The growth of a tree happens just like time passes. You don't even notice it, and then it's huge.

Below:    Spring, 2002     Right:   Fall 2014






We had it

Side patio

pruned a few years ago, too.

Mickey Mouse Wreath

found this idea on the internet. Perfect for a little friend of mine who loves anything

Disney!

made this little bag to give my friend Kate some bulbs. graphic from Graphicsfairy.com

I'm walking in the woods and I spot some golf balls. Spotting one is not terribly unusual because one of the neighbors likes to practice driving into the forest. But a clump of golf balls? So I look a little more closely and find this unusual fungus!

This one even sports a happy face!

New TV stand - Before and after

We bought this in 1973. Solid cherry wood.














Once I got the drawers cleaned I didn't have the heart to paint them. New drawer pulls from pullsdirect.com gave this 43 year old piece the look I was after for 2015. Pullsdirect.com has a wide selection of drawers pulls and knobs at reasonable prices. This is my second purchase from them. They have excellent customer service.

Holiday look before I had time to look for new pulls. December 2014.

Six year old neighbor suprises me with a portrait of Pete and me

Finally blinds after 12 1/2 years!

Home made bread, home grown tomato

Hand made mozzarella and home grown basil. Yummm

Hot from the oven

View November 2014

Found this at a garage sale on way home from yoga with Kate

                                                                                                    sanded


                                                                                             painted first coat with WalMart white spray

Painting Fine Furniture with Chalk Paint

I wanted to see how happy I would be with painting over cherry wood with chalk paint. I've been toying with the idea of painting my kitchen cabinets white. They are cherry wood. So here is my experiment.

I made my own chalk paint from a recipe I found on the internet.

8 oz house paint
1  T water
2 T plaster of Paris

I mixed the plaster of Paris and water together until smooth and then added to the 8 oz of paint and stirred until well blended. I stored 1/2 the paint in a sealed jar. It used very little paint even though I put on 2 coats. If you haven't used chalk paint you will be happy to know it covers and adheres with no prep work! Yup. No sanding. No sanding between coats either.

Before

During

                         After

















                                                                                 

When I was finished and the paint had dried, which it does quickly, I "sanded" with a piece of brown paper bag. I then applied Johnson's Wax with a cloth and buffed it once it had dried.

Pita bread making

 The big rise

At rest

Baked with cheese and basil

Enchiladas by Pete

 

Rainbow from the kitchen window

Green Valley Park at sunset

Pete makes his famous apple pie

It's getting harder and harder to get a group photo!

This pretty much tells it all...Orchard Park

Except I don't know where I came up with this date!!! It was actually October!!

I liked the shadow these window flowers made on the sill at Demi Espresso

13 years we've had a vacant lot next to our house

Now they are clearing it to build a house. Sad.

My beautiful granddaughters

Rainy days are good for pizza eating

A bit cloudy. Yesterday was our first overcast day since Sept 1, I think. Good night for homemade pizza. Here is the recipe I use for the dough.

I use 1 Tablespoon dry yeast (1 pkg) instead of the self rising. Dissolve it in warm water before adding.

Fargo's Cheesecake

Another special dessert! Did I say "I love cheesecake?" One of our favorite restaurants, fargossteakhouse.com, in town has the very best. Here it is presented with caramel sauce drizzled over it. Yum! My friend, Debbie, took me here for my birthday this year.

Rain in Payson!

We get excited when we get rain in Payson.

 First one in 6 months.

Sometimes You Are Disappointed

Wintingham Park, Vermont

Beautiful days spent here. The day we were prepared to go in the water became overcast and too cool. Next time!

Cousins

Great fun with my cousin, Lynn Lassins Carson

Marlboro Music Festival

We spent 5 delightful Sunday afternoons at concerts here. Wonderful! This was the finale with folks from the community joining the members on stage.

Amazing New England auction

Wow! This is an annual benefit for a hospital in a small New England town. We got there towards the end of the auction. A young gal got there right after me and bid on this desk and got it for $20!!! I wish I could have been able to take more away than I did.

I bought a chair with a hole in the seat for $.10 but only remembered I had once we were part way home when I saw a sign for a chair maker.

It would have been perfect in our hosts' garden.

These items had already been sold.