Here's what I've been up to lately

Granted, the "before" photo is a few years old. It certainly didn't happen overnight. But the most recent change - painting the garage - did have a major impact. I'm pleased. It's pretty much what I envisioned. Our little sanctuary in the backyard. Still working on getting a bit more privacy from the alley and the neighbors backyard (chain link fence), but I expect to get there before the end of summer.

I'd never really gardened (or landscaped, if you can call it that) before I met Joe. Never had my own yard to nurture. Joe's family has the gardening gene firmly planted, but it's not something I knew much about. So, of course, I set out to learn. And each year I plant something new, dig up something old and move it, trade plants with friends, attempt to grow things from seed, paint something, search for bargains and alternative garden decor. I've received garden gifts from family and friends. Spent countless hours weeding, digging, shoveling pea gravel, and painting. I've hung candles and lit them all just to see what kind of magic candlelight under a night sky can bring.

It's an amazing thing, planting something in the earth and seeing it grow. Yes, the fruits of labor. Watching the bees buzz from flower to flower, enjoying the sweet smell of trumpet lillies on a summer evening. Their scent wafts through the bedroom window at night...intoxicating.

Butterflies frequent the butterfly bush, the birds pick at the sunflowers. Fireflies flit about in the evening above the freshly cut grass. Sounds like a fairytale, doesn't it? Not quite, but close enough, I suppose. It's somewhere to escape to when the day is done.

So, that's where I've been these past few weeks when I've been short on blogs. I'll be back with more soon.

Happy Summer!