of the waterfall. I had been working on transplanting things from around the yard to the area. It will be fun to watch the ground cover spread and the plants blossom. I also planted 4 roses in various areas on the upper terrace. Meals were also enjoyed on the patio. This is pretty much where I spent a good deal of time…

An early foggy Monday morning. Note the purple wisteria in bloom.

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As mid March drew near, I was beginning to think of all the stuff that needed a little sprucing before company arrived on the 14th.

So I started Wednesday, the 11th at the car wash, then salon.

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The hubs wanted a smile. Much better he said.

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Then we waited for our guests to arrive.

Oh wait, one more lil thing!

On the 13th, we had the electricians over to add LED lights in the kitchen and dining room. “What were we thinking” were my thoughts, when company was due to arrive the next day. So much dust, oh the dust…But in the end, we were so happy to have the job done. And all the dust bunnies were put to rest before company arrived.

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To be continued…

Blessings – Debbie