Tuesday, December 4, 2018

The Fall Garden and More

I like to use my blog to document things I enjoy doing. I am not sure when I started blogging that I ever thought others might actually read it, but since my blog is just that a journal of the good things in life here goes...

Fall shows itself differently than the images one sees with fall elsewhere. It shows up...just much later. This year the leaves are beginning to turn right on time. All over town the maples are quite lovely and my little stretch of whatever oaks and stuff across the bayou are turning their pretty shades of yellow orange. I have yet to be able to get a photo to document their loveliness because it has been a very rainy fall.



It has been rainy and warm so much so that my roses keep right on blooming even though they are quite tired. I actually bought a few red and white ones at the grocery store to have out with the Christmas decorations, but no store bought rose can ever excite me as much as the ones from the yard. 


This is the same rose as above ... I cut it and brought it inside.


There just seems to be new growth even though I have quit fertilizing and trying to get them to grow. I think the cold will be here soon, but who knows they might not get shut down for awhile.



By this time each year, I have generally pulled out whatever tired flowering plant that might have survived the long hot summer in the pots by the side of the garage and planted pansies and dianthus. I was late doing that this year because the pinkish caladiums I put in them over the summer were still making for a bit of color. We did have one or two nights of low 30's and they went down. Hubby came to my rescue this weekend and planted the pansies, dianthus, and dusty miller for me. These will go through the winter here in my neck of the woods.



The geraniums are still holding on in the front and thriving. They are more sheltered from the elements in the front yard and unless it gets into the 20's which it does a couple of nights over the course of the winter they stay outside. I cover them or bring them into the garage for those nights.



On the back, they are looking a bit more worse from wear really from the long hot summer rather than any cold. The painter has been working back there. Ugh! (trying to keep my chin up) I have moved the plants all inside on the back and I have a corner upstairs and downstairs that look like this. The geraniums and begonias will probably stay inside until late February.


My Christmas cactus is starting to bloom right on time. I got so excited when I saw the first bud. I had read up and tried to follow directions for a Christmas blooming.


Oh and the lemons look almost ripe.




I have been busy with life...church activities, baby activities, mother activities...they seem to have been more than I can keep up with, but I had a perfectly wonderful day at home yesterday. I accomplished much and it was quiet because it has been raining like the "40 days" kind of raining all weekend, so the painter didn't work. I had the house all to myself, well except for Lemony and Gus. I think they too even relished the quiet.

The next photo is of my guys working on a church project. Hubby and son. I think they are pretty handsome.





I stitched to reward myself last night on my Santa.




I have been decorating the house and will share it soon because I do like to document things in the house. It is always fun to look back.


Here is evidence of placing the wrapped packages on the pool table rather than underneath the tree. 


Off to run errands,
Sandy





Sunday, December 2, 2018

Stitching, Dogs, Tree, and Family

I have been more than busy....so busy that this is all I have stitched in two weeks. 


However, I am going to make some time this week and even tonight to remedy this situation. Stitching is my stress reliever and I am in need of it.

In good stitching news, I received this little bit of wonderful in the mail from Andrea at The Craft Room.


I was over the moon to win her giveaway. It is an amazing finish. I have a long way to go in my finishing skills, but just something to look forward to.

She also sent this wonderful card which I think might be homemade as well. 



I posted last that I had bought my very large Christmas tree. I don't think I listened at all when Hubby said it seemed big.
It is very wide.


It is not my best pick ever. It seems to have some gaps in it, but I have never met a tree I didn't like so perfect it doesn't have to be.

You may notice the paint buckets in the background. That is a big portion of my stress! Wow! There is a story there...I just don't think I will tell it today.

Here it is at night.


I posted the following picture on Instagram. Hubby sent it to me while I was still at church. We put the tree up on Saturday evening after Thanksgiving. I thought Gus was old enough to not disturb it.


He had taken a strand of garland off the bottom of the tree as well as one ornament. The ornament was a cotton boll, so it looked worse than it was with the cotton shredded. He took the red berries and pulled them from the garland, but it was all easy to snap back on, so he got lucky. 

I have made sure to put a barrier of chairs around the tree when I leave the house now.

You may have noticed there are no presents under the tree.


That is because I came home to this another day...


Gus had taken the shoes out of the box. Fortunately, he didn't care one thing about them. He liked the box and paper bag. 

He has been on a tear recently.

I have been wrapping away, but storing all the presents on the pool table:)

It is funny Lemony doesn't even get alarmed anymore when we come in because she knows WE KNOW who is responsible for the problems.



The little sweeties sitting next to me on the couch. Notice Gus is on a leash...the painter had the back doors wide open painting. Gus had to either be in the kennel box or on a leash.
I am hoping we reach the end soon.

Lindsay had some pictures made of Tucker and their little family. I will share a few along as they were so cute.



I hope to blog a bit more regularly in another week. I have a lot going on and this week should be a continuation of the busy times, but hopefully after that I will settle in for December. I have so many things I have thought of to write about. That is they way it works...no time...lots of ideas...time... no ideas.

Heading to chair to stitch my Santa,
Sandy