My Walk Around the Yard: part two


Our front courtyard area. The wisteria is about to explode. I'll show you when it does.

Ornamental miniature Cherry Tree. . . just about finished blossoming. It's now leafing out.

Magnolia Tree

Phlox bursting forth with color. . .

Lilac tree ready to blossom too!

and the Lilac bush.

Lamb's Ear

Azaleas in full color. . .

And finally, my little bench waiting for its basket of annuals to be placed on top. A wee bit early for annuals here. I normally plant after Mother's Day, when chance of frost/freeze is over. So, about a week and 1/2 until I plant those annuals. I can't wait to start digging in that dirt :)

Blessings. . . until next time,

SPRING IN MICHIGAN

SPRING

Oh yes, it's been a looonnnggg time coming, but it's here. SPRING in Michigan and I'm loving it!! I took a walk around my yard this afternoon and snapped a few photos.

Spring, it comes every year. I like to think of it as God's promise that our bad times (winter) will surely end!

Flowers blooming;

Trees budding;

and we repeat :)

See all of my hostas and lily of the valleys coming to life, reaching for the sun?

I'll share more pictures. . . next time.

Blessings. . . until next time,

TEXAS HERE SHE COMES!!!

Thank you so much to those of you who left comments and e-mailed me regarding our daughter finishing her education in Austin, TX. All is pointing in that direction for our daughter. She's flying to Austin on Thursday to take care of of a few details and will return on Sunday. As of this date. . . the plans are to drive her car from Michigan to Texas with my husband/dad. . . on the 24th of May!!!

WOW!! It's an incredibly great opportunity for her. She'll be able to spend time with hubby/dad while he's installing a new system in Austin and finish her education. I will miss her terribly. So will our youngest daughter. I think I'll have to fly down every 4 - 6 weeks. . . just to check in on her and get my hugs.

We (daughter and I), are entering a new season of our lives; one chapter closes, another one opens with new and exciting opportunities for each.

. . .but why, may I ask. . . "does my heart hurt so???"

Blessings. . .until next time,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBS!!

My hubs turned 52 on Thursday! I made his favorite cake for him and suffered through dinner at PF Changs. I don't like Chinese food and it doesn't like me. It's a testament of how much I love this man. He was in heaven! I, not so much. The good thing was that I'm still sick and couldn't taste anything, so I didn't each much.

I love this picture of my husband. We were singing, or I should say attempting to sing, Happy Birthday To You. . . Happy Birthday To You. . . . He was actually laughing at us, I think!

I hope this year brings you some time to relax dear. You deserve it. I hope to see more of the following picture of you enjoying your hard work. I took this at our cottage during our last visit. My husband relaxing and doing nothing. I don't see this too much!

Blessings. . . until next time,

CRAIGSLIST FIND FOR THE COTTAGE!!

LOOK WHAT I FOUND FOR OUR MICHIGAN UP-NORTH COTTAGE:

We have a cathedral wall at our cottage that I've been wanting to place an electric fireplace. Not just any electric fireplace, however. A really, really nice, electric fireplace. Not the kind you can buy at Home Depot, or Garden Centers. The realistic looking kind that you purchase from a heating/cooling company. The Dimplex electric fireplace. It has adjustable flame, adjustable lighting and a heater blower that is also adjustable. They are very pricey and I was looking for a used one to fit the bill. I'm cheap, urr, I mean Frugal! I couldn't find one that wasn't cherry wood, or white, or a corner until. I have been looking for a few years now. . . then I found this one.

My husband was not in agreement, however. He wanted to put in a gas fireplace. Like we have in the basement of our cottage. I just wanted an electric one, with a remote and no lingering smell. He never thought that electric looked very realistic. . . until I showed him this one. I found this one on Craigslist.com. The couple had this unit in their finished basement (which with three kids under the age of 4 years old ~ they didn't get down there much to use it). They were moving and selling this unit. Luckily, hubs was home and reluctantly agreed to go look at this with me. As soon as they turned it on for us to see, my hubs agreed with me. It was beautiful! These units are pricey. $1,200 new just for the firebox and then another $500 to $600 for the fireplace surround. They were only asking $400 TOTAL!!! FOR BOTH.

The mirror on top of this unit was a separate find of mine. Can you believe it? I found this from another ad on Craigslist.com at the exact same time as finding the fireplace. It was only $50!! They even offered to deliver it to me. Can't get better than that, can you? The fireplace and the mirror look like they have always been together. For $450 I did not break the budget and have now achieved the exact look I've been wanting for our little up north get away.

. . . And sorry hubs, but this is one remote that I control :)

Blessings. . . until next time,

I'M STILL ALIVE!!

So sorry I have been Missing In Action (MIA)!!!


I'm still around. . . I just never got to feeling better. I finally went into see the doctor on Wednesday and found out I have bronchitis and a sinus infections. No wonder I was feeling so "punk!"

Back soon.

Blessings. . . until next time,

Garage Sale Season has Started!! WhoooHooooo

My Favorite Season of the Year :)

I know you in the south have been enjoying garage sale season for a while already. But, here in the north. . . they just started. I have no pictures to share with you all. I'm in bed with a rotten chest cold/sinus thingy. . . but before I got sick I hit a few on Thursday. I found a Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker with an extra pitcher and lid for $5, makes GREAT iced tea. We don't drink Sweet Tea here in the north. Just plain brewed iced tea. . .yummy! I also found a great little table that needs some TLC for $15!. . . and I found some really nice costume jewelery (yeah, like I need more of that my youngest said). The weather here is absolutely beautiful. Low 70's. That's perfect in my book. Before taking to bed, I helped hubby put out all the outside yard things yesterday. We re-installed our rock pool, I uncovered and changed the lights in our fountain in the front yard, put out the pots, yard ornaments and the gazebo tent. It is so nice to be done now doing these chores at both homes. More mulch added to both homes, yard & patio things in place.

Now. . . we can just sit back with a tall iced tea and enjoy the beautiful weather. :)

Have a wonderful week. When I'm up and feeling better I have some baking and cooking to do and a birthday cake to make for hubby. He's turning 52 on Thursday. Where does time go?

Oh yes, did I mention everyone will be back to school and work from Easter Break tomorrow? Yes, that's my real Whoooo-Hoooo!!! Then, I'll be back to myself shortly because I will actually be able to rest!

Blessings. . . until next time,

CALLING ALL YOU TEXANS!!

TEXAS?? ~ WHAT TO DO?

We live in Michigan. The economy stinks!! Our oldest has been trying to get into a nursing program here in our state and it. . . is . . .absolutely. . . impossible!! Then add to that ~ each college requires different pre-reqs. She has her associates degree (with excellent grades) and now wants her bachelor of nursing degree. We have so many unemployed in our state (from the car industry and related manufacturing) and the only area hiring is the medical field ~ so everyone wants to get into a nursing program!! So that's why I'm asking your advice. . . .

My hubby will be heading up a project soon in Austin, TX. The project will last around 2 years. He flies out on Monday am, and returns on Thursday nights. He normally just stays in a nice hotel while these projects are running. . . but we're thinking perhaps this time he should just get a corporate apartment. Our oldest can live with him, if she can get into a nursing program at a college near Austin. The amount of colleges with nursing programs is so much better than the amount we have in our state. The colleges near us have approximately 1,500 applicants for the nursing program and only 100 are accepted! Our oldest was shocked to do some on-line checking and find that some colleges near Austin, TX have over 700 enrolled in their nursing program!!! OVER 700!!

What do you from Texas, especially the Austin area, think are the best colleges for nursing degrees? I would appreciate any and all advice or information you could supply to us. Our oldest thinks this could be a great option and an opportunity. Several years ago when hubs put in a system in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area we went with him and spent the entire summer in Texas. While hubs worked, the girls and I saw all the sights. We fell in love with the state. Our oldest especially loved Texas. She probably would not return to Michigan after acquiring her degree.

What do you all think? Could this work?

Anxiously waiting to hear from you. . .

Blessings. . . until next time,

Are You Tired of Eating These Yet?

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter and were able to spend time with loved ones.

We went to our cottage for the weekend and had our Easter dinner there. I made our usual Easter dinner: Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Corn I had froze from the end of summer, Homemade Yeast Rolls, Freshly cut Pineapple, tossed salad and Deviled Eggs! (Yes, we had a lot of hard boiled eggs. My family is not nuts about them plain, but make them Deviled and look out. . . they are GONE!!) Then we had apple pie, peach pie and ice cream for dessert.

It was a beautiful weekend at the cottage. We added mulch to all of our landscaping there too, same as we did to our home a few weeks ago. We hauled out all of the summer items from storage and have all of our patio furniture out and ready to be used. Next trip, we'll probably be able to put the boats in the water.

We took several walks and enjoyed each and every step. It was a very relaxing and restful time for our family. I also brought up a treasure I had found recently on Craigslist. I'll show you a picture as soon as I download it from my camera.

Blessings. . . until next time,

HAVE A BLESSED EASTER!!

CELEBRATE OUR RISEN SAVIOUR!!


Thank you Jesus for taking my sins and punishment upon yourself and covering them once and for all. . . at the cross. . . rising from the grave. . . to triumph over death. . .making a way for us to have eternal life, with the Father, through you. Amen!

How cool is that? And all we have to do is accept HIS gift of salvation! None of us is worthy of this gift, yet it is available to each and everyone of us! None more deserving than the other. Have you accepted HIS gift? Have you made HIM your Lord and Saviour?

I wish you all a wonderful Easter celebration with family and friends.

Blessings. . . until next time,

SPRING & EASTER DECORATING

It's kind of funny for me to even be posting this now!

So many of you gals, especially those southern gals, did your Spring/Easter decor posting sooo long ago. But here in the north Spring is just now starting to sprout. My husband and I put 138 bags of mulch (2 cu. yards in each bag) all around our home yesterday and today. This afternoon, when we finished, we turned on the weather channel. Yikes, here we found out we are expecting 6 - 10" of snow Sunday/Monday! Can you believe that? But, we've learn to roll. What can we do? Nothing, absolutely nothing about it :) At least it won't stick around long and when it melts we'll see our fresh layer of mulch!

So, here's my Easter/Spring decor (not my Christmas - which would probably be more appropriate for us!)

My little Beatrice Potter Rabbit on our dining room table with some straw and pastel plastic eggs scattered around. A Marshall's find from a few years back.

Two little moss bunnies with eggs in their baskets. . . and a few more rabbits. They seem to multiply, don't they?

And finally, our sofa table vignette. Our signs; Spring & Easter Blessings; then we have chicks feeding, bunnies hugging (hmmm, I wonder if this is how my collection multiplies?), Easter plates and my favorite, spring time bird's nests. However, the glass Easter Egg candy dish seems to be my family's favorite.

Now, if you don't mind passing me the snow shovel!

Blessings. . . until next time,

WELL, IT'S KIND OF LIKE BEING THERE, ISN'T IT?!

Fleetwood Mac We Love You, But I'm Too Cheap To Pay Your Ticket Prices!


Call me old, call me cheap, I don't care. I love Fleetwood Mac, so does hubby. Listening to their music brings back soooo many good memories of the late 70's (ok, some good, some memories. . . maybe not sooo good!) Fleetwood Mac was here in the metro Detroit area last month. We checked out the ticket prices, thought about attending, then thought some more. Hubby was all for it. . . he didn't care how much the tickets were. I did. It just seems with the present economy the money could be used elsewhere. Like giving additional food to our local food bank. We collect it each week at church and the need is growing. I mean, look, we live in Michigan. Must I explain more?

So, we didn't go. We compromised. We played a live concert on our big screen in my hubby's basement mancave. I mean, it was kind of, sort of, like being there right? We probably saw better, that's for sure.

. . . and I let hubby blast his Boise surround sound system as loud as he wanted (without complaint). Oh, by the way, did I mention my husband has severe hearing loss from all the concerts he attended in his youth? Yeah, he'd get seats so close that he would sit right in front of the amplifiers and blast out his ear drums. I wish he'd get hearing aids, but he's just not there yet. I guess he thinks 52 is too young, but I'd sure like to be able to stop repeating myself to him, once, twice, three times. Or of course, we have the "I didn't hear you say that!" stuff going on too. Or perhaps if he gave up and got the hearing aids. . . there his excuse would go too :)

Blessings. . . until next time,

BASEMENT SHOWER TILE UPDATE

REMEMBER THIS PROJECT? WE'LL PROGRESS IS BEING MADE THAT'S FOR SURE :)

Here is my honey, working, working, working on installing the cement board. I've been visibly missing from the blogging world. I hurt my back again (I'm OK now), but was unable to help my hubby as I had planned. Bless his heart, he did it all himself. No tile cutting, no blogging, not much of anything for me.

But, unfortunately, things can get messy BEFORE looking better! Here's the tile installing/cutting equipment on the bathroom floor.

Here hubs has begun cementing the tile to the wall.

Tile installed all the way to the ceiling now. . .

Tiling the shower seat/ledge.



Starting to lay the smaller tile sheets on the shower floor. . . and the larger tile cut down for the floor entrance ledge.

Now, we need to wait until the tile cement dries completely for a few days and then grout away.

I love the look of the shower tiled. I'm so glad that it's almost finished and behind us finally.

Now, we can begin to think about our next project(s) to tackle :)

Blessings. . . until next time,