Swing Low...

We bought a swing! My Grams had given us some money for Christmas, and we decided to put it to good use this past Saturday.
I swung on it Saturday, Sunday and Monday and enjoyed every minute of it!

My sweet husband put it together (of course, I helped - I love putting things together, but I lack the brute strength!).
Gatsby took on his usual role as the Grand Overseer of All Projects from a safe distance.

And the swing held! It's just what we wanted. It gives us a reason to get outside and sit on the front porch and get to know our neighbors and the neighborhood better.

Now, I swung on it Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Monday I sat on the swing awaiting my husband's arrival home from work. He pulled up in the drive, hopped up the stairs onto the porch and exuberantly sat next to me on the swing.
CRRRRRACK !!!!!

So sad!!!!!!

It was fun while it lasted. Guess we need to loose some weight.

Spring Projects

It is so strange for me to scroll down and look at those snow pictures... Life is bursting so quickly from everything right now!

Can you tell the difference in temperment of these two dogs? Yeah.

And since no one, not even the one person who reads my blog (thanks, Mama!), posted about their Springtime projects, I will write about mine for my own entertainment!

First off, we are having a foal. Since we don't know when Reagan's date of conception is, we don't know when the foal will come, what it will be (horse or mule) or what it will possibly look like. Honestly though, I don't see how Reagan can keep going and growing. She's eating 24/7 on grass and hay in addition to 6 + pounds special pellet feed with vitamins and corn oils added in three times a day. She's a machine! So, when will the Little Rea Rea come? Any day now is my guess. I'll get worried if we end up in April and there's no baby yet...

I'm also trying to work with Kahlo more.. I want to train her in several things such as barrel racing, trail competition and endurance. If we just stuck to one thing I think it would be boring for both of us. Plus, the more time we spend together and work on challenges together the better we will both be!

Another Springtime project is the beginning of the vegetable garden! Some of our seedlings have begun to sprout and we have plans to till up and compost the would be garden area. It is our first attempt to grow anything edible and neither one of us know all the little insider tricks of the trade as far as gardening goes, so I'm not expecting too much but nonetheless it is exciting! Our own little Recession Garden!

Of course, we have lots of little house projects going on as well. I'm currently looking for tiles to replace one or more of the sections of the floor part of the hearth were there once were tiles. Expense and availability are the major roadblocks at this point. I just can't justify spending 3.75 per antique white tile right now, yet I want things to be as historically accurate as possible, so I am wanting salvaged tiles, but will take reproductions. They are such small areas, but big focal points and one of the major traits of old houses - cool fireplaces! I don't want to skimp on these. I did pay a high amount per tile for the dining room fireplace, but it only needed a few tiles and they are so unique - I'm CERTAIN no one makes them anymore for any better of a price.

I'd also REALLY like to get the mudroom in shape, finish the remaining woodwork in the kitchen and put in some cabinets in the laundry as well as putting the finishing touches on decorating these areas. Oh yeah, and a new door for the art studio... and curtains... and the black board... and on and on and on! You old house people understand!!!

Have I told you about my hand? I didn't think so.

To all you DIY-ers and Old House people - heck, to anyone who uses one hand for most tasks, beware! Look up DeQuervain's syndrome. I honestly believe this is from a combination of too much time on the computer when I first started my business, scraping life back into the kitchen floor in the foursquare for countless hours, painting trim for countless hours, knitting, painting, writing and having a busy, busy right hand all of the time. New moms can be susceptible to this as well by the way they hold their child with the wrist turned. So, if it hurts, stop!

Anyway, after many months of anti-imflammatories, saltwater soaks, tons of prayer and rest in the brace, I think my right hand is ready to ease slowly back into work!!! Praise God!

Believe me, it was and is an artist's nightmare.

But, my mom and I worked on making these weatherproof canvas tags and my hand made it through ok! I'm still wearing the brace at night and doing most writing with my left hand (unless it is something that someone else needs to be able to read!) as well as brushing teeth, eating, etc. I'm almost ambidextrous!!!

Aren't they cute? Not exactly something for the Met or The Louvre, but it was fun and I've made a little money off of them.

Here's a happy customer:

Or Perhaps he's just a very, very good sport!

Now that Spring seems to have crashed into Winter, run over it and totaled it, I'm looking forward to new projects and inspirations (like Springtime foals and such).

What Winter projects are you finishing up and what Springtime ones are you planning?

Happy Spring Saturday!

It's a beautiful day!

So, get off of the computer, grab someone that you love and go have fun outside!

OR ELSE!!!!!!

Happy Sunny Day, everyone!

Snowy Sunday

Yes! It snowed in Alabama! So, you know I had fun, tossed the animals outside to watch their reactions, took a million pictures, built some snowpeople and made a snowball and ran into the kitchen and threw it at my husband while he was making breakfast. And you also know that he was a very good sport about it all and then threw some of it down my shirt.

I still can't believe it. SNOW! Hurray!

Here's just a FEW pictures from the day. It was sooo much fun.

The House of Many Feet

I LOVE this picture. It just looks so quiet and still.

Across the street - aren't our hexagons in the walkway cool with the snow on the grass in between?

Our neighbors and friends across the way weren't here for the fun.

There goes the neighborhood...

Snow on the camellias - only in the South!

Oh, it's really coming down now...

The neighbor's backyard - the oaks and pecans were just beautiful.

I think we had about two inches on our back deck!

Chris'mus 'n Dixie - it's snowin' in thuh pahhhnz!!! Know that song?

Snow, snow and more snow - it started at about 5 in the morning!

And it kept going until about 2pm...

Snow? What snow? I don't see any evidence of snow....

That's what I love about snow in the deep South... All the fun and none of the clean - up!

I just wish our Southern Snow family could stay for a little longer...