A Stroll Does the Soul Good

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Debbie

An early morning visit in the garden on a pretty Friday morning, does my heart and soul good.

Seeing this rosebush covered with roses is truly a sight to behold. Especially since it only bloomed not even a handful of roses last year. My hat is off to fertilizer and all the beauty that happens when the roses are loved.

I had my little stroll following the sprinklers this morning. Perfect timing!

Then I checked on the produce patch. And what I really want to do is pluck this ear of sweet corn and eat it raw, right there in the garden.

Remember the image of this guy a few days ago? Well it’s getting so big! I also noticed quite a few more melon coming along. Fingers crossed for some good summer sweet watermelon.

I’m so glad it’s Friday. For a number of reasons. A: We have gardening plans up our sleeves this weekend B: We’re making chicken Fajitas and rice for dinner tonight C: It’s FRIDAY! What more can I say, the weekend fun is about to commence!

Happy Weekend Friends!

Blessings – Debbie

In the Garden

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Debbie

Our three-day weekend was filled with good things. We did a bit of shopping for the garden – dinning out – resting – working in the garden – oatmeal chocolate chip baking – cooking together, the hubs makes killer shrimp tacos + I make killer garnish = we make the best team – planting in the garden = I transplanted 11 “pup” sago palms – we stopped at an estate sale and I picked up a little something (decor that I want to paint white) for the kitchen and the hubs paid for it = $5.00 – I used a sledge hammer “I used a SLEDGE hammer!” The hubs helped to coach me on how to better swing it, makes me happy he lets me do these fun things along side him + it got my heart rate up = great workout – Had a bit more work done on the pavers + the boys dug a trench out to the road to complete the drainage for the project – the hubs had a dental (cleaning) appointment and I took a nap in the waiting room (you should have seen his grin when I woke up) – And Monday morning the hubs said “I could use another 1,000 weekends like this.

And just like that, it was Monday.

I shot a picture of the leader on my way home. Yes, one hand was on the wheel. Both eyes on the road. The other hand in my purse digging for my cell. And I managed to get a shot. Then I just had to throw it in Photoshop for a bit of an edit. How fun!

We had a visitor again last evening. It looks like our fake decor egret is not holding up his end of the deal. Guess it’s time for me to move it again…

So it’s been a year this week that we added fish to the pond. In this amount of time, we’ve lost a total of 4 to the egret and heron. Not too bad, if you were to ask me. As we will always live with this sort of threat…And I’m thankful yelling works when all else fails…

The hubs knows just the place to look when I’m nowhere to be found, this morning.

She’ll be in the garden.

Inspecting the daylily at all angles.

And spying a daylily just before the bloom…

Checking to see how the red bell pepper begins to form.

And the roses…

Oh, the roses.

They truly have a greeting all of their own.

And just like that, the early morning hours are past and we are well on our way into Tuesday.

Which means, I think it’s about time to get on with a few of the nitty-gritty things, as I just heard the washing machine stop.

Thank you for stopping by on this beautiful summer day.

Blessings – Debbie

To Do

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Debbie

As in to-do list.

I started the day with a number of things on my list of things to do.

First up – Clean the pond. I don’t believe I’ve talked too much about how I like to keep the pond free of debris. But it’s one of those things I strive to do daily. Not because it’s a necessity, I just enjoy it better when it’s clean.

The daily cleaning = netting out any leaves or debris that may have blown in overnight.

Today was the day to actually get in with the fish. During the summer months, I like to dip in about once a week to clean out the lilly pads and flowers that are no longer bloom. Something like deadheading the lilies and pads.

It also tickles me that the fish actually come swimming right up to me the moment I get in. They let me pet them and we’re like best buddies. And if I stand in one place for a while, they begin to nibble on my skin. The whole experience truly makes my heart happy.

Here’s an image I shot of one of the babies. I can hardly believe they are a year old this month. Yup, he was born in the pond last year.

I also wanted to give the roses some attention. I gave some a little extra TLC with a dose of coffee grounds. And while I was at it, I thought I’d shoot an image of the roses, but in a different perspective. I love the array color throughout the garden.

And I took an image of this plant. It bloomed this week for the first time this season. Soon it will be loaded with pretty flowers.

And then I had other things on my list.

Things like returning an item back to the store. It wasn’t a painful task, but it sure felt like it. It’s one of those things I’ve been procrastinating. So it’s a relief to have that little pesky thing crossed off.

And picking up some items at Bed Bath and Beyond. I was particularly excited with this stop as I had three 20% off coupons + one $5.00 off coupon + one $25.00 gift card. I’ll say I made out really well today.

One last stop at the grocery store for some much needed grub and then home sweet home.

My list also included some household chores, laundry and ironing. Done, done and DONE!

And then I got to do something that wasn’t on my list. I took a nap. Because my peepers were heavy, so I gave them a rest. And that sure did a body good.

And now we’re heading into a nice 3-day weekend. I’m really looking forward to it, as we have a few fun gardening things on our weekend list of things to-do.

Cheers to To-Do lists and getting things crossed off.

Happy Weekend Friends!

Blessings – Debbie

What Caught My Eye

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Debbie

Good afternoon friends! It’s a glorious day. The hubs is on the mend. Knock on wood, I still feel like a million bucks. And that gives me reason to celebrate right there.

So today, I decided I would shoot a few things that have recently caught my eye.

First up – the climbing rose over the arch in the garden. This guy has made some really nice changes since we started fertilizing this year. The buds keep a coming and the roses burst with joy.

Beefsteak Tomato – My eye has been all over this guy the last few days. I think this is the largest beefsteak we have on the vine so far.

As I passed by these heirloom cherry tomatoes, in front of the roses – I had a thought that the roses would provide a pretty background. That said, I decided to shoot because it caught my eye.

Anybody out there know the name of this really pretty tall blue flowering grass? I just love how it has spilled over with flowers since the spring.

Love…

And love…I couldn’t decide which image I liked the best. So I used all the above and this guy below.

Love when the agave begin to bloom…

We have oodles of daylilies preparing to burst.

And finally, this fallen leaf in the bottom of the old rusted-out wheelbarrow truly caught my eye.

It was a nice little break to stop and capture a few of the things that have caused me to pause over the last few days, weeks and months.

Thank you for visiting.

Blessings – Debbie

In The Last 24 Hours

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Debbie

We had a visitor last evening.

The guy down below is our fake decoy egret for the fish pond. The guy up above, just flew in. I actually ran out there and yelled at him right after I took this blurry shot.

This morning – things moved along as usual. I made breakfast and lunch for the hubs while he was getting ready for work.

Made a cup of coffee as soon as I bid farewell to the hubs.

Sat down for about 30 min for a little reading with my coffee.

Then went out to the garden.

And spied this little crimson sweet watermelon for the very first time. And as I looked, I noticed a few more babies. Did you know these guys can reach up to 25 pounds? No matter the size, we’re just hoping for some sweet homegrown melon this year.

And then I went over to check out the tomatoes. It seems they are changing by the day too. Here’s a few of our little cherry tomatoes.

Our red bell peppers are growing too.

And just about the time I was getting ready to pay a little attention to the roses, I hear from down below “Honey, I’m home and I don’t feel so good.”

So I dropped what I was doing and ran down to see what was wrong.

Turns out he was violently sick and asked if I would take him to Urgent Care right away.

I would have done anything to make his illness go away, so off we went to get him some help.

Soon, the nurse gave him dose of Zofran. After a while, he was still terribly sick so the Dr. ordered another dose + a nice IV to keep him from dehydrating.

After about 20 or so minutes he was feeling a lot better.

While he was enjoying his IV, they were working on his blood samples in the lab.

As it turns out, his blood work checked out just peachy. And he was sent home to rest, drink lots of clear fluids, rest and hopefully shoo this flu bug away.

The hubs seems to be a bit exhausted but feeling so much better this evening. And that makes me one very happy wifey.

Later this afternoon, we had an exciting find in the pond. We both spied the two (very small) catfish our nephew added to the pond just four weeks ago (yesterday). It was a happy moment let me tell you. I still can’t believe they were in hiding all month.

While I don’t have an image of our catfish, here’s a fun picture I took at dinnertime this evening. They have me wrapped right around their little fins and I think they know it too.

I close the day with a grateful heart and much to be thankful for.

Blessings – Debbie

Bits and Pieces

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Debbie

Getting Overhauled

Well I’m up for new lenses.

I could already tell my eyes were failing. Turns out, I am in dire need of a bit more oomph. You have no idea how excited I am that I’ll be seeing crystal clear soon! Totally “LOOKING” forward to it.

As of last Thursday, my frames were shipped to the lab.

And I feel blind wearing my old frames/lenses from 3 years ago.

The nose piece hurts my nose – Band-Aids are applied to either side (see image above) for relief. Now all I need is a little sympathy. Perhaps the string orchestra, or even a little violin would work.

On the bright and cheerful sunny side of life, at least I have my old computer glasses. While the prescription is weak, I can still see for reading and computer work.

News to me – I found out I have asteroid hyalosis in my left eye. It’s a benign condition, but something my Dr. will monitor.

The hubs and I both had such a positive experience with our new Optometrist. So much so, that we can finally say the search is over (for our Eye Dr.) after 4.5 years out west.

Monday Happenings

A stroll thru the garden first thing this morning was such a blessing – I especially find our roses add cheerful greetings. I started applying rose fertilizer (every two months) this year and the difference is huge. Trust. And apply to your roses if you haven’t already.

So far we have 14 roses and I’m looking to add more. In fact, I was talking to the hubs over the weekend of how I would like to start some roses from seed in the near future. It sounds much more exciting than purchasing from the local nursery.

Water drops (from the sprinkler) on the rosebud this morning.

Lunch

I can’t think of a better place to have lunch in the summer. Or in the fall. Or in the winter. Or in the spring.

The sound of birds chirping and the waterfall are all the music I need to enjoy this yummy salad. The only thing missing, is fresh tomatoes from the garden and the hubs. I really wish we lived close enough for him to come home for lunch.

While having lunch, I played with the camera. And took this shot of the bubbles on my glass. It’s crazy the little things that cause a girl to put her fork down to play.

Other Monday chores include laundry and a few other household things. Things that may or may not make a pretty picture. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Back to work! And wishing the very best to you on this first Monday in June. Can you believe it’s June already?

Blessings – Debbie

From The Garden With Love

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Debbie

Our new patio is really taking shape. I know, I’ve been saying this for ~~weeks~~ make that months, but it really is.

It’s been slow going as the guys (two of them) can only work on Saturdays. And some Saturdays they are unable to come.

So for us, this is such an exciting stage as we can begin to see light at the end of the tunnel.

The transition to the pathway, leading to the upper terrace. We really like how it’s coming together.

Pops of purple – be still my heart.

Our corn is ever changing by the day. Check it out!

And the hubs has jalapeño peppers rocking this space! I say “the hubs” because (well unfortunately) my system can’t handle these guys anymore. It’s a sad day for me, but I’m thrilled for the hubs!

We had our very first “little” harvest of three tomatoes last Monday. We were like children in a candy store picking them from the plant.

Gardening is truly a labor of love.

Blessings – Debbie

Feeling Blessed This Week

Posted on May 25, 2014 by Debbie

There is much to be thankful for. We’re especially thankful for each other and time spent with friends.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner out with friends Thursday evening, to kick off our 4 day weekend. We celebrated three birthdays. The hubs, mine and our friend Jules. I call my one friend Julie “Jules”. But it was quite comical as we couples had two Julie’s in the group. The couples kept calling the other Julie “The Other Julie”.

The hubs insists we celebrate my birthday all weekend. So he’s treating me to another birthday dinner and dessert tonight.

Thankful for the book club girls – Mid week, we gathered, we visited over coffee, lemon cake and fruit, we discussed around 20 questions our amazing moderator (Sue) put together (our book – The Last Aloha by Gaellen Quinn), we had lunch and spent the early afternoon visiting…What a great day and visit. Love these ladies! Wish I had all of us in the shot.

I needed a nap (that afternoon) to refresh, before spending the evening hours with the hubs.

Vegetable garden – Our garden is producing some really exciting things these days. Exciting things! Like tomatoes…

Our little cherry tomatoes flourish…

Backyard Progress – Remember where I left off the last time? Here’s an image to remind you.

And this image is hot off the press, early this morning.

We hope this is all a memory very soon.

It truly is worth the mess in order to make progress. We’re hopeful to have this part of the project wrapped up by next weekend.

A view from the other side – We’ve given several vegetable plants away this week. We were hoping to get rid of a lot more. Now we’re trying to figure out what to do with all the leftovers…

In other news, we’re enjoying our jacaranda tree in “almost” full purple bloom. As is the oleander tree in pretty white bloom. We certainly enjoy the punch of color.

Now to enjoy the next couple of days with the hubs…Feeling blessed this Memorial Day weekend…And remembering those who gave all…

Blessings – Debbie

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Debbie

Note: this post was written yesterday (Tuesday), I just forgot to post it.

The last two weeks have been off.

Two weeks ago today our nephew had just finished up his visit with us. I still can’t wait to blog about his trip! And I dropped him off at the airport to go back home, two weeks ago today.

It was one of those down days after saying good-bye to my buddy. And when the hubs came home that evening, I got an extra long hug. and a few tears trickled down my cheeks.

One week ago today, the hubs was on a business trip and I was home learning of the news that there were fires in our area. Believe it or not, the hubs “in Indy” is how I learned of the fires. If it were up to me, my head would be in the sand, without a clue. It turned out to be a pretty crazy week.

But It’s a new week. This time around I’m trying to get back into the swing of things.

It’s a good week. And the hubs kicked off our Monday, inviting me for a lunch date. I truly love lunch dates.

And I find relaxation by the edge of the pond.

The babies are almost a year old and they are changing color by the min it seems. I can’t believe we have a “blue” goldfish. How did that happen?

They are fighting over a piece of food, but somebody gave up, turned around and begged for more. Are they spoiled or what?

#1 Reason I scratched tomatoes off my grocery list this week. We hope to have good luck in the garden this year.

Check out the tassels on the sweet corn! How exciting is that?

I’m thankful for the these little things. The things we enjoy around house and home. It’s the things that bring delight.

Cheers to getting back into the swing of things.

Blessings – Debbie

A Flurry Of Events

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Debbie

I chalk this week up to a flurry of events.

The beginning of May, is another story (a good story that I can’t wait to tell). But a story that will have to wait for now.

The Flurry starts Monday, May 12, 2014.

Monday – the hubs left on a business trip bright and early in the morning.

Monday – I took the day off to relax and to read my book (The Last Aloha) for book club this month. I’m so glad I did, as I’m not so sure I would have finished the book for the meeting (next week) otherwise.

Tuesday – I took our cars for the annual emissions test, they both passed.

Tuesday – Fires broke out in San Diego County. Pretty nerve-racking. Especially with the hubs out-of-town.

Tuesday evening I went to my girlfriends for dinner. Since our boys were out-of-town, she had me over to their new home (they just moved in last Saturday, May 10th) for a nice dinner. Grilled chicken, and shrimp on the BBQ and all the ingredients to make fajitas, rice and beans. It was such and enjoyable evening of patio dining + conversation + Hawaiian music = perfection into the night.

I made her card compliments of nail polish.

Wednesday – It was hard to focus on much. At that time, we had six wildfires burning in San Diego County.

I could see smoke from the house – I’d watched fire tornadoes broadcast in the area – Heard of 15,000 evacuations in Carlsbad alone – Watched thousands of acres burn – registered for reverse 911 – By then we (San Diego County) were calling in state and federal reserves…

And I was so ready for the hubs to get home.

Image taken from the neighborhood, Wednesday evening.

I stood watching flames climb the side of the mountain. If you look close, you too can see the flames highlighting the mountain in the image.

Oh what a night…

It seemed our little world was going up in smoke while daylight vanished.

Wednesday evening – From a fire captain on the ground – about the fire near us. – “…The reinforcement of crew is still coming in. More planes and they are allowing them to fly which is unheard of at night. They will be busting their butt all night.”

All I could do that evening was pack my little emergency bag in the event of evacuation and pray for the best.

Thursday morning – These “Bad Boys” were flying over our home – Made me tear up as I watched plane after plane and helicopter fly into the wildfires.

Below is a view from our neighborhood Thursday morning.

I wasn’t so sure what was going on in the news. I was busy preparing for the hubs to come home.

I picked up the hubs around 10:45 and from there, we went for an early lunch date. Have you any idea how overjoyed I was to have him home?

By the time we got home, these guys were in the hood. The officers told me that if the fire reached the ridge, we would all have to go.

I stood and watched a bit longer, watching what seemed to be an ever-growing fire. While plane after plane flew in and out, trying to gain control.

What I recall in the next few hours…

Packing the car – watering the garden – ash beginning to fall in the yard – the hubs paying some bills – getting stung by a bee – feeding the fish – telling the fish that I loved them, I did – and making one more round in the house to ensure we had everything that mattered most.

Soon, the mandatory evacuation was in force. And the reverse 911 call came, it was time to evacuate. We didn’t argue.

Image taken from our driveway Thursday evening. These guys were trolling the hood with their sirens and speakers – telling all of us we need to get out! I recall the hubs and I giving a nod of respect and a friendly wave to these men on duty.

We had suitcases packed, boxes of pictures, important documents…

A fragile keepsake from China – computers – and other precious things we didn’t want to leave behind.

And I recall that special hug and kiss in the hub of the home, before making our way out.

Finally we were able to relax in our new home – the Residence Inn.

Although we hit a rough patch finding a room. The first hotel was booked (due to evacuations) and there were only two rooms available at the next Residence Inn.

Once we kicked off our shoes, we were truly at peace with whatever happened after that.

Thank you friends for your thoughts, concern, prayers and many in the area offering your homes for us to stay.

Friday morning – We woke feeling rested. The mandatory evacuation was lifted for us = we were free to go home! But not before breakfast. Que the “Happy” song somebody!

Friday Fire Report In Our Area – While it was good to be home, the fire doubled in size overnight consuming 3,018 acres. Fortunately for us, the wind had shifted. But there are still so many facing the loss of homes and businesses.

Today – Saturday Morning Update: Nothing But Blue Skies and 68° – Feeling so blessed this morning.

We came home early yesterday morning to a few signs of ash in the backyard and the smell of smoke.

Still praying for our firefighters and officers hard at work today. We’ve had – Eight Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, seven CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters and four UH-1Y Huey helicopters, 1,000 firefighters and 161 fire engines providing support to the fire in what we call our backyard. Note: This does not include all the firefighters/fire engines/planes/helicopters fighting the many fires in our San Diego County area. There are so many more…

May we not forget those where the fire has reduced homes and businesses to rubble.

The fire is now 70% contained per our latest update.

San Diego Fires May 2014 – For those not in the area, a few more details – “The 2014 San Diego County wildfires are a swarm of wildfires that erupted in mid-May, in San Diego County, California during severe Santa Ana Wind conditions and a heat wave. The severe weather conditions contributed to the spread of at least 14 fires, with 10 of them receiving names. At least nine of the wildfires are believed to have originated from the Bernardo Fire, which ignited on May 13, 2014. Igniting some 25,000 acres…”

Please remember those who are less fortunate. Those who came home to rubble. Those who suffered and who will continue to suffer loss in the days ahead…

Happy Note – I’ve been waiting for the daylily to bloom. Today is the first of many more blooms to come…

Blessings – Debbie

I’m Busy Resting While Things Are Happening

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Debbie

Just how does that work? Well, I was busy painting up a storm. So much so that I’m completely pooped after painting all day, yesterday. And 5 days of painting last week, I might add.

So I’m taking today off to post on the blog. And to take pictures. And to enjoy the things others are doing around the house today.

Last evening – I snapped below image (from the neighborhood) with my cell as we were on our way to the Home Depot – Again.

I truly love this time of the day.

True Story – Some bunny’s been eating my corn – said the hubs – Better look out bunny, that’s all I have to say about that… I snapped the image this morning with my favorite 105mm prime lens.

And I snapped images of the plumbers toolbox (when he wasn’t looking – of course) with my favorite lens too. I can only imagine what one would think seeing me stooped over their box of tools with a camera.

But I could not help myself. It’s what a girl with a camera does.

And she takes an image of the sink and faucet that was broken out to show things are happening.

And she takes an image of the new sink and faucet (there are two brand spanking new ones going in our bathroom today) propped on the bathroom floor. Because she wants to show things are really getting done.

Love our brushed nickel faucets!

And we have our gardner making the backyard beautiful. He moved a pretty rose such that I can get to it without maneuvering too much.

And working his magic on the things that are much too difficult for me.

The best part of the day was enjoying a little face time with the hubs at lunch. Love when he comes home to check up on the crew and have a little lunch together.

While things were happening, I enjoyed my nice cushy office chair, taking images of my day and blogging. My tired muscles say thank you ~ thank you very much!

But tomorrow is a new day, a day to splash more paint on the walls.

Now to make a little dinner and enjoy the evening with the hubs.

Blessings – Debbie

Let There be Cheesecake + Projects

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Debbie

After a week filled with progress and change around the home, it was nice to chill this weekend. Plus it was good for the hubs to get his rest to shake that nasty cold.

It was good to have friends (Julz and Jerry) stop by Saturday evening for a nice visit.

And do you know what they did? They brought us some chocolate cheesecake…

From The Cheesecake Factory. Now that right there is Sweet Love!

And over the weekend the hubs and I spent time in the garden and spent some more time at the local “Home Depot”.

I picked up a boatload of color samples for the guest bath.

Then came home and scattered the paper samples all over the bathroom. And spent a day picking out 5 different samples that I thought would work in the room.

Then went back to the Home Depot and picked up the samples of paint and splashed it in swatches over the walls.

And guess what happened next? Well it seemed to take a split second to decide which one I liked the best. And I was astounded with how easy the choice was in this room.

And then I asked the hubs what he thought about the one I liked the best and he agreed with my first choice. Let the joy-bells ring!

So folks, this is the room where I will be spending quality time this week.

And I plan to tackle those baseboards with paint while I’m at it.

Fingers crossed it makes my heart sing in the end.

Until next time…

Blessings – Debbie

A Week of Progress

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Debbie

Starting with the powder room.

This room was one of the most stressful rooms ever! I mean, really. Picking out a color to make my heart sing was trying, at best.

I was happy with choices “3” times. 3 x’s people! And after sleeping on the color, I doubted my happy choice.

Luckily I didn’t have to paint the room 3 x’s, as I just purchased samples and painted large swatches around the room.

And 8 different color samples were splashed in there before making the final decision.

But let me tell you, once the hubs helped me choose a color I already liked, that was it. Just. Like. That. We had our decision and paint was purchased last weekend. And the official start date on the painting, was bright and early Monday morning.

And the baseboards got a couple of coats of paint too. It’s like having a brand new space.

And here’s the after shot on its own. My heart truly sings after all the effort and hard work. Now to add the pretties. That should be FUN!

Last weekend we had drain pipe delivered for the outdoor project.

And by the end of the weekend we had it installed.

I have not progressed much as far as taking images this week. But I did take a couple of shots in the backyard.

And for relaxation, I truly enjoy spending time around the pond. They love dinner!

Points of interest this week:

Our produce patch is flourishing! And it seems we notice big leaps each week after we fertilize.
I painted in 4 different rooms. And I love that I can see where I’ve been.
The hubs caught a little cold Thursday and spent the day home sick yesterday.
We have another update coming right along in the backyard as we speak. The guys are working so hard.
And we lounged pretty much all day today and if feels good to take a nice time-out.

Blessings – Debbie

Baking ~ Gardening ~ Friends ~ Painting

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Debbie

There’s much to be said since I last posted.

And I have a moment to jump on in and post my heart out. Here goes.

I left the blog hanging with my bread making class last Thursday.

Last Friday evening, I was all set to put the lid on this baby and pop it in the oven for dinner. Like so.

And the next thing I recall is this.

I had our butter “room temperature” and ready.
The camera was ready to take the image right out of the oven
The “bread cutting” knife and cutting board were ready
We did not bother with the cooling of the bread on a rack phase. No siree! We took a knife to this bad boy right there on the spot.
Butter was slathered and we were overcome with the yummy goodness of homemade bread.

I may or may not have had anything else but bread and butter for dinner. Ok, I had the bread for my meal and the hubs had his bread as an appetizer + he had it with turkey, taters and green beans. Yup, I just had the fresh hot bread.

And Saturday morning we made toast. Oh my word, I can’t decide how I like it best. All I can say is this “By now, it’s a very good memory.”

Last Saturday we worked in the garden. We transplanted tomatoes, corn and peppers.

And I caught the hubs on camera taking a much needed break.

I pulled a bucket of weeds.

And the roses were fertilized – What a delight to see the assorted roses in bloom. This particular rose is called “Sun Flare”.

And Saturday afternoon, our friends came over to spend the evening. Actually, we went out for a nice dinner. Then stopped by the Cheesecake Factory for our dessert. And came back to our place for a visit into the evening.

DSC_2565-3

Painting – My “To-Do” list calls for a little more painting in the house. Next up = the powder room.

While it’s the smallest room in the house, it has been one painful experience after another, starting with the valance.

To make a long story short, I still don’t have the valance, as I learned they don’t carry a large assortment in stores these days. In fact, Macy’s had nothing, zero, zilch in the store. But that’s ok, as I’ve decided that I’m going with a white valance.

This is the powder room before image.

This “was” my inspirational color (on Pinterest) for that room.

After 5 trips to the Home Depot and 8 different samples splashed in the powder room (this week), I have the color that makes my heart sing. Now to wait for the hubs to come home, as it’s just as important for him to like it too…

Note: I had a color close to what you see in the inspiration image, it’s just not visible in the image below. Hard as I try, the inspirational color did not work with the counter and flooring color in the room. But finding something that makes my heart sing, is so much better.

P.S. After posting the image (below) on Facebook, the hubs asked if Goldilocks had painted this room. It’s too cute to not make a note on the blog.

I purchased two really cheap brushes such that I could have what I needed to try 4 samples yesterday. Note to self: Do not use those cheap sample brushes. The bristles they leave to dig out of wet paint are not worth it.

One last blurb – The hubs spied our very first tomato Monday evening. We are so excited!

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As I think over the last few days and how far along I wanted to be on the painting this week, I’m reminded again – some things are worth the wait and all the extra miles it takes to get the happy end result.

Until next time…

Blessings – Debbie

All in a Week

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Debbie

Thinking back over the last week, there are so many new and exciting things happening.

Perhaps “spring” has a lot to do with these things, and I love it! I love the time change and that our daylight pushes further into the evening hours. And the ever changing scenery around home sweet home gets sweeter as the days go by.

Like the first sign of our water lilies producing the very first bloom of the year, last week. I can’t express just how excited I was. And the pads are getting so big already! And the fish are loving the weather and spawning too! The dragonflies have returned and everything seems to echo – “it’s spring”!

Picking roses from the garden is such a joy.

And the excitement that comes while working in the garden. 11 of these bad boys (Boeing CH-47 Chinooks) flew overhead one day this week. I’ve never seen a sight like this before. And the rumble and vibration – was amazing – gave me goosebumps.

I trimmed my bangs yesterday morning too.

I think the hubs has given up on me going in to have them done. It’s like I can’t help myself. I wake up one morning and realize they drive me nuts, so I cut them.

I may or may not have done a little fretting over the new Artisan Bread we girls whipped up yesterday.

But I purchased my very first Dutch Oven this morning! All for the love of bread, a girl needs a dutch oven. And she doesn’t let a little fret stand in her way.

It was like Christmas unwrapping this guy today.

And tonight we shall see how it turns out. I believe excitement wells more and more as the hours go by. Tick Tock – only time will tell.

Until next time…

Blessings – Debbie

I Call The Shot – one picture at a time

My world of art, life and health thru a lens

Category Archives: Garden

A Stroll Does the Soul Good

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In the Garden

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To Do

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What Caught My Eye

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In The Last 24 Hours

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Bits and Pieces

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From The Garden With Love

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Feeling Blessed This Week

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Getting Back into the Swing of Things

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A Flurry Of Events

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I’m Busy Resting While Things Are Happening

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Let There be Cheesecake + Projects

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A Week of Progress

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Baking ~ Gardening ~ Friends ~ Painting

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All in a Week

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