MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Hope all of you have a blessed holiday!

A holiday corner!

Love the sunlight on this new shelf Neil made me!

Sweet little stocking!

Top of my kitchen cabinet.

Small santa on pint size step back cupboard.

IT IS BEGINING TO LOOK A BIT LIKE CHRISTMAS

Looking out my dining room window and

my new dry sink Neil made with old barn wood.

Two of my favorite redware Santa's!

 Love this little squirrel hiding in some greens.

 Found this great cement Santa at a local antique shop last year! 

 My black cat weather vane with a bit of Christmas greens!

A simple little display on top of my corner cabinet.

I really can't believe Christmas is almost here.  And like years past I have

many things to finish before the big day.

For some crazy reason I seem to like the pressure so it

will all work out!

Even Neil is still working on his presents so it is a bit of a hurry up time

around here!  

I'm sure there are many others out there in the hurry up mode as us!

I'll try to post some other pictures soon!



FROST IS ON THE PUMPKIN

Can it really be almost winter?   The colors of all are falling fast and with the heavy frost in the morning can winter be far behind!   Wood smoke from our outdoor wood boiler fills the air. The smell of the smoke I don't really like but the warm and cozy cabin is great! 

Last week Neil moved our new found friend, Skippy the outside can into his workshop! At first I don't think she was too excited about being indoors but funny how after a week she is enjoying the warm, dry new home!   I didn't want to become attached to her but she forced the issue!    She is just too sweet!

Last week Judy and Teresa came over to hook, crochet and knit!   It was a fun afternoon. 

The week before Judy and I went to St. Meinards for a 3 days and 2 nights to escape the daily grind of 'real life'.  What fun it was to relax and explore the peacefull place.   We went to Bloonville to the VIllage Mercantile quilt shop and all I can say is WOW!   The display items were wonder antigues and the shop samples were great.  Makes me sort of want to quilt..............OK not now! 

Think I'll spend some time this afternoon knitting.   After all the baby hats I've knit lately this time I'm starting something for me!

BEAUTIFUL DAY

It has turned into a beautiful day here in Southern Indiana today.  Low humidity and mid 80's.  Wish this could last all  year.  I'm busy knitting a baby blanket that needs to be finished for a shower Sunday.   Yes, I waited until the last minute to start it but working under pressure is a good thing!
Neil is bored today and no project I suggest seems to be what he wants to do!  At least he has made it to the workshop so maybe he will come up with something to do.  I think at times he is very bored with retirement! 
Better get back to knitting as I would like to knit a hat also for little Simon for the shower also!

NEIL IS SO TALENTED

Now this is HOT weather.  The humidity is killer last few days.  And such a crappy time of  year for allergies.   YUCK   Can you tell I'm not a fan of this time of  year!  I'm afraid it getting time to close the pool for the season and that is not good.  Love that natural vitamin D you can get in the summer!  The hummingbirds are thick at the feeders getting ready for their long flight south soon.  This is all telling me winter is coming.

NEW CABIN ART

Neil headed out to his workshop yesterday.   I had no idea what he was working on. Next thing he was asking me about stars........  said he was  making a flag and need stars........  You can see he found stars and it turned out great.   I helped him hang in on the side of the house.  It is hard to tell here but it is about 6 ft wide.  He made it out of old red fence boards that had been laying around.   He can make anything and has great ideas!   I'm really lucky for sure!

Little Bit peeking out of "her' basket!  This is her safe place

and most of the time she is in here. 

This is Baby Bee that I caught sleeping in the chair in our bedroom!

She is a funny cat as her daytime nap place is always different. 

But this again Bee is a DIFFERENT cat that allows us to live with her.

No great plans for the day.  Need to spend time knitting a baby blanket.  And of course there is a race on to watch!  Might need to check out the pool to see how cold the water is.   These cool nights have really dropping the tempature of the pool water.  Bet there is a ton of leaves in it since they are falling like crazy.  Judy I think it is more than just a dry summer why they are falling.........

Have a great day and thanks for visiting!



BUG DAYS OF SUMMER

This has to be the time of the year when the bugs are the biggest and EVERYWHERE!   To me it is a sad time of the year as the flowers are slowly fading and leaves are starting to drop.   I miss the heat of the summer.  Of course I complain loud about the HEAT we had this year but sure beats what is coming.  Am I the only person that freaks this time of year?  Sure I love the colors of fall but not what comes after fall in Indiana!

Last Friday was  Josh's birthday and Neil made him a 'little' present!  

Just wanted to make sure he could see it!    And I think it was a BIG hit!

This is where we Miss Kat has taken a few afternoon  naps. 
She  has found a new lamb friend to hang out with!

She blends right in!

Nothing exciting happening here on the hill.  Helped Neil clean the  garage yesterday and I found several 'projects' for him to fix up!  Now it looks like a lazy afternoon.  Maybe I'll go to the wool room and hook.  I only have a couple hours and this rug will be finished!   That will be great since I started it a LONG time ago!

Yarn I ordered should be here tomorrow so that I can get started on baby gifts!  My nephew Zach and Annie are having a boy in November.  Right now they are planning on naming him Simon.  With Neil's middle name Alvin we will have two chipmunks in the family!  

Kaylee is enjoying Reily,her so cousin reading to her!  She is getting so big that I'm sure she will need some new hats for winter also!  She is too cute!

HOT TIME IN THE CITY

http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/brickyard400/

It is really hard to be away from the city when the boys of summer are in town!

Sure miss the roar of the engines!  And the excitement of Indy with NASCAR in town!
Not to mention the  race itself.  In years past it was the best reward

of camp being over to head over to watch the big race!
Now Neil says NO so I have to watch on TV!

HOT DAY OF SUMMER

I can't believe that July is almost over.   Although I bitch about the heat, I love hot weather and find it really depressing when it gone.  Living in Indiana you have to enjoy the bright sunshine of summer compared to the grey days of fall and winter.
 For 13 years I lost most of my summer due to having the Primitive Rug Hooking Retreat at the Shaker Village in Kentucky.   It took so much time to get ready for it then spending from 7 to 15 days away from home by time it was over so it seemed summer was also.   I miss many things about the hooking retreat but not my missed summers and the stress of pleasing so many people which is impossible to please everybody.

A few weeks this little hummingbird flew into our back door.   After a few minutes in my hand she was ready to fly away on her own.  She felt like velvet and so tiny.   I still find it hard to believe I was holding her.  We have three hummingbird feeders on the  back porch and MANY of the little birds are feeding.  Sometimes there are so too many to even count.
Last week I decided to go to my wool room and hook.   WOW it has been so long but now I'm starting to get excited about a new rug I'm planning.   Just want to get this crazy little rug finished so I can move on to something fun!
Since my 'chores' are finished for the day I think I'll head out to the pool for a bit of the sun and heat!   Bet it won't take long to melt!  

TWO NEW GIRLS

There are two new additions to our family

 in the past few months. 

First is beautiful Kaylee Elizabeth White!
This is her at 3 months!   What a sweet heart!  And no she isn't spoiled!  Neil won't share her with anybody and I have to sneak to get my time with her!  What a joy she is!   Now my job is to make her into a girly girl!  

And this cutie sitting in the shade of the

bee skip is Miz Kat!

She was left by her family that lived

next door when they moved a couple months ago.  Guess who felt sorry for her?
Neil was the first to feed her and like they say feed a cat once and

she is yours!  She is a really good outside cat! 

BUT Bee and Little Bit hate her!  When they see Miz Kat they go crazy.

It has been a bit stressful around here with they cats.  What we live with

when we have cats!

SUMMER TIME

This is the wonderful view I have as I sit on my back porch.

It is my favorite place to be this summer.

Watching the birds while I enjoy the shade and sit under the  fan on the porch.

We have worked hard the past month or so on the large

flower bed we put in off the porch.

It has been quite a job working on the hill

where nothing is flat. 

But what fun shopping for plants.  We found a wonderful Amish greenhouse

that had the best plants and prices.

And another place out in the country and we call the

"hippie greenhouses"!  You would have to see it to know why it is called that!

Neil made the bee skep the other day. 
And has moved all the rocks for the

landscape. 

We have been all dragging rocks home

from along the roads, creeks and up above

 our woods out of a corn field.

It is hot, hard work but there are just

so many wonderful rocks to be had!

With the long days of summer here is hard to not

enjoy the pools on hot afternoons so I tried to get my 'chores' finished in time

to enjoy some pool time each day.

I really have to pinch myself to believe this is our great life now!



A BREAK IN THE RAIN

 Chippy decided it was safe to venture

out this afternoon. 

Notice some 'mud' in the background? 
This is where I decided to add on to this flower bed.

I just didn't know it was going to rain for days before

I could get it planted and mulch down.

 This is the new bird condo Neil made the other day.

Had no idea a couple blue bird families would

decide to move in and be neighbors!

 This is the backyard.  As you can see the woods and hill are turning

quite green.  Also the grass is growing fast and needs mowing.  That round flower

bed needs planted with something good this year.  Not sure what I'm doing  with it yet!

This was taken a couple days ago from the front porch. 
Many times in the last few days this 'lake' has come and gone.

It is hard to see the road over there with the creek on the other side of the road.

Usually this is a quiet creek but with all the rain it has been a roaring river

most days.  We are lucky even though the road out front as been closed a lot

we can go the other way to get out to the main road. 
I will be glad when this rainy season is over!   Hope our driveway

doesn't wash down the hill before we can work on it.

Oh the joys of country life! 



FAST FOWARD A YEAR (JANE THIS ONE IS FOR YOU)

BABY BEE ENJOYING A FEW MINUTES OF SUN

I know I have been missing in action as far as blogging goes.   It  has been a year that many times seems to be crawling by and then it speeds up so fast I'm not sure what is going on.


It has been a year of many new adventures.   Living in the country and suddenly Neil is retired is a 'whole' new adjustment.   He did get his dream workshop built last summer and then worked most of the winter getting it all set up.  Big excitement out there today.........he now has a working toliet!   In fact I'm a bit jealous of his bathroom in the workshop as it is SO good looking. 

REALLY BIG CHANGE 

I'm a Nana

This little precious arrived in March.

Kaylee Elizabeth White

Here she is just a few hours old and it is a bit freaky to be holding such a tiny new one.

Since I've never been around little babies I'm wishing her life away but I can't wait until she is able to play and learn all sorts of fiber type

of things.!

I spent most of the winter knitting.   My wool room is set up.   I'm not very happy with how it looks so it still needs lots of tweeking...........which I think has to start with paint!  Several groups of hookers have been over. 

Just hope we get past this rainy season.   We have a lake now at the bottom of our hill and the road out there has been flooded for many days.  We can still get out going the other way which is a good thing.   Just as long as we don't slide down the hill we will have it made.