Saturday, April 24, 2010

Saturday

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I love it when I get to see where someone I care about lives. I hope I don't bore you showing you my yard, which is where I've spent the day today.
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This is the side yard and this is JB's studio, called the Magic Cottage. When is warm enough to wear short sleeves and cold enough to be comfortable, like today, JB and I love the process of opening up and welcoming the yard after a snow filled winter. We bring out our lawn furniture and check out every plant and bush and tree.
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Last year I planted a couple of small trees; the front one is a peach tree. I have never planted any kind of fruit tree before and the branches were so full of peaches everything ended up on the ground. So today I pruned. I kept the stronger branches and cut all the little ones. My fingers are crossed.
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Like blogging, I am determined not let gardening be anything but fun. I don't mind taking my sweet old time. Today I cut back a bush that hadn't been touched for years, raked up the leaves all under it, mixed a wheel barrel of top soil and manure (I don't touch) and peat moss, planted three lilies, and turned over and mixed the soil in my backyard flower bed.
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JB did even more.
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And we hauled up our patio furniture, opened the umbrella, spread out the cozy chairs, and did a little planning and planting and pruning in a few areas, here and there.
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We had lunch and dinner outside.
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We bought perrenials at a church fair.
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JB put these azaleas in water. I don't know if floating them like this will work, but my picture doesn't do it justice. Beautiful and serene.
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How often do I take a break in one of these chairs? Very often.
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The back yard slowly came to life today. There is so much landscaping to be done, but I'm in no rush. I tackle little sections at a time, like my Mother's theory of cleaning 'one wall at a time.'
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Aaaaah. Agggh. Some rain must fall even on a fine day. This is our new floor in the very tiny laundry room. You can see our royal blue washer and dryer, which just arrived yesterday. So far so good. But....our trusty carpenter has been preoccupied with another project. He has squeezed us in and hasn't been his thoughtful reliable self. He was not here when the electrician put in the new plugs or when the plumber set up the new water thingy.
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The hole for the vent was cut in the wrong place on the floor. The outlets are too high so the plugs and wires show. The back door barely opens past the washing machine. We emptied our kitchen cabinets waiting for a cabinet removal that hasn't happened. The house is kind of a mess.
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Really, we've been pissed. And sad that this hasn't been the fun we expected. JB and I love making improvements to the house, especially when we don't have to do any of the work ourselves!
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But things happen. This is a guy who's been good to us. I keep telling myself: this is not a serious illness. This is not living an oppressive country. This is a little laundry and kitchen remodel. This is a person I think will make things right.
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I feel very mature saying this! I am trying to keep things in perspective these days.
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It's been a beautiful day. I have been outside all day doing what I love with a woman I love.
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I am not complaining. Not today. But since I am a very experienced and skilled and dedicated complainer, maybe tomorrow....
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Love
kj

27 comments:

  1. You're blossoms are lovely. It's a wet grey day here and definitely a chill in the air after a warm week. .trust me to pick today to have lunch on the harbour! It's annoying when tradies don't do right but it'll sort itself out I'm sure. Have a happy and sunny weekend! No complaining!

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  2. ah kj, i loved hanging out with you today! i just came in from my yard too (and took a peek in here). i LOVE your yard and flowers and fruit trees (LOVE peaches)and the cottage and the blue chairs. The floating azaleas look so pretty, what a good idea.

    Your right to keep it fun, take your time, let it happen as it will, the fun is in the doing heh? It already looks so beautiful what ever you add now will be icing on the cake!

    sorry about the fix it guy, he probably feels bad and will make it right like you said. i love your attitude about it, being grumpy won't change anything this minute.

    enjoy your sunday too!
    love,
    lori

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  3. Liked seeing your garden today! Friday I bought $85 worth of plants---hope I get them in before they pass on, haha.

    The azaleas are pretty, even not in person. I remember an Indian restaurant in London that Mike and I went to (twice) where they had blossoms floating in a pretty bowl right outside the bathrooms and when Mike came back, he said 'You have to go look at them, so serene'

    I like your take on the laundry room mayhem...frustrations can make one get 'all out of perspective' and it's good you are working at serenity

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  4. Don't you just love seeing everythng coming to life?

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  5. I enjoyed seeing your yard, but would differ from you...

    "JB and I love making improvements to the house, especially when we don't have to do any of the work ourselves!"

    God forbid that I should feel the need to hire anyone for anything other than furnace repair. I love doing stuff; I love doing it myself; and I don't trust anyone else to do it as well--and then there's the money.

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  6. I love your yard! And I love that there is not a plastic chair in sight!
    About the laundry room: what I would not give for a laundry room and a washer and dryer! I have to haul my dirty laundry across town to do it. And here you have a lovely new floor and a brand not washer and dryer. No complaining allowed. :-). xoxo

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  7. What a fun afternoon one can spend here. Lovely.

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  8. Lovely yard, and I love that barn place with the cut-out front bits! (Incidentally, down here when someone says they're 'pissed' it means drunk!! We have to add "off" to the p-word to make it mean grumpy! ;-)

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  9. Everything will be okay when you have a magic cottage. Just those words together make a warm fuzzy in my brain.

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  10. this was a wonderful post break for me tonight.
    i want to plop myself right down in those blue chairs and have a chat with you on a summer evening.
    you are lovely.
    happy day.
    c

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  11. baino, damn that it will rain on your lunch. you can complain. i hope your luncheon companion is sufficiently sunny. :)

    lori, i thought of you when i posted this. i have seen so much of your beautiful world. i wanted you to see some of mine. xoxo

    teri, oh god, enjoy those plants! i can spend $$$ on garden anything so fast i can't keep track of it.
    i love hearing about you and mike in london, teri, that he noticed those flowers and wanted you to see him... xoxo

    cs, i surely do. when the hostas start shooting up, i feel a certain peace, like i know all is right in the world....xoxo

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  12. snow, you are more skilled than i. i putter enough as it is. i will never paint another ceiling in this lifetime. i am glad to hear what you are able to do. that is a good sign. xoxo

    annie, no plastic chairs. :)
    i know full well that having a washer dryer is a luxury from the heavens. i think laundry mats should be in bars and coffee houses. and annie, tsup! is the sound a kiss makes. (try it for yourself) tsup!

    lakeviewer, please come visit anytime. you are most welcome.xoxo

    sag, i can be pissed and pissed off at the same time hee hee xoxo

    pg, i know what you mean. i feel the same way. maybe you want one for yourself? :)

    chrissy, i would be most delighted to find you in the other blue chair. and i have no doubt we would stop talking only to take sips of our cool drinks. xoxo

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  13. yr yard is sweet and looks private and comfy. My all time favorite activity, along w/reading in bed, is sitting in my lawnchair in the sun and reading. Or just pondering.

    I think these sorts of delays are typical, from what I've heard, of home renovations. It seems to be their modus operandi to juggle several jobs at once. It reminds me of when I was a mom and could only do things in fragments. The one wall at a time mode. Had to chuckle at that. Hope it all comes together soon.

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  14. what a great studio. what does she do there? paint, sculpt, write?
    love the header too. will write you an e later.

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  15. I love the feeling I get when I've spent a whole day looking over my plants and working in the yard. Such self-satisfaction! Peacefulness and happiness, as well!

    But not so sure about renovations. Seems something always comes up with the contractors. I'm glad Graham, who is a journeyman carpenter, does the renos now...the hard part now is to stop him from working so hard!

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  16. Hi KJ, loved seeing your garden and you own that lovely building, it's gorgeous and have always had a soft spot for the picture on your book.
    Thank you Kj so much for your messages, been so lovely to read and so needed them!
    Have lots of fun in your beautiful garden and new trees which are adorable!

    Hugs!

    Julie

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  17. Kj - your last few posts have kept me well and truly entertained and I especially love this one! Your garden looks such a lovely place to be - I'm sure it must give you so much pleasure! Unlike the little incident with your laundry room ... still, you have managed to be very calm about it - not sure that I would have had the same attitude, bad workmanship can be hard to bear!
    By the way, I just love those two pics of you in the side bar - hilarious!!
    And I am sooo hoping that my package will arrive soon. The other I sent out at the same time finally arrived at its destination on Saturday, so I still have hope! Hope you have a great week. Caroline x

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  18. Dear KJ,

    I loved "spending the afternoon" in your magical garden! No wonder Emily thrives there! I have also been meaning to tell you and JB how lovely your "Magic Cottage" is - it was one of the first things I noticed on your sidebar - and I was immediately enchanted.

    I can't wait to see how your garden grows and blooms in Summer....

    And....lastly, so happy you liked my ♥!

    Love, Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  19. Dear KJ,

    I loved "spending the afternoon" in your magical garden! No wonder Emily thrives there! I have also been meaning to tell you and JB how lovely your "Magic Cottage" is - it was one of the first things I noticed on your sidebar - and I was immediately enchanted.

    I can't wait to see how your garden grows and blooms in Summer....

    And....lastly, so happy you liked my ♥!

    Love, Love to you and Stella

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  20. Blogger was "crazed" this morning..hence the duplicate entries...but, it gave me a chance to add Stella's name...

    ♥ R ♥

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  21. You and JB have created such a lovely home! Your garden, and JB's Magic Cottage, made me drool a bit. Very, very nice!
    :0)
    Love and hugs,
    xoxoxo
    Angela

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  22. Yippety DOO-DEEEEEEE I get to see it all in person next weekend! That is if the driving phobia monster stays sleeping ;)

    I'm pretty sure it will.

    I adore those floating blossoms! JB's so talented. She has those artist's eyes! And she names owls Pinky :)

    I hope you're loving today as much as yesterday, even with the rain.
    Your baby girl is visiting. What could be nicer?

    xoxo
    Lo♥

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  23. those robins egg blue rusting chairs against the weathered picket fence is singing nirvana to my soul.

    so too the zen bowl of mother nature's kiss bliss of color.

    outside is the best place in the world to be sometimes, i think. not in some exotic locale, just right out the beck door.

    i cant believe i have an inside job :p

    xoxoxoxox

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  24. suki, we and our contractor met this morning. all is well. we compromised and planned. a two week delay so he can be present and we can all have fun with our little projects. whew. i don't like conflict with relationships i value.

    sweet soulbrush, (you are sweet), jb is a fiber artist who is into found object collages these days. she creates them on old windows sometimes. she is also not in her studio nearly enough but that is another story.

    marion, you and i are kindred souls in the garden. ♥ you are lucky to have graham's carpentry skills. he sounds like a treasure and i know he is.

    julie, the magic cottage is very small. just big enough for jb's little studio. i want you to feel better pronto! xoxo

    caroline, it arrived and it is STUPENDOUS!!! OMG. i wish i could show the print to everyone i know. yesterday i took it to be framed. wait until you see it!!! (2 weeks).
    about the laundry room, which is also the back hall, i treasure trades people who are reliable, honest and have the same 'taste' i do. so i am happy again. i'm glad i didn't blow a gasket, which i almost did. xoxo

    wrobin (it makes me laugh!), thank you, thank you, thank you. your ♥ is redecorating and i think the new design will be bigger and better! xoxo

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  25. angela, the yard was dire when jb and i moved here four years ago. it is a blast to see it evolve each season. i add new plants and shrubs as i go along. the magic cottage was a lawnmower shed so it is nothing fancy and very small, but it works just fine for jb. ps love you ♥

    lo, I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU HERE!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!! NOT TO MENTION OUR TERRRIFIC FRIENDS!!! ALL OF US: LUCKY LUCKY DUCKS ♥

    rhonda roo, a commment from you is a gift in itself. it is so nice to hear from your literary poetic observant fascinating creative self. ♥

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  26. Lol! Having lived through renovations, i ~feel~ your pain! i ~Love~ that you are in ~Love~ on beautiful garden chairs in warming sunlight...sighhh... X:-)

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  27. What a beautiful yard. Do you think JB will mind if I move in to the Magic Cottage?
    That is so damn charming.
    You have been busy and it probably feels real good!
    I am so glad you had a good saturday!!
    About the laundry, caca pasa.
    It is all good!

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