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!  

Gray day, and some spring inspiration

It's cold and rainy and gray here today.  

Is it any wonder why I have almost every light on in the house!  

Yesterday was a warm and sunny beautiful day for January, and I found myself in the garden transplanting some strawberries to a new bed.  I have to remind myself it is still the middle of winter and to be patient.    

  

I found some lovely spring ideas on Pinterest.  Makes me feel better just looking at them.  
I hope you enjoy them too!  A little spring inspiration.  

A little "me time"...

.....with my morning coffee, my favorite magazines and a good book.  What could be better, especially on a rainy, gray Saturday morning but to curl up on the sofa and enjoy what makes you happy.  

My Victoria magazine came yesterday in the mail and I saved it for this morning anxiously awaiting what was in those pages once I turned the cover, and The English Home magazine is one that I read over and over again and never tire of.  
The book I am currently reading is "After the Fire" by Belva Plain, really good.  I found this one at our local library for $1.00.  

So don't forget to have yourself a little "me time" every now and then 
with whatever makes you happy!

Rain and fog and gloomy weather

Don't you think a bright red umbrella can make a very gray day less gloomy?  

I do.

Looking out my kitchen window...

...to a gray chilly rainy day. The kind of day that makes you happy to be inside. Light some fragrant candles, turn on the lights and enjoy a cozy day in your home. As I sit here and write this I hear the rain drops falling softly outside, the birds are chirping and Otis and Riley are snoring on the sofa. I am enjoying my coffee that I made in the french press, for different, (I usually perk it) ~ sometimes it's just the ritual that makes it taste better.......and now I feel like baking.

Don't you love to bake on a day like this? Going through some of my old magazines the other day I found a recipe for Palmiers (you know, those little french pastries). They're made with puff-pastry sheets, simple to make, actually only two ingredients, how easy can that be! I'll let you know how they turn out.

The winds have picked up outside and I hear the splashing of puddles from traffic. It's the perfect day to enjoy being inside and appreciating the delights of a warm home.

Hope you are enjoying your home today.

Feeling the weather

Hello everyone! Today was the first day the sun has shone in several days. Where oh where has the sun gone?? The weather has been rainy and gray for so long I thought I'd never see it shine again, so this afternoon when the sun finally peeped it's head out, I took my cup of coffee and headed for the garden to see what's been happening. It is still very humid and warm, but the bright sun is a wonderful sight.



The garden is so green and lush. This beautiful little butterfly was sipping nectar from my purple verbena.

The Encore azaleas were putting forth pretty pink blooms. I love how they bloom twice ~ in the spring and again in the fall.

And the buds on the chrysanthemums are ready to pop. I will be enjoying these mounds of bright yellow flowers real soon.

Friday is the beginning of fall, September 23rd, the autumn equinox, marking the end of summer, and here in the south this is the best time of year to garden. Time to plant those cool weather annuals and fall vegetables, put bulbs in the ground, and add shrubs and trees.

Looking forward to beautiful days ahead, cooler weather and sunshine.

A good book and a cup of coffee

A gray weather day is the perfect time for a good book and a cup of coffee (or tea if you like). I'm reading Anne Rivers Siddons, Sweetwater Creek, just one of the many books I've read of hers, and this, too, is another good one. I like how she writes.

This is my favorite spot to sit and read, and as you can see beside my chair is a book stand filled with my favorite books and magazines.

We may be in for a few more gray weather days as Hurricane Katia moves its way up the coast bringing more rain.

I think Otis is looking for some sunshine.

A simple pleasure....

on a gray day.

Flowers make gray days more pleasant...

looking from inside my window to the outside cold




it's nice to see some other color than just gray.







These pansies and purple cabbages in my window boxes are a happy sight.

Enjoy your day!

Donna