A cold start to a New Year--January 2013

 I'm pretty sure I've expressed my dislike of cold weather at some time or other. It's no secret, I deal much better with warmth. I work better, play better, relax better with sun and heat. However, winter has it's place and now is as good a time as any! I do get a rest from the gardens [although to see them you would think I've been resting plenty--they need work!] and my mind needs some rest also. 2012 was a tough year. Although I have "semi-retired" I am apparently doing it all wrong. I worked way too much and too hard and missed out on a lot of my normally enjoyable activities. This year I have vowed to do better, to get some of that "balance" I've been talking about and to have more time to myself. No one believes me. I don't blame them, I've cried "Wolf!" way too many times. But I take my New Year's resolutions very seriously and to achieve some balance is one of them. Wish me luck!

This New Year will bring two major changes and additions to our family and we are very excited! First we will get little Nora ELLEN. [The Nora is silent.] Megan and Logan are having the first baby, the first grandchild, great grandchild, and great niece. Patti is beside herself, we all are. Then Forrest will be marrying in October and Michele will become a treasured member of our little clan. So as our family grows and is blessed by these wonderful events to come I give thanks. Even if my feet are cold at the moment.

Meatball Weedman

 I haven't focused on CARE [Covington Animal Rescue Effort] in my writing only because I sometimes need to get away from it, it absorbs most of my time now. However, I think Meatball deserves his story told. He's a wonderful little slew footed guy that we debated on pulling from the pound. Not because we didn't want to but because finances and foster homes were nil. No money, no place to put him. But that thin dejected little creature spoke to me. He was just so tired. I think what he had in store for him might have been welcomed by him at that point. I donned him "Meatball" on the spot and immediately delivered him to the vet where he had all vetting including a heart worm test and of course

he was positive. Again, no money, no place to put him! We had the treatment done [after yet Another fundraiser] and still no available place so I actually bought another kennel for him. He filled out with love, care, fresh food and water and his brittle dull coat softened until he felt like velvet. We had the little guy for about a year [once CARE rescues we rescue--they do NOT go back to the pound after a designated time!] and he got adopted!!! Now you may ask how could we let him go after so much time? Didn't we love him? Yes. We did. But my job as a foster mom is to be a halfway home and get these wonderful babies Out of the pound. We don't adopt them out because we don't love them, we adopt them out because we Do love them and to make room for others. That's it in a nutshell. So I did the adoption myself. Well. He got loose and ran off. I was devastated. It was here in the County so every day I went and looked and looked and looked. There were "Meatball sightings" but he wouldn't let anyone catch him. Getting discouraged and so tired I almost didn't go back that afternoon but thought, "What If.......?"  So I grabbed a dirty T-shirt that I had cleaned his kennel in, some of his bedding, and set off thinking maybe the scent would bring him to me. Apparently it and the higher powers did! A friend that was helping was about to leave and I was leaned against her truck when here came little slew footed Meatball right to me! So back home we came and home he stayed. He is now officially Meatball Weedman. I believe with all my heart that he loves us and Knows he's here to stay. There's a whole new attitude and happiness exuding from him, he dances with joy, we call it the "Meatball Dance". I don't know his history or where he's been but I know his future--love and care and a place to call home. So that, folks, is what CARE is all about.

A Place to Reflect

Since I'm all about reflection this time of year and since I Love sitting areas we have a new one! This darling table and two chairs were at Upscale Resale in Covington, the store where I have The Rose Garden room. No way was I passing it up, I had the perfect place--the corner of one of the little back porches off the new addition! It's been a little cool for sitting there in the mornings but by mid afternoon it's the perfect spot for a cup of coffee with Bailey's. I've made lists on this table, drawn floral designs for the shop, and I'm enjoying it tremendously!

The Autumns of our Lives

I've always heard the "old timers" say that a lot of berries on the trees and shrubs mean a hard winter is ahead. If that's the case we have a cold one coming! I'm personally not a fan of very cold weather, I freeze, but there are some aspects of winter that I love. Sitting in front of the gas logs and looking at the incoming seed and garden catalogs is one of my all time favorite things to do. It's the time when you can dream of a perfectly weed free vegetable garden with rows and rows of heavily laden vines of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and whatever else your imagination plants. But we're not quite at the point of gas logs. Right now it's a damp cold that's causing the leaves to turn color quickly and fall overnight. Our adopted Honey Girl loves this weather and you can hear the leaves crunching as she chases squirrels and chipmunks. All the fosters seem to enjoy the break in the heat, we had a terribly hot summer. The chrysanthemums are loaded down with blooms and the dogwood trees have more berries than I ever remember. Soon the cedar waxwings will be flocking and devouring every red berry they see. I love their Lone Ranger masks and exotic looks as they strip the color from the trees.

So Thanksgiving just around the corner and the thought of Christmas right after that brings a moment of reflection--

a lull in the hectic pace that my life seems to have taken on. A time for thought about next year and what I want to change and what I want to accomplish. I think I plan more resolutions this time of year than New Year's Eve. 

Autumn has always seemed a bit bittersweet to me, the end of color and production in the gardens, the end of the Season of Life, so to speak. Yet I love this time of the year. It's restful. And heaven knows, I need some rest!

Our New Addition!

Mother and Daddy built this little house and we love living here. It's just the two of us and our dogs so it really is big enough however there has been no storage whatsoever. Tiny closets, no attic space, and so consequently everything goes under the bed. Until  now! We have enclosed the back porch and made a new utility/storage area with an extra small kitchen area! I am so happy with it! It's where I did all the canning for The CARE Cannery and I could look out at my foster babies while working. It's a sweet little space and I have enjoyed making it "mine".
Our brother Sam drew the plans and Greg Coulston did the work and helped re design a couple of things that made it even better. Sam and Greg are brilliant! This small area is currently my favorite place to be. Greg used old barn wood and planks that blended perfectly, plus he built in a great cabinet [above] for my constant collections of whatever and kept the original ceilings and beams intact.

My dear friend Kim rubbed down the top of an old red cabinet to get the desired finish as a topper for the reclaimed wood piece. The huge jar was once used for pickles and performs well with branches, berries, and hydrangeas. Grandmother's wooden bowl filled with mock oranges and a large dried sunflower head propped up against the turquoise pitcher complete the still life.

The new addition feels like it has always been here.

Ready for The CARE Cannery Tasting Event!

Well, the last time I blogged I was preparing for the CARE Cannery's First Annual Tasting Event. That's correct, I have now said the word "annual" which means we will be doing it again next year, folks! I am happy to report it was a huge success! I think we had 12 little jars left out of close to 450 and I am already searching for new canning recipes. The best seller hands down was the Salsa, probably the Black Bean and Corn. 2nd Winner was Pepper Jelly. But it all sold and I haven't received any bad reviews Yet. I also managed to be decorated for Fall although Barbara came and got the house cleaned for me! I'm not nearly as inclined to clean as I am to decorate! I love hydrangeas when they first start drying that fabulous apple green color and I added a little green paint to keep them from turning totally brown..

This is an old wooden bucket I purchased at an antique store years ago. Greenery, shed antlers, and Indian Corn were the finishing touches. [And there's Mother's little shovel by the front door ready and willing to help me plant fall bulbs which will be arriving soon.]

I made this Fall wreath a couple of years ago or so  and haven't done a thing to it since. I still love it just the way it is. I made several special orders this year for various customers and each one was different and bright and made me wonder if I wanted to "update". Then I would look at this one and think not! I'm a big fan of natural floral's, nests, and white pumpkins so for now this suits me perfectly. I coordinated the lamp posts using more green hydrangeas and burlap ribbon, although I did use some real orange pumpkins at the base for a "punch".