Snow

Last week, we had an unusually pretty snowfall.

(note the Really Clear window  :)

Snowy berries.

Belated snow creature.

As usual, it lasted about a day.

Windows

Our 20 year-old double pane windows were mostly all deteriorated and fogged between the panes. So we finally ordered replacements.

Miguel and his two sons gently removed the old windows...

and installed new ones. It was a pleasure seeing a father and sons working together as a team.

Look, Mom - no dividers!

Office after.

Selfie - Nexus 5

Thanksgiving Wreath

Mimi's ladys' group had a wreath-making party a while back.
The result was a particularly nice one she made for Grandad's door.

Grandad has gotten Lots of compliments on his wreath!

Outside

Since it has gotten hot, and we are about to leave on a trip, we decided to remodel our landscape.
Right now.
We roto-tilled and mulched half the front yard. The shade from the oak tree had pretty much killed off the grass. We think mulch is nicer than dirt.

We also tilled the back yard. And since we are tired of our dirt washing down the hill every time it rains hard, we built a little retaining wall across the back.

A couple of nights ago, there was a beautiful full moon.

Peppers

We got a nice crop of banana peppers from our little garden.

Yard

It was hot this summer. And dry.
The John/Naomi tree kind of took a beating, but we think it just went into hibernation in self defense.

We're not so sure about the Leland Cypress's. They have been cut off to see if there is any life left in the root stock.

The rosemary seemed oblivious.

The Liriope burned on the tips of the leaves.

And the Texas Sage suffered, but recovered nicely after a little shower we had.

 

Mimi decided to rearrange the brick patio, due to uneven surfaces/trip hazards.

A lot of bricks were relocated.

And a lot of plants were "pruned"... (there used to be 5 Leland Cypress' there...)

New Roof

Tent

When we go to Clemson to spend time with John Michael while he is on Spring Break from his pre-school, we plan to go camping at a nearby Corps of Engineers campground. So, we needed a tent.
Thanks to Craigslist, we found one at a reasonable price. We think it should be big enough for the three of us. (Christopher will still be going to his pre-school.)

With rain fly in place ...

But it won't rain, will it???

Grass To Garden: Driveway Planting Bed

After 4 years of study and discussion, we finally moved ahead on the 'do something with the sloping patch of weedy grass next to the driveway' project.

We started by detaching the fence panels and wiring them up to the neighbor's fence. This gave us access to the space behind the fence posts, provided storage for our fence, and partially hid the neighbor's fence. We were surprised about how much the extra 18 inches opened up the space.

 This is looking toward the street. The gray bricks on top of the red retaining wall are temporary. They will be used to make a pad for the trash bins. Later. Some day.

We got 3 cubic yards of 'soil blend' from the Plano/Collin County recycling plant. They take in yard waste and turn it into mulch and other garden products, and sell it.

Mimi was ready to do her part unloading the trailer!

Here's the view back toward the shed, after filling in with the new soil.

... and the view toward the front.

We can hardly wait to plant some veggies and flowers!

Pancake Day - 2011

Today we celebrated Pancake Day (aka Shrove Tuesday - thanks, Jessica, for calling it to our attention!) We began with authentic almost home-made ingredients.

Batter complete - all natural, no artificial sweetners.

First cake onto the skillet.

Add all the tasty enhancements - all natural, no MSG.

Enjoy the fruits of our labor!

Of course, we being us, we each had to make our own version, in our own way, on our own time.

Blueberry (the nasty looking ones), pecans, and cranberries... yum!

We ate separately, too. Of course.

(First to Blog!!)

Valentine Day

Big celebration today... starting with mailing calendars to Julie and Jessica, breakfast at LaMadeleine, returning an item to Belk's, and getting cold medicine at CVS.

Also, a stop at the library to pick up a Book of Lists - very intriguing, by the way.

Then home to veg out the rest of the day.

Aaah...