The light seems to have changed this morning, I smell winter's approach. It's supposed to rain this weekend. And I am glad. I look forward to a weekend indoors. I have no costume planned for Samhain (Halloween, All Hallow's Eve...whatever your poison ;) and I suppose I'll just hand candy out to any trick-or-treater's that brave the rains. DH's band has a show on Saturday that I can't say I'm terribly excited about, but will probably attend. It is a costume party...whatever shall I do? My usual fall back of Ren Faire costume isn't what I have in mind. Maybe a witch?
DH's parents are holding their annual pumpkin drop party on Sunday, which I am excited for. His family is so nice (lucky me!) and his parents friends are quite friendly and fun to be around.
I primed our bedroom last night with mold resistant primer (if you recall we had a mold problem in there last winter). That stuff is pretty nasty. It smells unfortunately toxic. This weekend I plan on painting the ceiling and at least the first coat on the walls. Then I'll be painting the trim over the following week. Then DH can do the baseboards!! YAY!
I'm debating a bit on window treatments and a replacement for the closet doors. When shopping with the girls I found the cutest navy blue batik cotton with little bubbly circles on it. But it's 10 bucks a yard. I imagine I'll need about 10 yards, so that's 100 bucks. I think I'm gonna go there...buying curtains isn't any cheaper really. They didn't have enough...so perhaps I'll have to stop by and order it tomorrow.
Joe and I have also been debating about the kitchen curtains. We both agree that the kitchen needs more color, but we aren't sure about having the curtains be the red fabric that I found. It might be a little too dark. It's a pretty bright kitchen though, so it might work, but we'd have to see it in action before we actually decided. So here's what I'm gonna do...I'll buy the fabric with enough yardage for the curtains. If we hold it up to the window and decide it's too dark, then I'll make chair cushions out of the fabric and stick with white curtains. If we like, then I'll make the curtains and do something else for chair cushions. :D
Fun! Oh...I should go work and stuff.
Cheers...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Daylight is waning...
Every day the sun is setting a little bit earlier. They say it will finally start to cool down and, *gasp* even rain soon! This last weekend I spent Saturday shopping and playing video games. But Sunday, I spend working on the front flower bed. The left half of the bed is now done - tan bark gone, soil turned and drought tolerant perennials and bulbs added. I also added a couple of perennials in the back yardBefore:
After:
After: I reused some of the "granny brick" (much to DH's dismay) to set around the spigot and sprinker valves, and I plan on lining it with cloth then putting gravel in there for a small spot to wash off garden tools, hands etc. I think it's cute and a nice way to re-use something that would have gone to the dumps. He hates the granny brick. But I won this one. :)
I hope to complete the other front bed next weekend, before it gets much cooler and before the rush of holiday's begins. Starting the first weekend in November, I have something going on just about every weekend. And gosh, I haven't done any canning, or started my apricot liquor yet! There just isn't enough time in the week for everything I want to do.
Well, I guess I'll "work" now. Strange environment we have here now. It's 8:30am, and I'm the only person in the office. I think morale is a bit low. Not long now until we find out our fates. Keep your fingers crossed for "transitional" status!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Autumn Activities
I love this weather. Love it! The brisk mornings and hot afternoons are very satisfying to my senses. Now the painting is done I've turned to the yard in hopes of getting a few things done before the weather turns again. I've been seeking a birdbath, and finally I found one that pleases me. And I got it 10% off, because of a small chip it has on it's facade. It's stone, but is glazed so that it almost looks like metal that has aged so much that it has a dark rich patina to it. I love it. It looks distant and naked in this picture, but as I plant more and the yard grows over the years it will be more at home. The birds haven't discovered it yet, but I hear a Water Wiggler will do the trick.
After long thought about what to do about our dustbowl of a back yard "lawn" I decided to overseed it with this stuff called Enriolawn which is a mixture of hard fescue and drought tolerant perennial ground covers like clover. Supposedly once established you only have to water it a couple of times a month in the summer. We'll see how it goes.
Boy was it hard work! I thatched the lawn first (though I probably shoulda rotatilled it and started from scratch), then spread the seed, then mulched it with peat moss. The rich brown of the peat moss is actually a rather nice change from the hay-yellow. There is enough seed left over to overseed the front yard. We are ripping it out next year, but in the meantime this hopefully will green it up a little.
Speaking of the front yard, I also started working on removing the tan bark, turning the soil and planting in our flower bed. I got about half done with one of the big beds. More very hard work.
I had planned to do some canning this weekend...namely apples, which are falling off the tree and the dogs are enjoying all the spoils. But I never got around to it. Maybe this week or next weekend I shall get to it. And the persimmons are looking very close to ready.
On other fronts, I finally got around to installing this light fixture which I've been carrying around with me for about 8 years. I bought it when I painted a bedroom in a rental house those many moons ago, but didn't have the heart to install it in someone elses house. It really was too small for a bedroom anyways. So DH kindly installed it for me in the hallway. Why this picture flipped sideways when I posted it is a mystery, but it does little to impact the prettiness of the fixture itself.
After long thought about what to do about our dustbowl of a back yard "lawn" I decided to overseed it with this stuff called Enriolawn which is a mixture of hard fescue and drought tolerant perennial ground covers like clover. Supposedly once established you only have to water it a couple of times a month in the summer. We'll see how it goes.
Boy was it hard work! I thatched the lawn first (though I probably shoulda rotatilled it and started from scratch), then spread the seed, then mulched it with peat moss. The rich brown of the peat moss is actually a rather nice change from the hay-yellow. There is enough seed left over to overseed the front yard. We are ripping it out next year, but in the meantime this hopefully will green it up a little.
Speaking of the front yard, I also started working on removing the tan bark, turning the soil and planting in our flower bed. I got about half done with one of the big beds. More very hard work.
The part I did looks SO much better!! (forgive the shakiness of the picture, it was almost dark). I planted Lantana, Lavendar, Rosemary, Wormwood and Dwarf Periwinkle. All of which is drought tolerant. I also planted a good number of bulbs. I have a good many more to plant! I already look forward to their appearance in Spring.
I had planned to do some canning this weekend...namely apples, which are falling off the tree and the dogs are enjoying all the spoils. But I never got around to it. Maybe this week or next weekend I shall get to it. And the persimmons are looking very close to ready.
On other fronts, I finally got around to installing this light fixture which I've been carrying around with me for about 8 years. I bought it when I painted a bedroom in a rental house those many moons ago, but didn't have the heart to install it in someone elses house. It really was too small for a bedroom anyways. So DH kindly installed it for me in the hallway. Why this picture flipped sideways when I posted it is a mystery, but it does little to impact the prettiness of the fixture itself.
So anyhoo...the next couple of weeks will be taken up with finishing my fall gardening, and starting to work on our bedroom! I've already ripped out the baseboard (DH was groaning), washed the ceiling and about half the walls. I also have moved most of the furniture out. I did all that a couple of weeks ago, but now I'm ready to get moving. We'll finish washing it tonight and perhaps start priming over the next several weeknights.
Busy Busy Busy!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
More..and more.
It got cold! Or at least it did for a minute. Last night was the first night we didn't sleep with the windows open, and we were still chilly. This morning we turned on the heater for the first time since last winter. I was freezing!
But this morning as I sat on the front porch, drinking a piping hot cup of coffee, painting thoughtfully, as the breeze blew through to my bones...the wind chimes sang to me of autumn... and I decided that I minded not.
We are finished...with all but some touch-ups. The tape is off the windows. It looks gorgeous. I'm satisfied. Here are some more details:
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
And if you recall a previous post, you can see the porch is much improved...though the porch floor needs some work. We plan on tiling it with some nice rustic slate:
Finally some more time for gardening, and moving on to the next projects...of course! Stay tuned for our fall projects.
Ah fall....
But this morning as I sat on the front porch, drinking a piping hot cup of coffee, painting thoughtfully, as the breeze blew through to my bones...the wind chimes sang to me of autumn... and I decided that I minded not.
We are finished...with all but some touch-ups. The tape is off the windows. It looks gorgeous. I'm satisfied. Here are some more details:
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
And if you recall a previous post, you can see the porch is much improved...though the porch floor needs some work. We plan on tiling it with some nice rustic slate:
Finally some more time for gardening, and moving on to the next projects...of course! Stay tuned for our fall projects.
Ah fall....
Monday, October 6, 2008
Another Busy Weekend
After a crazy week we departed into a crazy weekend. I came down with a nasty cold Thursday night and have been down with it all weekend. Unfortunately there was simply too much happening to really take any time to rest. I'm not sure if I just worked through it but I'm feeling a bit better today.
Saturday was my aunts memorial service and reception. That made for a busy day...sad too...but we tried to focus on celebrating her life. Hopefully the luck we've had as a family will turn now...just as summer is turning to fall.
Sunday we finished the second coat on the house. We are very close now...close to finishing that monstrous project! Only trim and touch-ups remain, which we will be working on over the next week and weekend. Finally! It looks great IMO. I'm in love with the new color.
Finally now that the painting is winding down I was able to spend a little time in the garden. I took a half day this morning to recover from seeing Gogol Bordello (my friends, if you are not yet in love with this band, then you simply must open your heart to them), which was FANTASTIC! The best show I've seen in ages. Anyhoo...this morning I felt better then I expected so got two of the beds planted. All the beds will get crops that will reportedly either produce in winter, or will overwinter nicely and produce in very early spring.
These beds got carrots, onions, sweet peas, beets and fava beans. I couldn't bear to rip out the snapdragons which I've read will overwinter.
Over the next week-ish, I'll be harvesting the peppers, tomatoes and sunflower seeds so that I can start working on the big beds which will get a bunch of cool crops.
I'm so pleased with the way the plants look against the new house color. This border bed is particularly pleasing to me right now with the mums coming into bloom. I just received about 100 bulbs which will be planted in various places, but several will go in this bed for some early spring color.
Anyways...this post is rather scattered in its stylings and its because I'm in a hurry...you see I only have a half day off and I must get to preparing to leave for work. Ick.
Cheers...
Saturday was my aunts memorial service and reception. That made for a busy day...sad too...but we tried to focus on celebrating her life. Hopefully the luck we've had as a family will turn now...just as summer is turning to fall.
Sunday we finished the second coat on the house. We are very close now...close to finishing that monstrous project! Only trim and touch-ups remain, which we will be working on over the next week and weekend. Finally! It looks great IMO. I'm in love with the new color.
Finally now that the painting is winding down I was able to spend a little time in the garden. I took a half day this morning to recover from seeing Gogol Bordello (my friends, if you are not yet in love with this band, then you simply must open your heart to them), which was FANTASTIC! The best show I've seen in ages. Anyhoo...this morning I felt better then I expected so got two of the beds planted. All the beds will get crops that will reportedly either produce in winter, or will overwinter nicely and produce in very early spring.
These beds got carrots, onions, sweet peas, beets and fava beans. I couldn't bear to rip out the snapdragons which I've read will overwinter.
Over the next week-ish, I'll be harvesting the peppers, tomatoes and sunflower seeds so that I can start working on the big beds which will get a bunch of cool crops.
I'm so pleased with the way the plants look against the new house color. This border bed is particularly pleasing to me right now with the mums coming into bloom. I just received about 100 bulbs which will be planted in various places, but several will go in this bed for some early spring color.
Anyways...this post is rather scattered in its stylings and its because I'm in a hurry...you see I only have a half day off and I must get to preparing to leave for work. Ick.
Cheers...
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Downtrodden
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to and fro
Kept treading--treading--till it seemed
That Sense was breaking through--
And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a Drum--
Kept beating--beating--till I thought
My Mind was going numb--
And then I heard them lift a Box
And creak across my Soul
With those same Boots of Lead, again,
Then Space--began to toll,
As all the Heavens were a Bell,
And Being, but an Ear,
And I, and Silence, some strange Race
Wrecked, solitary, here--
And then a Plank in Reason, broke,
And I dropped down, and down--
And hit a World, at every plunge,
And Finished knowing--then--
Emily Dickinson, 1896
And Mourners to and fro
Kept treading--treading--till it seemed
That Sense was breaking through--
And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a Drum--
Kept beating--beating--till I thought
My Mind was going numb--
And then I heard them lift a Box
And creak across my Soul
With those same Boots of Lead, again,
Then Space--began to toll,
As all the Heavens were a Bell,
And Being, but an Ear,
And I, and Silence, some strange Race
Wrecked, solitary, here--
And then a Plank in Reason, broke,
And I dropped down, and down--
And hit a World, at every plunge,
And Finished knowing--then--
Emily Dickinson, 1896
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