Sunday, November 21, 2010

An Ode to Thanksgiving!

T'was the morn of Thanksgiving
and all through the house,
Mother is dusting
and shoo-ing her spouse;

The table is set for the family with care,
in hopes that the in-laws soon will be there;

The (grown) children are hustling in their kitchens with dread,
"Oh, why didn't I prepare my dish a day ahead?"

As Dad with a blanket and the dog with a yap
are just settling down for a late morning nap,
out in the kitchen there arose such a clatter
they spring from their slumber to see what's the matter;

Away to the stairs Dad flies like a flash,
turns on the light and runs down in a dash;

The self-rising flour covers the kitchen like snow,
giving a dusting of white to all objects below.
When, what to Dad's wondering eyes should appear?
But Mother dressed in flour from left to right ear;

With a broom and a mop she cleans it up quick,
knowing there are more Thanksgiving dishes to fix;

More rapid than children with candy to claim,
she whistles and shouts and gets on with the game;

Now Turkey, now Ham, now Potatoes and Fixings!
On Pudding, on Dressing, on Green Beans and Mixing!

To the top of the stove and the oven rack she calls,
Cook away! Bake away! Brown away all!

As the Butterball turkey in hot oil does fry,
Mother whips up the Thanksgiving pie;

So back to the recliner Dad and dog flew,
With blanket, remote and TV Guide too.
Sparks flying from the satelite dish on the roof,
football teams are vying, their winning the proof;

Mom takes a short break, turning around,
She sees the team quarterback thrown to the ground.
Dressed in team colors from his head to his foot,
the medic claims his game-playing today is caput!

Back to the meal, Mother's on the attack,
She moves casserole dish from front rack to back;

Her eyes all a'twinkle, her dimples how merry!
Her cheeks red as roses, and her nose like a cherry!

The Thanksgiving meal is tied up with a bow,
As all is ready, all the ducks in a row!

A faint knock at the door soon is bequeath
The in-laws arrive, bestowing a wreath.
MaMa brings jars of strawberry jelly,
PaPa makes his way to the front of the telli;

Then who should arrive but the daughters themself,
As Mother tells tale of flour missing the shelf;

The coffee is set on for a perk,
 Mother brings an end to her holiday work,
Beverages, favorites and seating arrangements are chose,
the Thanksgiving blessing left for PaPa to compose;

We give thanks for our family, all hope and great love,
every gift given from the Father above.

And Mother exclaims as Thanksgiving's end is in sight,
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
To all a good night!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Adventures in Decking

Ze deck addition is fini!



The grass seed is sown and grown.



Pathways are made,


and bushes are planted.


Family has visited,


and Dena is delighted!

Thanks hubby! :)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Autumn Sweet

Autumn
"Once more the liberal year laughs out
O'er richer stores than gems or gold:
Once more with harvest song and shout
Is nature's boldest triumph told."
- John Greenleaf Whittier

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth 
seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot
"There is a harmony
In autumn, and a lustre in its sky,
Which through the summer is not heard or seen,
As if it could not be, as if it had not been!"
- Percy Bysshe Shelley
 
"Listen! the wind is rising,
and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings,
now for October eves!"
- Humbert Wolfe

Enjoy!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Deck addition-dining

We are in the process of adding-on to the deck.
We wanted more space to sit, eat, grill and visit and
decided the area under the family room windows
would be a perfect expansion area

After much hard work

planning, digging and nailing,





we have a new outdoor dining space, 



and a sitting and visiting space.

The hand-rails still need to be cut and attached
to the new section and a new coat of stain and sealer added. 
I'm also thinking about putting window boxes
under the 3 windows and a storage box
for cushions and pillows.

More photos to come soon!
I've started taking some classes at
the community college, volunteering for
Hospice and I am registered for
the Spring semester so things
are moving in the right direction
for a career change.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Terminal Turf!

The continuing saga of the backyard rejuvenation.
The goal: reduce the grass footprint, lay sod and
have a full, lush, green yard in September.
For those of you just tuning in...
this has been the condition of our backyard
every September for the past 5 years.
We've added a flower bed...
8 camelia bushes along the side fence
and a new contour to tame the slope




I spruced up the shed with some new bushes
while I was at it

Still on the agenda; enlarging the deck, trimming
branches, adding sod...

Friday, September 17, 2010

Aerate, seed, fertilize, water...repeat

Repeat, repeat, repeat or as my Spanish teacher used to say..."repetir, repetir, repetir."
First we must contend with this sun-blotting,
water-devouring monster 
which of course I loved when we looked at
the house for purchase.
Then we have the, toward the house and to the right, slope/drainage issue in which one good rain washes
away any hope of rooting grass survival.

(I can't help but picture little stalks of grass holding on
for dear life as a deluge of water spills over them

like the raging rapids of a river)
So our backyard looks like this
every September.
We've set out to reduce the grass footprint
in the backyard with the idea of laying sod.
I've added a new bed to the center yard
incorporating this tree.
Added benefit: something pretty to look at.
There is more to show and tell in the ongoing
backyard saga but I've run out of time for now.
Talk to you again soon!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Ikea Trip!

Ikea was the agenda of the day for my birthday.
It is a 3 hour drive for us so needless to say,
it is a very rare trip we make.
We had so much fun and found lots of new inspiration!

The 3 Musketeers!























There was so much more to see  
but I hope you enjoyed the
brief slideshow. Can't wait to share
my booty in a future post.
Thank you to my inexhaustable
shopping companions for such a fun day!