Annual Tea Party Give-Away!

Here we are, on the eve of July already! This summer is flying by a little more than usual due to Hub's ILLNESS. Through these last two months, I've felt like I was several weeks behind, constantly trying to 'catch up' with gardening. I can now say that, other than maintenance, it's finished! We just completed the 'new' LANDSCAPE in the front yard and I really like this change. Next year, I'm hoping to gather lavender by the handfuls! :)

The month of July is as full of activities as I want it to be with one tea, one President Buchanan Garden Club twilight tour, a garden club visit and a fund-raiser dinner for friends who are in the process of adoption. But I am adding one more event - a give away tea for eight! When one gets the gardens prepared for gardening events, what's one more?! :) The tea will be Monday evening, July 25 at 7:00 PM. To enter the give away, just leave a comment and this give-away will be open until July 7. Be sure to sign your name! Use the 'annonymous' feature to sign in if you don't have a blog.

Though you haven't heard much from this blog thus far, we've been busy with added features and, hopefully, I'll be posting more here again. Hubs built two FARM TABLES for the pergola to entertain our guests outdoors which I love. We're a good team - I design, he builds! :)

We've revamped the front yard.

And remember these from last summer?

This summer they look like this...

AMAZING!

Most things deserve a second chance!

...happy gardening!

New Picket Fence At Fleur Cottage

We live along side of a busy state road with lots of traffic. When we moved here, the yard went all the way to the edge of the road and I felt very vulnerable when I mowed the grass. I quickly decided the yard needed a buffer and planted knockout roses in a fifteen foot wide bed. As time went on, the roses became neglected,  untrimmed and unmanagable, getting very BIG but gorgeous when in bloom. It was a tad dangerous to pull out onto a busy road as well. We took the roses out and turned this fifteen foot buffer into more parking space and added a picket fence. I'm very pleased with the finished results.

This project was started back in March by SIL W and grandsons P and J, (unfortunately those pics got lost) and was completed this week...thanks to our children and grandchildren! They did the hard work so I could do the fun stuff...like designing, mulching and planting.

Grandson A moving the stones so the wall could be started - this was a huge help to me!

Son L and SIL W pushed the dirt around and seeded the grass, a job well done!

The watchers. :)

Then came the picket fence. Son L along with grandson S did this beautifully!

First fence post hole!

How many workers does it take? One son and three grandsons! They all knew what needed to be done.

Now my work begins.

Mulched and fourteen Provence lavender plants and creeping thyme planted. In a few years they will grow into large , shrub-like plants and I'll be cutting and drying bouquets!

Road side.

Yard side.

 Before.

 Job well done - thanks, family!

Week End Musings

We spent the week end at Penn Valley, a retreat in central PA, enjoying a family reunion. The weather was cloudy and a tad cool, so we did a lot of this...

 The little boys spent their time on wheels.

We cooked our own breakfasts and R is multi-tasking!

The men do the chicken...

 ...headed up by brother R and E standing by the grill.

The food is super-licious!

We have a three generations attendance.

We go green by re-using our cups!

J (left) is facing a five week radiation treatment and is supported by sister L.

She did a night time walk to raise funds with this support group.

And we had an auction to raise funds for the next year.

A fun, fun and relaxing week end!

(except the beds were HARD and LUMPY!)

A thought gleaned from the week end.

"It's better to BE rather than DO and what I DO is who I AM.'

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The Glory Hour from our back yard this morning - unedited!

Farm Table(s)

Last fall Hubs and I were at our local GW and in the bargain room was a square outdoor table with tile overlay that could seat eight. It was new but wobbly with a very reasonable price. Wondering where I would use another table outdoors, I left it there...YES - I LEFT IT THERE! Several days later, I knew exactly where it could be used - in the pergola! When we serve a meal there, we always drag our big, heavy, round table in and out and this was the PERFECT place for it. But...you guessed it - making a special trip several days later, it was gone. I mourned thought of that table all. winter. long! Then my mind began spinning.

I saw pictures of farm tables in blog land constantly and loved the simplicity of them and how easy it would be to make one. Suddenly, it all clicked! Hubs has woodworking tools and is skilled in making things as long as I don't overwhelm him with descriptive words but show him pictures of the finished project and we were good to go! He made me, not one but two tables - both 3x6 ft. I can use them as a square that seats eight or butt them end to end that serves twelve - more if there's kids.

Glory!

Last evening we put them to good use for the first time, celebrating son L's birthday. It worked beautifully! We each grabbed a dinning room chair, which, by the way, will be my next 'something-to-look-for' yard sale - outdoor chairs!

- the birthday man -

When we celebrate birthdays, the birthday guy/gal gets this 'YOU ARE SPECIAL' plate, a thrift shop find. I used drop cloth from HD for the tablecloth...what would we do without that wonderful, cheap fabric?! It's perfect for my 6ft. square farm table!

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The crepe mrytle is beginning to bloom - LOVE that bush!

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Then there's this project that will be finished next week (I hope!).

Ah, summer, how I love thee!

Side bar links:

Tuesday Garden Party

Brambleberry Cottage

Under $100
Primitive and Proper

Week End Musings

It was a busy week end with two ball tournaments for four grandsons on Saturday and a cook out for the youth from church Sunday evening. This is a picture post! :)

Our three grandsons playing on the same team.

The two coaches, their dad on the left.

'A' prior to hitting a grand slam!

Their team.

After watching their first game, I went to P's tournament. P had fallen down a flight of stairs the night before but was determined to play the next day...he loves baseball! He was doing fine until he got rammed at home base (he was the catcher) with another bump. He was taken to their chiropractor that day.

We've always enjoyed watching ball games and in years gone by, attended them when Hubs played and our boys played 'pickle,' a made-up game of their generation. I was amused to hear the little boys still playing that game! We still watch their games and now Hubs does some unoffical umping for their league. Our love of ball games spans three generations!

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Sunday evening, we hosted our church youth for a cookout in our back yard. This brought back a lot of memories for us when our children were that age. :) The boys outnumber the girls but the girls can hold up their end very well! :)

Playing 'Amish golf'...

and Kubb (pronounced Koob).

Then there were these two little ladies playing dress-up.

Love this cute, innocent 'mini-train' model walk!

We enjoyed the evening very much and in spite of predicted thunderstorms, it was a perfect evening!

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- From the pulpit -

Authentic manhood - responsibility of action and attitude is the call of true manhood.

• Taking responsibilty of  personal attitudes and actions.
• The tendency to silence when they should speak out.
• The need to define goals and core values.
• Taking resposibilty for moral purity.
• Taking responsibilty for integrity.

In reading over these five points, I was challenged with the thought of how I can make it easier for my husband to reach these goals. Allowing him to speak without interruption is a great place to start. Dressing modestly myself. Supporting him when he stands up for truth, even when it costs! Yes, this message on Authentic Manhood on Father's Day spoke to me as well!

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I so enjoyed the comments on the last two posts - thank you for them! To those who live nearby, stop by for starts of the Grandiflora hydrageas in the Fall after the first frost and I'll share starts with you! :)