The Tired Garden

I am linking up with Stacey at Poofing the Pillows for the monthly garden party.

I certainly know how to pick the month to finally join a linky party. I have meant to do it all summer and each time it just got away from me. I am getting in on the action in a month when my garden is tired of the hot and humid summer, but alas I am going to contrast the good and bad in it nonetheless.

Come along with me as we tour some spots that have thrived in spite of the heat such as these ferns...

Then some places where the garden is hanging on by a thread for cooler temperatures like the rose beds. Mostly they are producing tiny roses that look like miniatures instead of full blooms.

This one little rose up front has been the only one of my thirteen plants to thrive. Most are tired from trying to fight black spot and heat. This photo was taken earlier in the summer when it was obviously happy.

Also, you might notice that I like to use a few objects in my gardens for decor, but mostly I am a "let the plants shine girl." When I do use an object in the garden I like for it to be unique.

The wagon wheel turned up on its side holds the ferns.

The old pump holds our nameplate.

I have few concrete pieces, but I always look for unique ones.
We have a sea turtle, some starfish, a pelican, a deer which are all very Florida and scattered about so that you really have to look for them.

We are a dog family so there has to be some dogs in there. And those tired roses in the background.

My day lilies were prolific all summer, but they are tired of blooming. I think I might be too.
I never rush the seasons though. That would be rushing time and now that I am older I savor each day for all I can get out of it.
Fall will be here before we know it.

I love geraniums and have them all over the place, but they are really really wanting cooler temps,

Most don't even look this good.

but my angel wing begonias have loved this heat and are blooming.

Little blooms peeking out in lots of spots.

We added a lemon tree to our yard this year. It has grown like crazy and has 18 lemons hoping that no hurricane comes this year.

Can you spy Lemony, the Golden in the picture?

I think even our lovely live oaks look a little ready from some cooler temperatures.

Can you spot Gus, the Springer in the picture?

I have added these little caladiums and portulaca to my pots by the garage.

I really wanted to share a happy plant in the house too. I had this little fern and she was almost dead. I repotted her and moved her all at one time. I just knew there was no hope for her. Oh, she was just waiting for both....
Look at her with all her new growth. Finding that happy place is difficult sometimes, but so worth it to those of us who love to grow things.

I will leave you with my view early yesterday morning.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. ---Psalms 19:1

There is no beauty like God's handiwork and I will continue to putter in the dirt to get those little blooms that bring me a smile every time.

Happy gardening,
Sandy

The Last Week of August

Let's do a random post and catch up as August is about to get away from me. I had a pretty long list of things I wanted to accomplish in August. I haven't checked off nearly enough of those things, but that is generally the way things work. I am always a bit too ambitious in my plans.

I have been slowly getting my body back in order from being a lazy girl this summer. I love summer because you do relax and go a bit slower. The days are long and I have found that the routine is just different even in retirement. However, at some point you have to get some order and discipline back in your life. I think next year I need to probably start putting myself in gear with a bit more a schedule when school starts. 

I have slept a bit later,

 eaten a little more, and

stayed up a little later. 

My biggest slip is going to the gym. I am having great trouble getting that back into my routine. I know I feel better when I do a little bit of light weights with my bike riding and walking. I am typing this so I will feel a bit MORE guilty than I already do for not going this summer.

This is what happens when you lay the catalog that you were looking at on the floor by your chair and leave the room. Thanks Gus.

I have been spending a good bit more time with Mama these days. I try to make sure I get her out of the house everyday. It takes a good bit of my time, but I think she needs to stay busy and active or I will be spending it with her going downhill. She has bounced back from the fall in May. I think the whole family thought that was going to be bad news bears, but she has done well. She is about 10 weeks in and has a bus trip to Virginia planned with her sister at the end of September. All good thing.
She has had an ear problem for a while. I got her into the eye, ear, nose doctor. In all our visiting him, they did some balance and vertigo testing this week to check her out good. Y'all it was like a trained elephant performing for peanuts only the peanuts were praises from the therapists. She impressed all the people in there and came out smiling like crazy. They told her how wonderful she was for 83 which all in all tells me that a good bit of her problem is all in her mind and spirit. Hence I am working on that by getting her out more. 

I totally missed national dog day. Of course, I never really pay much attention to all those holidays until they show up on Instagram. Gus and Lemony make life fun around here. They both love the water. The view below is quite typical when I head out back to water plants or just sit outside.

It is virtually impossible to get Gus's picture in the water because he is ALWAYS in motion.

Let's see this is one of my usual posts filed with much randomness.

I didn't share that two Sundays ago, I changed my serving duties at church. I have been working with preschoolers for ten years now which is a story unto its own, since I don't do little ones. Apparently I do and have for 10 years. It was kind of nice not to teach elementary while I was still working.

Anyway, this year when everyone moved up I asked to move up and teach upper elementary girls (my sweet spot) at one of our three services. It is the least attended service and has a smaller amount of girls. I hope to build it up. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I hate that I will be out for several of the Sundays in September which we don't usually miss too much on Sundays, but I will be there with bells on when I can. It was a good change and one I was ready for.

It takes me a long time to type the post, because I have to keep stopping to throw the turtle across the room for Gus.

I am falling out of whack on that stitching rotation. I lasted lots longer than ever before rotating projects. I am sharing my progress on all the stitches. I think though I do better with having one large project and one small going at the same time.

I don't feel so crazy about finishing, but just enjoying stitching.

First I sort of stopped on one Christmas ornament and picked up another and actually worked on it until I completed it. I see more of the Santas in the future, but first I will finish my Christmas window.

This was not in the scheduled rotation, but I just simply veered off and did it in a couple of days.
40 count Belfast linen stitched with 1 over 2. 1986 Prairie Schooler Santa. I see a couple more of these in my plans.

I have made a little progress on my schoolhouse series.

Not so much on my Helen Keller piece.

Some on the space shuttle.

Lots on the Spell of the Moon.

I still haven't made an outfit for Tucker. I do have fabric and a pattern and hope to make him a Christmas romper. I don't think I am going to be doing too much sewing. I just don't enjoy it like I once did.

Speaking of sewing, I really just haven't made time for it and I have about 5 cross stitched pieces waiting for me to finish them into something and about to be finished with the owl, so I better get busy on those soon.

Fabric and notions are all picked out for ALL finishes. Just need to find some uninterrupted time.

We are heading out to Auburn today to celebrate our 34th anniversary. We met at Auburn and have been going back ever since graduation. We are not going onto Atlanta for Saturday's game. We are just going to watch it on TV and then heading out to my favorite restaurant for supper. Can't wait.

We are looking forward to a few days away.

I do have one more post in me for Friday morning. I have been telling myself I was going to do a linky party which is a rarity for me, but this time I am getting ready early and scheduling it for Friday morning.

Off to celebrate marriage and being blessed in that union,

Sandy

Nursery in the Works

Lindsay told me to wait until she finished, but I am an excited Grandma to be. I am sharing some of little Tucker's room in progress.

You may remember I took a trip and stayed in Auburn for a few days. I drove up to Atlanta one morning to pick up the crib. She and Tyler had picked out the furniture at a local store in Atlanta while visiting his parents.
We have nothing here. There is one store in Pensacola that has baby furniture:)

I love her selections. The crib grows to a full size bed. You can see that the font eventually becomes the footboard.

The dresser/changing table will grow as well. The piece that holds the changing pad can be removed with time.

We went on Sunday afternoon and helped hang some things and shopped for a shelf. You see the mirror. She wanted to use it as she had that in there previously. 

She also wanted a shelf, but not white. She felt it needed something else other than white and wanted to get a shelf and side table to tie in the mirror.

Jeff and I had been at HomeGoods one evening and found a shelf.

I wasn't sure she was going to go for the shelf...knew it was the right size, but I also knew the mirror had some gold in it so tying it all in was key.

She needed a side table to go next the Trash to Treasure glider.

While she was pondering the shelf, I walked around and found the perfect side table. The base is gold and the wood fits the mirror and shelving TYING it all together.

The lamp was a shower gift. She is going to add a little navy to the room. She sheets and stuff are neutrals with safari animals. 

These little animals were purchased from Etsy and have navy bow ties.

Originally she was going to put them above the bed, but changed her mind.

I think they turned out adorable over the glider and side table.

She is working on getting it all put away and organized and Mom was snapping pictures too soon!!!

She is going to add some curtains to the window and oh, we put the stroller together...like I said, I was snapping pics too soon.

She wants to get something with his name for over the crib and also has a navy blue cross to hang in there somewhere. 

IT is all coming together. 

Now, I need to get in my sewing room. 

I have a growing pile of things to sew.

I finished another Christmas ornament today, so a stitching post maybe at the end of the week.

Exciting times. It really seems like yesterday I was putting together a little room. It is unbelievable  how much stuff has changed. 

Sandy

A Baby Shower and a Peek at the Nursery Plans

My dear friends A, B, and C gave Lindsay a baby shower this weekend. I chuckled as I wrote A, B, and C, but their names really do begin with those letters.

They really outdid themselves with the sweetness of it all. I am one of those that really doesn't do well being on the receiving end. I have hosted bridal and baby showers for all three of the ladies' children and loved doing it. In my element.

I know at this age we all have much going on in our lives that never really gets talked about on a blog...the real life...
             like the fact that the friend whose home we did the shower at is dealing with her husband's aging parents daily and her oldest daughter is pregnant...left in church this morning to begin the welcoming of the new grand baby. I just knew when she got up that she had gotten the phone call. So glad she got the shower done. Or that the fact that one of the others just had a grand baby and lost a daughter-in-law to cancer a while back...Y'all know LIFE...

so, I am just not good at letting people serve me, but they did such a sweet job and captured Lindsay's personality with this shower. I was almost overwhelmed with their love.

C's daughter and longtime friend of Lindsay's also helped with the shower and I am sure is responsible for the cuteness of the decor.

First is this adorable chalkboard at the front door.

The dining room with the food was precious and the food was delicious.

I hope y'all don't mind pictures. I took lots of them!!!

Those safari animals are adorable. Lindsay has been obsessed with safari animals forever.

I might have been a bit obsessed with the cuteness of that platter of cookies.

Aren't they adorable?!

I think we played maybe the cutest game ever.

There were two gift bags of baby socks. Striped, all kinds of patterns, etc.

They emptied them out on the coffee table and we counted off 1, 2, and 3. 

So three rounds of competition to see which group could sort the socks the fastest. Who doesn't love a competition?

Here is one shot...although if I hadn't been in shock over how quickly Mother jumped on the floor...think we just cracked our pelvis in May, I would have had two pictures of this cuteness. 

I am so glad she is doing better, but I don't want another rehab stay. She forgets her age sometimes.

Katie, Paul Allen's girlfriend is in this group.

Lot of socks. Cute game!

Next up is the kitchen with the drinks and A's great view of the water. She lives around the corner from me. She gets the sunrise view there.

Let the presents begin...

My friend N sitting on the couch next to my mom is a dear sweet friend. I think her gift was the best...

First part was a Bible complete with a monogram.

and then an Auburn romper. She said he was covered from Jesus to Auburn.

Picture of Aunt Donna and Katie.

Classic Lindsay...

A photo of Mom, Lindsay, and me.

It was such a sweet shower and I just loved everything about it. I think everyone was relaxed and had such a good time. I should have taken a photo of the hostesses. I am hoping Lindsay has one.

I am so blessed with such good friends. I looked around the room and I have been friends with all of the ladies for decades. We have raised our children together and they have remained friends as well. I think that might be rare these days. 

I am completely grateful for them all.

And A has her third grand baby as of today... a little boy too.

Lindsay has begun to decorate the nursery. I am giving you a sneak peek from last week.

She has done a whole lot more and I will share that tomorrow.

She sent this panoramic view one night last week.

The theme is built around these prints.

Stay tuned for more of the nursery.

One last look at those precious cookies...

Some people are so talented!

I am getting really excited. Time is drawing close. The middle of October is the due date.

Grammie time,

Sandy