Outdoor Relaxation and Work

Our screened porch is one of my favorite places when it's not too hot outside. You might find me having morning coffee before I start my day, or catching up on my reading with a glass of sweet tea in late afternoon. 

In the past two weeks I have done a porch cleanup and moved some of my houseplants out for their summer vacation. The hummingbird feeders are filled and my mama's roses are blooming.

The seat cushions on our outdoor furniture were looking a little shabby. In my recent fabric bonanza, there was a lovely tablecloth that was way too large for our dining table. I decided to use it to make new cushion covers and pillows. 

I plumped up the glider seat with a new layer of memory foam, measured, and cut.  I lined them with flannel and quilted before sewing.  Velcro fasteners make it easy to remove them for washing.  And they're Callie Cat approved!  

I got a wild idea to redo the flower bed in front of the porch by myself. (My guy was working on something else.) I dug up the nasty weeds, then thinned out iris, hosta, and day lily plants. New weed barrier was easy to lay, and I moved some old stepping stones to make a border. Now I'm deciding what to add for mulch. I want rock, but we'll see.

This week I'm resting after my spur of the moment project. It felt so good to dig in the dirt.  I have always enjoyed planting flowers, just like my mama and both my grannies.  However, the rest of the landscaping needs a major update and I may be getting too old for that much manual labor! Guess I'll be calling around to get yard work quotes.

Going back to the sewing room today...

 

When It Rains, It Pours

What started out as a normal two week camping escape to Dale Hollow Dam somehow turned into a wild and crazy string of events. We are back home, safe and sound. We handled the stressful stuff well, didn't panic, and actually enjoyed camping. But, I don't think we will forget this trip.

Day one: on the way to Celina, the left rear truck brake got hot, really hot. When you're pulling a big honking 5^th wheel on a twisty, hilly two-lane road, this is not good. Got to camp safely.

Day two: Ordered brake parts at NAPA, only parts store in town.

Day three: Guys at NAPA were great, next day service. Jacked up truck and installed new brakes. Not many campers to observe our amazing work. It is quiet and peaceful here during the week.

Day four: If you're ever in Celina you HAVE to stop at Los Primos for excellent Mexican food. Their Chicken La Loma is the best I've ever had. Just the right amount of cilantro in the fresh salsa. And who knew that a small town Mexican restaurant has all you can eat fried catfish buffet on Fridays? NAPA guy stopped by and asked us if all was well with the truck.

Mother's Day: Scattered the last of Sam's ashes in the trout stream where she and Allen loved to fish. My mama is rollin' on the river now.

Day six: Jerold is feeding the squirrels roasted peanuts in the shell. Three are lined up outside the camper every morning, and taking nuts out of his hand.

Day eight: Drove back home to mow grass and pick up mail.

Day eleven: Woke up 7 am to flood warnings at home. Checked our cameras and sure enough, basement had water. Drove home and found Hwy. 52 blocked near house, detour to Gallatin and back up ridge. More water than I've ever seen across fields and roads. Driveway washed but passable, ditch a mess. Vacuumed up water and started fans to dry out basement. Around lunchtime, a minivan wrecked into the ditch in front of our house. No one hurt, they left van where it landed. Jerold graded drive so we can bring trailer back in. Back to Celina along Hwy. 52 yard sale, shopped a little along the way, ate more Mexican food.

Day twelve: Decided to shorten trip and come back home to air out basement. Traffic crazy along yard sale route. Got home, unhitched. Minivan gone. An hour later, a thunderstorm slammed through, blowing over a dead pine tree out of the woods across our driveway in front. Good timing that we got in before it fell.

Day thirteen: Pulled dead pine (covered in poison ivy) off driveway with truck and picked up debris. Jerold graded driveway again. Basement dry.

Day fourteen (today): Picked up mail, sprung Callie cat from jail. Now we're all home where we belong. 

There are always a few bumps in the road, but I am hoping for calmer days ahead. 

Shady Green Spaces

Greenery is the popular color this year, but green has always been a favorite of mine. It reminds me of peaceful nature and the great outdoors.

Calming and refreshing shades of celadon, olive, pine, and moss are prevalent in this new wall hanging. I used 5” squares with 2½” x 5” rectangles, alternating green prints and batiks with light tan solids, set in a grid pattern. I finished it off by quilting with variegated thread in a triple serpentine stitch. 

 

I worked on this during a cold spell, thinking of spring days to come. Now in the middle of January the high will reach 70° today. I need to finish another quilt, but I think I'll open a window, then go outside for a walk.

❈❈❈

Those who find beauty

in all of nature

will find themselves

at one with life itself.

~L. W. Gilbert

 ❈❈❈

September Thoughts

I always think of September as a time to reset, probably because that's when we started back to school in the 60's. Thoughts of new notebooks and paper have me working on fresh planner and journal designs.

I took advantage of last week's cool mornings to tackle some outside chores. I reworked my flower beds (pulled the weeds so I can actually see the flowers). Adding a few colorful mums will freshen up the bare spots.

September means transition: to cooler weather, new clothes, and fall décor. It's the best of both seasons, really. Warm enough but less humid. Porch sitting. Airing out the house. Walks in the woods. Grilling steaks. Enjoying the last days of summer.

My plan for one of my favorite months: reflect, renew, and re-energize.

Outdoor Living, Porch Style

Just in time for July, I finished sewing spiffy new covers for all the cushions and pillows on our screened porch. My yard sale rocking chair got an upgrade to match. I love that they can be easily removed for cleaning.  I added new rugs to complete the look. 

 

Spending hours on the porch reading, talking, and grilling was a wonderful way to enjoy a summer week in our fresh new space. The weather fully cooperated, with low humidity and temperatures ranging from 60's in the morning to only low 80's in the afternoons. Not all down time for us, since we caught up on some yard work as well.

Can you believe we even opened windows to bring that cool air into the house – in July? AMAZING! 

My mama joined us on the 4^th for grilled burgers, chocolate pie and family time. What a pleasant, quiet holiday for the three of us, relaxing on our porch.

Useful Notion: Sometime you need to step outside, get some air, and remind yourself of who you are, and who you want to be.