Tuesday, September 26, 2023

BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN...





Officially fall has arrived. 

 Even though there are little signs of it so far, 

the weather is the first to tell the tale. 

 Our days are still sunny and bright but the nights have turned considerably cooler. 

 Our porch sitting in the evenings,

 while Rugby and Robin prepare for bedtime,

 is requiring another layer of warmth 

each time we take to the rocking chairs.








Things are slowly moving towards normal around here.  

Not to the tune of the old normal 

but to the excitement of things to come. 

 By excitement I mean 

when one of us drags the vacuum out of the closet. 

 Big things will be accomplished!







Healthwise, we are both doing well. 

 I still have back issues and my eyes are improving 

week by week.  

The Captain's sciatica has quieted down

 but he has to be careful

 that he doesn't do anything to aggravate his back issues. 

 All in all, we are able to keep up

 our TV viewing in fine spirits. 

"Suits", on Netflix, is our show of choice right now

 and it is a good one.


As promised:















  Bean was their ring bearer/flower girl. 

 It appears that she took her job seriously.



I promised you pictures of Jake's and Jacenda's wedding and we just got some.  

It was a beautiful ceremony 

and the memories will be so special. 

 I have ordered prints and can't wait to pick out

 some pretty frames to display them in...






...I ordered this one as a canvas print 

and it turned out so well. 

 I just happened to have this frame that it fits in. 

 This frame is just made out of plastic

 but is really pretty and doesn't look like it. 

 I use it for a number of different decor situations 

so this is temporary

 but I loved it placed on the fall mantel.










Speaking of which, I haven't done much fall decorating 

but I did get to the parlor mantel 

so wanted to share that with you now.






Hope you are all well 

and enjoying some wonderful autumn weather.  

We just got the first of our winter flu shots...

(Another bit of excitement.)

Until next time, my friends.


...xxoJudy...




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Tuesday, August 15, 2023

LIFE GOES ON...

 






It's me again! 

 Looking back I see that I haven't posted since late in May.  

I knew it had been awhile but, truthfully, I thought it had been longer than that. 

 Every week I think I am going to drop by and visit

 but then there always seems to be something come along the pike that puts it all on hold. 

 I know that some of you took your busy time to drop a comment

 and I didn't get back to you.  

My sincere apologies. 

 That was always something that I said I would never do.









Things have come and gone. 

 Things that are considered normal and things that you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy. ..





 The garden has bloomed its heart out

and now is starting to rest, 

moving towards the end of the season.





After 30+ years the Cottage deserved a new roof.  

It was something that needed to get done before another winter set in. 

 Here she is at the beginning of summer surrounded by her flower garden.  

She was looking pretty good down to her toes,

 but her head was only one breath of wind away from a giant gaping hole...





...now with the flowers almost gone, 

she is in much better shape to meet Old Man Winter. 

 She is now safe and prepared for whatever Mother Nature can throw at her 

but our pocket book is the real sufferer. 

 We had a new roof put on when we first bought the Cottage

 and it blows the mind as to how much prices have increased. 


 Our choice then was a very black shingle 

but over the course of the years it has toned down 

to almost the same color gray that we have now chosen.  

The only difference is all the missing and tattered shingles.





Jake and Jacenda got married. 

 We are hoping to get some pictures soon and I will share then.  

It was a beautiful wedding that took place 

under a canopy of trees, inside a walled garden, accompanied by a string quartet.

The day was absolutely beautiful, although bittersweet,

 as the Captain was not able to be there...





...a few weeks before the wedding, we had gone to the nursery. 

 It was just after Mother's Day and we were so happy to find 

this beautiful morning glory plant for the arbor. 

We hadn't been able to find one in years past and we were excited. 

 A worker put the pot into the car but the Captain had to remove it when we got home. 

 He felt a slight pain as he removed the can from the car.  

The pain got progressively worse as the day and night went on until his whole right side,

 from his waist down to his foot was affected.  

To make a long story short,

 he couldn't move, lay down or sit, without immense pain 

so a long car ride and a full day out was not something he could handle. 

 In his own words,

 "I had to wait 85 years for something like this to happen 

and it had to be at a special time in my only grandson's life."  

We were all devastated.




He is feeling much better now but had a MRI 

and it was the sciatic nerve that got messed up

 and he has severe stenosis between the fourth and fifth vertebra. 

 He has to completely rest and will be going to rehabilitation.  

There he will be treated as to the severity of his problem.  

Surgery is always a possibility but we are hoping that doesn't have to happen.





We hired a gardener to plant the morning glory and mow the lawn, etc.  

The Captain says

  We will have to keep him for another week, at least

 I say, 

Sorry Bud, he is here to stay!





Well, I guess that is enough sad stories for awhile. 

 I hope I don't wait so long to spend time with you again 

but I don't think it will be as often as I would like. 

 Things are very quiet around here 

and since the Captain needs to sit and rest, 

what can I do but sit and rest with him!?  

Nothing much else is happening even in the mode of decorating,

 so when something new occurs, I will let you know. 
 ( I don't think you would be too interested in all the TV shows we will get to watch.)


Stay well and happy and we are determined to do the same.


...xxoJudy...







Sharing today at:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda










Tuesday, May 23, 2023

A SUNNY MESSAGE...

 






Any day is a good day 

when sun shines through lace curtains...





...but before the lilacs 

and the Lady Banks bloomed 

and even though spring had arrived, 

the sun still hadn't gotten the message

 and faux greenery 

was the only game in town.





Now, the roses are in full bloom,

 filling the garden 

and all the rooms in the Cottage

 with their lovely scents and colors...











The sun is now shining,

 with attitude,

 and the garden is grateful...






Just keeping you in the sunshine.  

Hope all is well.


...xxoJudy...





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Tuesday, April 18, 2023

WHEN THE SUN SHINES...












"Wait till the sun shines, Nellie

And the clouds go drifting by...


Lyrics by Andrew B. Sterling, 1905




A few perfect sun shiney smiles 
from the garden.

We are all much happier

 when the sun shines, don't you think?  

I know I am

 and here at our cozy little Cottage

 spring has truly arrived and the sun is shining brightly.





This has been a long, hard winter

 and who knows if it is really over, 

but we are living in the moment 

and loving the heck out of it!





The Cottage parlor is smiling again after many years of being out of the sunlight.  

At the time we moved into the Cottage, 

the Captain had refinished 

the original fir flooring in the parlor.  

Then, for some odd reason

 that we don't even remember now, 

we decided to cover up 

all that lovely patina with carpeting.





I had forgotten how beautiful 

the floor looked 

and now it can really shine again...









Tami and Tim gifted me
 this sweet little line of birds
 and if appears that 
they were made to sing brightly 
from this very spot.






We moved the two blue arm chairs from the sitting room into the parlor.

  I like the space they take up

 and, of course,

 the color is just right.





This old house that

 came into existence so long ago 

has its very own personality 

and the more we try to update it,

 the more we are finding 

that our first instincts

 were the best instincts.





 The Captain and Rugby are out in the garden weed hunting

 but Robin stayed inside, 

forever Mama's little helper.





Today there is a pot of spaghetti 

cooking on the stove 

and pavlova for dessert.




"Wait till the sun shines, Nellie,

We'll be so happy, Nellie

You and I".





Happy days full of sunshine

 to all of you,

 my friends.


...xxoJudy...






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Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda