Twinkle lights

Hello my friends, how are you?  We finally have a clear day today after lots of rain, but still very overcast and gray.  I have been feeling the need to get out in the garden and do something, even if it's just pulling weeds.  Does the garden ever call to you?  Galen thinks I'm crazy, but I find it very rewarding and therapeutic.  

I decided to restring twinkle lights outside in the jasmine over the back porch.  The lights will usually last about six months so I only have to replace them twice a year.  They went out two nights ago.  

I twist the lights through the vines starting at the bottom, taking them up and over the porch door and ending near the pergola.  It makes the prettiest light at night.  No matter how dark it is you can always see without turning a harsh overhead light on.  The twinkle lights create a nice ambiance.  

Lights are done....now maybe I'll go pull those weeds.    

Enjoy your day!  

Back porch living

Our back porch is like an extra room for us when the weather gets warm.  From spring until Fall we practically live on the back porch.  

Enjoying morning coffee and eating our meals on the porch~ often times breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Reading a good book on the back porch. I just finished "Whistling Past the Graveyard".  If you liked the "The Secret Life of Bees" and "The Help" you will like this book.  

  

Otis in his rocker.  

We love the back porch for many reasons.  Watching the birds, hearing the wind chimes when a soft breeze blows through, and just being close to nature.  So until the weather gets too unbearably hot to be outside, this is probably where you will find us.  

A little bit of blue

It was time for some new seat cushions for the back porch furniture.  I decided to go with something blue to go with our blue wicker.

 I got these from a place in Sanford, NC called Arden Company.  Believe it or not, the cushions were only $2.00 each!  Arden has a sale once a year in May.  I found out about it from my sister-in-law who lives in Sanford and I've been wanting to check it out for years.  It's in a huge warehouse filled with all kinds of lawn and porch furniture cushions and pillows, all sizes and shapes.  Unbelievably low prices!  We had to wait in line about 20 minutes to get in, but a small price to pay, wouldn't you say for bargain prices like these.  

So I am thrilled with my new cushions.  And Otis is finding them quite comfortable.  

Christmas decorations and preparations

I decided the back porch needed a little sprucing up for the holidays, so I added some fresh evergreens and pine cones to a rusty wire basket.  These evergreens were free when we bought our Christmas tree and I snatched up a bunch because I like to decorate with them, inside the house and out.  
I placed a Christmas pillow on the wicker loveseat, and more fresh greens around some old oil lamps filled with red oil.  It looks so pretty at night.  

I brought out a wool throw from the house for the back of the rocker.  Often times, even in December, the weather is mild enough to sit and enjoy the porch.    

As far as some of the preparations go, my Christmas cards are finished and mailed, 

and the cookies are baked (I decided not to go overboard this year)  just a few of our favorites 

like peanut blossoms and lemon bars.  

Some last minute gifts to buy and wrapping to be done.

How about you?  How are your decorations and preparations coming along?

Below is a night time picture of Mourning Dove Cottage.  Hurricane lamps with white candles line the walk way, lights in the jasmine over the door, and a fresh evergreen swag with a big red bow hangs on the front door.  

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season.  

Dragon flies and pretty colors

Let me show you my dragon fly lights.  I picked these up last week at our new Hobby Lobby....yes, our new Hobby Lobby.  I was really happy when I heard they were coming to town. 




The dragon fly lights are now hanging in the jasmine vine over the back porch.  I like the soft lighting at night when it starts getting dark.  A nice ambience.  


And how about these gorgeous colors and prints.  Aren't they pretty?  It's stationery.  If you know me, I can never have enough stationery.  Seems I'm always sending notes to someone or another.  

So, Yay for Hobby Lobby!  Not only do they have great craft and art supplies, but also  fabric and wonderful decorative items.  
So happy they came to town.   
   

The back porch

There's nothing special about our back porch.  It's old ....it's screened-in, there might be a cobweb or two in the corners,  often times it's dusty, it's where I store my garden tools, and my garden shoes, and the bird feed, 

but 

 it's also....

comfy, 

it's a place to  

rest, 

and think, 

sit quietly, 

read, 

meditate, 

dream, 

and enjoy nature.  

The simple pleasures of the back porch.    

PS:  Update on my chemo treatments.  Yesterday's chemo # 7 was cancelled because of my neuropathy.  Precautionary measure.  I'm now on some new medication for that.  So I will have a few good days until next Thursday's treatment (#7).  Yay!  


Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Spring in the garden, and an update.....

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.  

                                         ~Ruth Stout        

   

Hello everyone.  I thought I would give you a brief update as to how I'm feeling.  My chemo treatment went well last week.  The infusion was not bad at all.  However, the side effects are tough to deal with.  It's been a week now and I am just now getting my energy back.  Seems something new crops up everyday but I am doing fine and hoping for a good week before I go back for my second treatment on Thursday.  


The back porch and the garden are my healing haven.  The weather has been warm and sunny and we've been having some absolutely gorgeous days.  Spring has sprung here in our neck of the woods and dogwoods and azaleas are blooming all over town.  It's a beautiful time of year!  

I want to thank you once again for all your love and support and your kind thoughts and comments during this time.  It means the world to me and keeps me going.  I ask that you keep me in your prayers for this next coming treatment.  
Love you all.

Living on the back porch

I'm back! Finally!

I never realized how much I would miss my computer,

but I missed YOU even MORE!

I've been spending a lot of time on the back porch lately. Morning coffee on the back porch, afternoon tea, reading my book, watching the birds, and even eating meals out there. After practically living on the back porch and enjoying everything there is to enjoy on a back porch this past week, I did manage to get a few things done.

I finished reading a really good book which I'll tell you about later, and I finished a bunch of painting projects which I'll show you soon.

Right now I want to get around to visit all of you, my dear friends,

and see what you've been up to!

The back porch

Spring has sprung, it's the most wonderful time of year, but, unfortunately with it comes the dreaded......POLLEN. It filters through the air and covers everything with a yellowish green layer of dust for weeks. Oh yes.


But now the pollen is almost over and there is a lot of cleaning to be done on the back porch at Mourning Dove Cottage. Sweeping, scrubbing, and washing pillows and cushions.

You see......we tend to live on the back porch all summer long.

Otis and Riley have already found their comfortable spots.

We've had some early morning rain today and it's overcast, but by tomorrow, hopefully we can enjoy a warm sunny day on the back porch.....a very clean back porch.

Happy Spring!