RIP Bruce Wayne

The laws of nature are tough to understand. I am freely admitting that I struggle when our smallest creatures pass. Dorky, I know! 
My husband and I drained our pond last week to clean it and prepare for the nice weather when we realized we lost a buddy. The pond was just about drained when we noticed...

Bruce Wayne that is. 

We try everything in our power to help our Koi and goldfish survive the Winter in our little pond. It is often challenging to say the least! 

We weren't  even sure where Bruce came from??

 He just kind of, 

well,

 hung out with the fish, 

around the rocks and the flowers. He was a cool dude.

He'd come and go. 

Like he had a more important day job...

Then he'd be back.

We would sit on the deck after a a nice warm sunny day and watch him jump from the rocks into the water. ~ And swim...
Not like a batman obviously ( Batman doesn't swim, hello!), 
but more like...

Just Bruce ;)

Most every night, we were on the deck hanging out with Bruce Wayne. Enjoying the warm sun.

There just wasn't enough mud on the bottom of our man made pond for him to survive the Winter. Sad. 

So, Bruce...

You will be missed. 

My husband said that if we meet another frog friend, we will have to transport them down the road to the swamp before Winter. 

Sigh...

If we only knew this about Bruce. 

Rest in peace Bruce Wayne. You will be missed. 

Not the best day in the books

Everyone has had those days when absolutely nothing goes right. In fact it goes bad from the start to, well... almost the finish. I always think of the children's book, "No Good Horrible Very Bad Day." Yes, I was having one of those. 
Until...

My mother in law sent me a package. I have been wanting this book for a while. I love the Floret Farm! What a sweet surprise! My dream! She knows me so well. Flowers, Flowers, Flowers! Things only got better when my husband came home and said, "Let's go for a ride."

He surprised me with a new rototiller! I am recovering from a herniated disc so... he said that he knows how much I love flowers, Let's make the start of the season easier. 

~Sigh~

The day was better already!

To top it all off, 

there were sprouts in my basement, and my  geraniums are loving life. So exciting!

Four, full flats of zinnias, YES!!

Sometimes it takes a no good horrible very bad day to fully appreciate a surprise happy ending to the day. Thoroughly thankful for the finish ;)

Starting botanical embryos

Take that lingering snow! I will start to press botanical embryos
( start seeds).  I will surround myself with flowering begonias, geraniums and store bought flowers!!

Seeds have been started and I am so ready for spring, along with everyone else in the north country!

Begonias are nice to have now in the windows because they will transition to the outside nicely and hopefully soon!

Every year I must plant about 100 gladiola bulbs just because they are so amazing! Sometimes a pain to stake, but completely worth it! Also, you can never have enough zinnias, 

Never! Nasturtium works so nicely around our pond and over arbors. 

Spring prints everywhere hopefully will jump start the scene outside.

I have planted 8 flats of mixed goodies this weekend that in about 6 weeks or so will be ready for their debut. Not too much longer friends...

Let the gardening season begin :)

The beautiful spring came; 

and when Nature resumes her loveliness, 

the human soul is apt to revive also.

 ~Harriet Ann Jacobs

Thoughts on a yet another snowy day.

The phrase that keeps getting my attention these days is, "Build a life that you don't need a vacation from." Don't get me wrong, I love to travel and see new places, however I am completely a homebody by nature. Today was another day home/snow day up here. It is these days that allow time to slow down and appreciate my many blessings.  
Everyone was home today. My husband already had the day off. It started with coffee, seed catalogs and family breakfast. :)

A snowy walk with this girl when the only thing you could hear was the snow hitting the ground. Sweet.

A tasty lunch at a new sports bar close to town and finding this little snowy day treasure at a new consignment shop. (after stopping by the grocery store for necessities to prepare for this doozy of a blizzard!)

And kicking around the fire listening to my boys play chess while surrounded by Spring Motif. It doesn't get much better for me!

Enjoying my new walls. ;)

And topping it all off with a nice family dinner accompanied by March madness on t.v.!! Can this day get any better? As long as we don't lose power :/

I am not looking for a vacation right now. On this day I am so happy to be at home. The time off from work to stay at home with my family is always welcomed! Happy March Blizzard of 2017!

Eventful staycation

This staycation all started with a diagnosis of a herniated disc. You know the moment when the doctor is talking and all you hear is the adults from Charlie Brown? Wha, wha, wha wha. I especially didn't want to hear the "You can't run for 4-6 weeks," part! He might of said 6-8, but I'm pretty sure I heard 4-6 weeks. 

So I decided to go buy myself a present...

I have wanted board and batten walls for a while.  Ever since I painted my kitchen white. 

 With the new saw, I mitered! Yes at 45 degrees! What???

The job was easier than I thought it would be. The hardest and most tedious part was the painting!

So the wall in my kitchen worked out well. I decided to keep the party rolling around the living room. Why not? I have some extra energy to expel because of the no running thing ;(

Again, did I mention it was the painting that was a challenge and tedious?

My gray paint on top looks more beige in the picture. My photography isn't the best. ;)

Finished the wall to the left, phew!

←

Next, I think a whitewash to the brick surround. :/

Ah fini! ( for now) I'm starting to understand why people start projects and take a long time to finish, Sigh! I'm tired!!

Plus, more Spring pics from around the house...

Attempting to finish indoor projects before the doors are open to outside! I can't wait!! Hopefully I'll be running again soon too!

Virginia Woolf's Garden

'... what has the deepest and most permanent effect upon oneself and one's way of living is the house in which one lives. The house determines the day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute quality, colour, atmosphere, pace of one's life; it is the framework of what one does, of what one can do, and of one's relations with people.' 
-Leonard Woolf

Ah, music to my ears! I am thoroughly enjoying reading this book!

A wonderful story about the creation of the garden at Monk's House. I am enjoying learning about the history of the couple when they purchased this home during the time whenVirginia Woolf was becoming a prolific writer.  A good read about the development of a modest garden/home morphing into a quaint and intimidate space with winding paths and secret rooms. 

Sigh...

I'm dreaming of Spring.

It is that time of year where I find myself window gardening and buying cut flowers to tide me over. 

And I love a good book about people (especially famous artists) that have a genuine pride in their homes. 

I guess it was my Mom who instilled this in me. My Mom always made a home cozy, pretty and inviting.

So when I read the first page of this book with Leonard Woolf's quote?

Yes, this was the book for me! The story of Virginia and Leonard Woolf's cottage in the country with charming pictures. (While I'm dreaming of Spring of course)

'At moments it is divinely lovely here-

hot, birds, daffodils, blue sky' 

Virginia Woolf

Portraits of ponds, apple orchards, vegetable gardens, paved paths, and zinnias. 

Spring will be here soon. In the meantime, this book is amazing! 

I highly recommend it! ;)