Pumpkin Front Door

Happy Friday

 Leslie Ann from Fairhope Supply Co. said you could see my

turquoise bike from Kansas. 

Well here is my pumpkin door.

Can it be seen from Kansas too?

Not only did I use a spray can of paint (on the bike) I actually used 

a paint brush and painted two doors.

 I realize it is a lot to take in. 

Sit down if you must.

There are orange/pumpkin tones in our stone. 

While Joe was recovering from his surgery we had the house professionally washed. 

Prior to that we had a new roof installed.

We have been busy at home maintenance.

The paint is Valspar's Roasted Squash.

Linking@Chateau Chic's Fall front Porch Party

peace and joy

Olive

Freedom

The American flag gives me a little catch in my throat.

It stands for life, death, victory, freedom, and so much more. 

For the brave men and women who gave everything. 

We remember.

Yes, we go all out with flags on Memorial Day. 

It is not enough. 

We think our veterans deserve the best and do not get much these days.

Joes's father was in the military.

 Joe has lived all over the world on military bases. 

Joe's brother served in Vietnam when he was a young man.

 Joe wrote to him every day he was in that war. 

Thankfully he came home.

 Joe would gladly have signed up but he is blind in one eye.

"The story of America's quest for freedom is inscribed in her history in the blood of her patriots"Randy Vader

Olive

Yellow House: Spring Front Yard

Hello my lovelies.

 It was 85 yesterday. I have broken out my shorts for the season.

 The maple outside our window has leafed out.

 I placed a geranium by the door as it can take the heat.

Look here-a grim little Gremmie in the dogwood tree. 

She weighs ten pounds now y'all.

I'm chubby, my mama's chubby, and my cats chubby.

Our wide expanse of monkey grass (lilirope) is sprouting. We had a million pine cones before the storm. Now we have about five million. I ignore them pretty much.

Easy care sedum on the front stoop that survived the winter unscathed.

Finally, our sweet boy Sheldon. 

Shelley is one hundred pounds and suffers gladly the mischievous cat.

In Olive Out news today is mine and Joe's anniversary.

 Ten wonderful years. To find love again, we think, is a most splendid gift. 

I am going to physical therapy twice a week for shoulder therapy. 

We continue to clear debris from the storm (I basically rake). 

I am carrying on with spring gardening in spite of the extra chores.

 I must have flowers.

Linking@Be Inspired

happy gardening

Olive

Olive Out News

Hello friends.

Above our Broome Closet window booth at Ridge Antiques in Ridge Spring, S.C.  is pictured with our beloved blue mantle. Frankly if we do not sell that mantle any time soon I will not mind. We have filled it with bunnies and items that bring spring to mind.

 I also have this affinity for galvanized metal so watering cans and radiator water cans have made their way into the booth. Buckets are populating the floor. Right now all items are 50% off unless marked firm. We are cleaning house for spring.

In Olive Out news we are at 30 truck loads of limbs and trees to our second lot from the ice storm. Along with that clean up I have been doing my February gardening. February is a huge gardening month for me. I am getting behind as it is March! Joe helped me plant three David Austin roses.   Spring is upon us whether I am ready or not.

Joe mowed that large section of  green monkey grass (lilirope) on Saturday. It must be done before the green shoots pop out. You can see some debris in the foreground. Small stuff like that we are leaving for now.

Saturday I was resting in the chaise for a minute and heard a chain saw very close. A man was in our oak tree sawing away and throwing limbs in our clean yard. It was a FEMA crew. They said someone would be here in two days to pick up the limbs. Our neighbor astutely said "And I believe in the Tooth Fairy."No pick up crew yet and they cut limbs that did not need cutting. Oh and they cut an electric line and our power was off for five hours that night. It is exciting here but not in a good way.

I cannot recall a time when I was this fatigued except perhaps after childbirth. Maybe that analogy does not hold. However I am sore all over and fear I have torn my left rotator cuff. Not to mention my back is hurting and I seldom have back pain.  I know you are not here to hear my whining but this is our life at the moment. Joe is about the same and has to go to work.

I miss blogging and wish I could get into some sort of routine once more. I thank my new and loyal followers. I am thankful for the kinship found here.

joy and peace

Olive

Kindness, Despair, Expectation

"Beauty is important in this fragile life"

Jan Karon

Yes, the ice is pretty on my old watering can. 

But that ice from Ice Storm Pax caused at least nine deaths that I know of. On the February eleven the storm came in the night. Trees and limbs begins to fall. I awoke to an old dogwood tree on our roof. There was a constant cacophony of limbs falling all day and into the next night.

 Joe arrived from work before the roads were blocked by trees. Transformers began to blow up and shoot blue flames across the sky. We had power lines in our front yard for days. We were without power for five and half days.

Kindness

Our neighbor, Gary, who lives down the gravel road we live on

 where eight trees were down walked three miles in the storm to a lawn mower shop to buy a chain saw. He walked back with the heavy saw and then helped clear our road. All of us were there picking up limbs and clearing. We also cleared the paved road beyond the stop sign.  

On Saturday Gary came with his chain saw and helped cut the dogwood off our roof. 

He asked for nothing but for us to wave at him as he drives by. 

That is extraordinary kindness.  

Despair

Joe and I have taken 19 truck loads of tree limbs from the

front yard alone. We have not started on the back yard or side yards. Every muscle in my body aches. Joe would never hire anyone to help us and that is fine. The limbs are not going anywhere. I have been in a state of despair off and on. We both sort of lost time there for a few days living in the dark, picking up tree after tree with no end in sight. It is rather disheartening still.

Expectation

We have lost many beautiful ornamental trees and the large dogwood.

 It shaded my flower garden which you have seen here frequently. I have high expectations that my flower garden will be a sunny spot now. Different and better. I am installing a few David Austin Roses soon. I need ordinary garden chores to do.

Ordinary is good:}

 Our yellow house is in the Central Savannah River area near Augusta, Georgia which was the epicenter of Ice Storm Pax.

joy and peace my friends

I have missed you

Olive

Deep South Snow

We estimate we have three inches of snow on the ground.

 We are so far south that is pretty darn good for us. 

Those of you who have frequent snow and cold are not impressed.

You measure snow by the foot.

Snow paralyzes the South. We have few to zero salt trucks. Bridges close. I once was stuck in the hospital working as an R.N. for about eighteen hours because I could not get across the Savannah River. I slept in a storage room and got up and worked day shift the next morning. 

CC, our daughter, loves snow and is seeing quite a bit of it in South Korea.

Shelley, our other kiddo, had great fun playing ball with his daddy this morning. 

Shelley captured (stole) that football from Lord only knows where.

I hope you are warm and safe wherever you are my dear friends.

joy and peace

Olive

Fall: Yellow House Exterior

We have no porch to speak of which is decidedly non southern so two mums, a real pumpkin, and my old concrete pumpkin is the extent of our fall decor for the exterior of the yellow house.  That thick grass is monkey grass (lilirope). We cut it annually in February.

Mr. Smirk, the old concrete pumpkin will make an appearance, every fall,

 as long as we can lift him. 

He is solid and heavy.

Someone wanted to help her mama. 

Outside, outside she's yelling. 

Loudly.

Happy Saturday

Olive

August House and Garden

The purple clematis bloomed again this week.

 In the background is a begonia.

The aloe in the wreath is thriving.

A reader asked me to identify the corbels on our house. One is to the left of the "C". 

We painted them, this spring, a pale green with oops paint.

We finally trimmed most of our shrubbery.

 It is a colossal job.

We need minions to help with this yard.

 Everyone around us has some.

We also need exercise therefore no minions :}

The crepe myrtles are not blooming as much this summer.

 Likely due to the frequent rain.

I do not know what this small yellow blooming tree is. 

I bought it at a neighbor's plant sale. It is about five feet tall.

The ginger lily is about to bloom for the first time. 

I am beyond excited about this. 

Many folks have told me how sweetly scented it is.

A Black Swallowtail Butterfly on the Butterfly Bush.

If you want butterflies plant one or two of these and some lantana.

Despite much rain we are trying to stay ahead of the grass and weeds

 (I mowed for an hour this morning). 

I am not saying we are successful but we are trying.

 It is a labor of love for our home that we adore.

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

happy gardening

Olive