Is it almost June already?

My how the weeks fly by these days, and the weekends are so short.  I always try to accomplish so much on the weekends that by Sunday night I am so tired and sore I can hardly move. And you know the alarm clock goes off mighty early on Monday's.  It's a good thing my hubby makes me get out of bed and go to work.  I keep asking him if he wants to get a couple more jobs and support me, but he just tells me to get my lazy butt out of bed and go to work. 

My daughter Rachel aka Somewhere in the middle, gave me slave labor for Mother's Day.  I was thrilled!  So, she came over the Saturday before Mother's Day and helped pull weeds, plant, etc all day.  It was nice to spend time with her, but getting some of my weeds under control was so nice.  I do have to say that I have since banned her from pulling weeds in my flower beds.  She always ends up with poison ivy.  I only saw two plants, and I pulled both before she could get near them.  She has big sores all over her arms, legs and stomach.  I got two dime size spots on my knees.  Mine are almost gone but hers are still awful.  So, thank you Rachel, and I'm sorry.  My youngest Kimberly came over for a awhile and help out also.  She got all the patio furniture out, and cleaned up all the weeds Rachel and I had pulled.  Thanks Kimberly! 

Hubby hung the chandelier in the cornzebo.  It's an old fixture I had laying around.  It's had extra bling on it, but I stripped it down to make it simpler.  After all, corncrib gazebo's are laid back, and earthy.

I've been adding hostas to the front of the house, and the perennials I removed from the front of the house have been redistributed to around the cornzebo and the other perennial beds.  This is the new flower bed in progress.

Yesterday we finished planting a very small garden.  Last year half of what we grew went to waste, or we gave away.  This year, I've converted a flower bed to garden space.  I am growing basil for the first time, in hopes of making basil pesto.  Hubby and I have started eating basil pesto and love it.  If anyone has any tips on growing basil, or making pesto, I'd love to hear from you.  I am using an old wooden step ladder for a support for my tomatoes this year.  Last years tomatoes were almost as tall as I am (which isnt all that tall) 

I'm growing onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and basil this year.  No corn, beans, zucchini, etc...
Keeping it basic and low maintenance.

Yesterday, hubby and I rebuilt an old stone wall I had built around our 130 year old weeping willow tree.  I had primarily built it using whatever rock I could find.  It was a mess, and falling apart.  I was lucky enough to get some flat stone from a friend who had torn out some landscaping, and some from my daughter Kimberly, who had a rock pile.  Combined with the few larger, flat stones I had we built this low wall. 

The roses are blooming on the cornzebo and look so pretty from both the inside and outside.

After working in the yard all day, Kaylee and I had a water fight.  We were both soaked by the time we were done.  Here's a pic of her taking a break (before the water fight) enjoying a nice cold treat.  She looks too innocent to get sneak up behind her granny and soak her with the garden hose doesn't she.

Even in mis-matched clothes, she's still cute.

Here is a planter I made out of an old funnel and an old wooden handle...

and I'm working to restore one of several large birdhouses I made several years ago.  The platform had rotted on this one, and when it fell the porch columns, and part of the roof broke off.  I know I should scrap it and make a new one, but I love the colors on this one, and hea, I made it, so I'm a bit fond of it :)

That's enough for one post.  I hope everyone has a great week and does something creative whenever possible.

Myra

Catching up

Hello friends, Several things have been going on the last few weeks.... I hope you can make sense of the pictures and text. I couldn't seem to get blogger to cooperate. Last Friday evening we had a big storm roll thru and drench us. There was water everywhere after that. Kaylee was with me, so after dinner she and I went wading in the puddles... it was her first time puddling... Kaylee and my feet in a large puddle.

The last weekend of April we spent the weekend in a pretty mountain top cabin near Townsend, TN. We had a family hike on Saturday. She drove thru Cades Cove and hiked Abram's Falls trail. The weather was perfect, the company great, and the trail a bit rough, but everyone made it out, and enjoyed the scenery. We came across a bear cub eating some leaves, who totally ignored us. He was adorable and only a few feet off the trail. We all stayed alert and looking for it's mother... luckily she didn't return while we were so close.

This is the view from the back deck.

The week before that I was in Virginia for work. It was a very good trip. We got a tour of the Norfolk port. There was so much going on there, its a wonder things run as smoothly as they do. I was fascinated with the huge cranes and equipment. Went to Virginia Beach on Thursday afternoon. It was chilly and very windy but I had to take off my shoes and walk in the sand. I've never been to a real beach before. The sand was warm beneath my feet, and I rolled up my pants and waded in the ocean. It was cool. We only stayed a couple hours and then had to head back toward Richmond and our hotel.

Saturday my daughter Rachel came over and helped me unload gravel, and she, Mark and I laid the stone we have been collecting for the floor of the cornzebo. I thought we had more than enough, but we barely had enough. I need to level several stones, cut some small pieces for the larger gaps, and then finish packing the cracks with gravel. While it's not the pretty circular patio I dreamed of, the only expense I have in it is gravel. The cornzebo is starting to look like a comfy spot. Older roses have covered the one side, and are getting ready to bloom. I have moved 3 roses to the cornzebo, and bought 10 bagged roses from Walmart and Big Lots. They were each under $5.00. They aren't the fancy english roses, but they'll be perfect for me.

This is the so called super moon peaking over my arbor. I couldn't tell a difference.

This is my and Kaylee's version of a bottle tree. It brings color to the flower bed when flowers aren't blooming. I know it's tacky, redneck and odd but Kaylee and I like it.

The weather is warm here and storms have been rumbling thru the last hour or so.... my newly planted roses can use a good drink to get them off to a good start. And who doesn't love to hear it rain??? Myra