Tap Tap Tap ... Hello?

Is this thing on?

Well.

Hi.

How ya been? Anyone still out there?

Nothing like just jumping right back on the horse, or blog ...

I can't even tell you how many books I've read since I last posted in September 2013.

September 2013?!?!

Let's not go there. It was too long ago.

So lets talk numbers instead.

43

That's a lot of blogging I've missed. Will you all join me again for our Turn the page ... Tuesday adventures? I won't bombard you with 43 reviews this coming Tuesday but I will certainly have a few good ones to share.

I just might even post more than the first Tuesday of each month. Mindy's challenge is a tough one for me but maybe it's time to dust off the keyboard, sewing machine, crochet hooks, real camera (as opposed to my phone) and get back to documenting my wonderful and crazy life.

And since I like to have pictures with my posts ...

Happy fall ya'll from beautiful Virginia.

Ground Hog Day - Virginia Style

Who knew ground hogs could climb trees!

This little fella was about 9 feet up.

Doesn't look like he's too thrilled to have his picture taken!

Wonder if this one saw his shadow?

Snowed

We had a bit of a treat last night.

Big fluffy flakes just perfect for catching on your tongue.

Just enough make the roads messy.

Just wet enough to mash our box woods.

Our poor poor box woods split right down the middle.

 

Thankfully they are pretty resilient (been there done that and will do it some more).



 Only one little birdy stuck around for the show.

 

While two little boys got to work.

 

 

And worked.

 

Sweet success.

 

 

(I've Got) The Power

Well, electricity that is. 

Sadly, over 20,000 people in our city still do not have power not to mention the close to 30,000 in the surrounding counties.

We lost power Friday night and got it back late on Tuesday. We were one of the lucky ones.

The temperatures have been steadily in the high 90's some days up to over 100.

I feel really lucky right now. Have I mentioned that already?

Not to mention cool. As in - air conditioning. Ahhhh, sweet air conditioning.

Here are a few pics of a tree from my mother's backyard that ended up on her neighbors roof (and still is there today - there is such an enormous amount of clean up to be done. Who knows when they will get to them).

Yup. That's Henry right there. That tree was a monster.

That's my mom's neighbor's roof.

This is the road behind my house. They still haven't been able to clear it yet.

Most streets in our neighborhood look like this - still.

Apparently we have power workers/tree cutters from as far as Texas and Oklahoma helping us. God Bless them! With all this around us our home was untouched. Lucky indeed.

Working on my TTPT post. Hopefully will be up and running this afternoon tomorrow at the latest ... now that I've Got the Power ;-)

It's Electric

....or not. We were hit pretty darn bad by those storms that hit the east coast. Might not have electricity for a few weeks. Seriously. And apparently more storms are on their way tonight. We are fairing ok and by God's grace our home was spared; many, many in our city have severe damage from downed trees. power lines are down everywhere. All this to be said - no TTPT this Tues. unless our power is restored (I'm posting from my phone - technology - amazing - too bad it needs electricity - ha!). Feel free to post and I'll link to you once I am electric ... boogie woogie woogie

What's Shakin?

In my case ... it was our house for what seemed like an eternity.

Never did I think I would experience an earthquake here in good ol' Virginia.

Never say never.

I thought my washing machine was unbalanced.

And then my sofa was actually moving.

John began to cry.

Helicopter using our back yard as a landing pad perhaps?

Nope.

It's ok baby.

Quick survey out the window confirmed the trees were still.

What is it mama? Why are we shaking?

I don't know sweet pea but it's ok.

We are ok.

Henry who's school is right around the corner didn't notice a thing but my cousin in Boston felt the tremors.

I can now add a 5.8 earthquake to my list of natural occurrences - tornado and hurricane were already on the list.

By the Grace of God we are ok.

Anything shaking in your zip code?

O Captain! My Captain!

It was 1989 when I went to see Dead Poet's Society.

I {{loved}} that movie.

Maybe it had something to do with all the cute boys (I was 17 after all) but I think it had more to do with the love of reading, learning, following the path that you feel your heart is leading you ... again young hearts/minds are a wee bit impressionable (just sayin').

Any who ... Maybe it's the two boys that have been entrusted to Rocky and myself.

I don't know.

But here we are, enjoying a beautiful family vacation and we have the opportunity to head out on a boat for a bit and the captain asks if my boys would like to drive:

um - yeah! and I can't help but think of O Captain! My Captain!

My hope is that my boys do follow their dreams and if they are so compelled to stand up in defense of whatever their 'captain' is.

Carpe Diem became my motto when I was 17 (and for many years to follow).

Somewhere along the way I became a grown up.

And cynical.

Not as easily to 'believe' in my captains.

I want what's best for my kids.

I want then to grow up to be God fearing men.

I know everything else will fall into place if they indeed follow the only Captain.

O Captain! My Captain! Help them seize the day!

 

Possibilities

I am always amazed at how much mulch we need and how bad my back aches every spring.

Our yard is not that large but we have quite a lot areas that are "landscaped". I put quotes around landscaped because there is so much we need and want to do. After 7 years in this house we have only done what we needed to to the outside. Our focus (and for those of you who have been following this blog for a while will know) has been the inside of our home ... ok ... well, with the exception of fencing in the backyard and widening our driveway (you get the point).

We have been so busy that we only were able to get the front mulched (4 scoops!) and half the back (6 scoops!) done before we ran out of weekends with free time.

As you can see, it takes little time for the weeds to take over.

And as you can see ... one of our little helpers was not too pleased with his call to action.

Both preferred watching to pulling weeds, laying newspaper, and throwing mulch.

Actually that's not entirely true. Henry would have loved to throw mulch ... and he did until we realized that most of his 'load' was landing in the grass ;-)

While Rocky was off getting mulch, I contemplated our next project.

I had already dug up these irises that were crowding my lavender bush ...

and intended to move them to here

that is until Rocky and I realized that our roots run deep.
Wire grass roots that is.
Rocky spent the good part of a bit  tilling this section for me the other day and we still could not get all the roots.
So I began to dig ... and rake ... and hit rocks ... and pull roots ... and dig some more.

I'm not discouraged though. See those herbs ... I'm dreaming of pesto frozen for the winter and fresh tomatoes with feta and basil during the summer.

And while I was waiting for Rocky to move the truck to finish the mulching ... I decided to see how hard it was to disassemble a side patio that is no longer of use (never was). I want to use the slate stones for, you guessed it, more landscaping.

Ahhh ... so mulch to do and so little time.

Oh the possibilities!

Green

Everything is still pretty green around these parts.

Soon it will be yellows and browns.

Scorched.

I thought I would change my header to remind me of all the green.

This was a contender for the May Photo Scavenger Hunt for the texture challenge. The cupcake wrapper won out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget tomorrow is Turn the page ... Tuesday!

Spring Has Sprung

If you've been around my blog for a few springs then you are familiar with my rhododendrons

and my apple tree

 and my daffodils

and the fact that we haven't mulched our backyard in two years as you can (sorta) see in this picture

this is what is left of our woodpile on the back porch

and this is what that (*$)#@*$#  mole has done to our back (and front) yard

New blossoms never get old.

And speaking of new life ... will you join Dollce Bellezza and I (and many others) in reading the New Testament in one week ... we begin Monday the 11th.

Fresh

This post is for my dear bloggy friends who are still snowed in. Spring is coming soon. I promise.

Today was one of those beautiful teaser Virginia days.

The temps reached 70 degrees.

But we know that although it was utterly gorgeous - the temperatures will dip back into winter before it warms up and stays that way. That's just how Virginia is.

We took full advantage of today.

We pulled weeds.

I took artsy pictures of our lavender bush.

I got to wear my red gardening shoes.

It's been a loooong time since I donned these shoes. This was the first year that I was able to help Rocky and know that they kiddos were safe in the front yard with us. I could actually toss mulch without worrying who was headed toward the street.

Today the boys helped demolish weeds and lay mulch ... for about 5 minutes. Then climbing the cherry tree was more appealing.

Two pick up truck loads and the front yard looks and smells divine.

Now to tackle the backyard ... that will be more like four pick up truck loads.

I hope I will be able to move tomorrow ;-)

What says fresh in your neck of the woods right now?

Tis The Season

Oh the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we've no place to go

Let It Snow!

 

 

 

Let It Snow!

 

 

 

 Let It Snow!