Loving the Sunshine!

Happy belated Mother's Day! That's my chicken/bunny coop above. Did lots of planting this weekend since the weather was ideal. With nice new soil and mulch, planting was easy and the mulch just neatens it all up nicely.

My husband is thinking of painting the coop a burgundy color. I'm excited about that. I think it'll be very nice in that color. Or we were going to paint it clay to match the siding of our house. I  opted for old fashioned prim burgundy.

Carol and Frankie marched around us as we planted supervising. I think they approve.

Saturday we went to Old Westbury Gardens in Old Westbury for a Ronald McDonald House Walk-a-thon. We all had a great time; we walked a couple miles on the beautiful property then barbecued and played frisbee and volleyball. Lots of fun and a good cause too! Ate lots of ribs and chicken! :)Caitlin was excited about all the give-aways! I recently taught her how to play solitaire and crazy 8's so she was excited to get several decks of cards. I also taught her how to play sudoku. She loves it! 

On the way home, we visited a nursery and picked up some good stuff then on Sunday we headed out east for a lovely seafood lunch/dinner and on to more nurseries! That has become our tradition for Mother's Day! Plant shopping, early dinner and planting. I had a delicious seafood bisque appetizer and clams on the half shell! For dinner I had a delicious pasta with shrimp and scallops. It was so good, I'm still thinking about it from yesterday! 

We picked up more perennials and and some vegetable plants and hanging baskets.

I loved this hanging bag of begonia. Perfect for my porch since begonia are shade lovers. And the colors go with my Americana theme. Usually they just sell the bags filled with impatiens. 

 Last year I picked up these metal planters at a garage sale. It was the end of the Summer when I got them so I never used them...till now! I planted Martha Washington Geraniums in them. Have you seen those kind? They sell out fast here!

Planted yellow double begonia in the driftwood

Here's the raised vegetable garden my husband made for me!

I planted eggplant, three kinds of peppers, tomatoes, parsley and basil...Oh and in another garden we have strawberry bushes! :) Marigolds help keep bugs away from the veggies....hence the border around them! Plus they were left over from the chicken coop. 

I hope you had a great weekend! 

Additions & Seasonal Changes

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers for my Robin. As I wrote,  his loss has been so devastating to us. I knew we would be visiting our animal shelter shortly because the mood in our home has been so gloomy. Our goal was to adopt and love a new kitty not replace our Robin. Dixie and Red Cat have realized he is gone as well and the whole house has been out of sync. Please believe me--I'm not crazy but our pets play such important roles in our lives. The funny thing is when we went to the shelter with the intention of coming home with one, we ended up with two new loves. Two from their list of what is classified as "overlooked" cats--cats who are not inquired about for one reason or another. Sad. So here is our 11 month old little Jinx. Overlooked because he has one eye. What a sweetie. Affectionate, playful and loving. Are we all not imperfect in one way or another? Everyone who passed him up sure are missing out on a great pussycat!

We also added a four year old female we named Molly. I have to still photograph Miss Molly Moo Moo and when I write Moo Moo, you'll see why....she has the markings of a gray, black & white cow! She's petite and sweet and quite the chatterbox so more on Miss Molly Moo Moo next post :)

I know my Robin approves of our choices. 

The Easter decorations have been packed away and in between all the yard work we have been doing, I am transforming our home into one of my favorite themes--Americana for Spring and Summer. I do have a lot of Americana out all year. Old fashioned red, white and blue are ever present here. But out comes Betsy Ross and Ben Franklin for their annual visit. One of our favorite trips was visiting her house right in Philadelphia only two hours from here. Caitlin loved her house and tour so much she used Betsy Ross for her biography report. Ask Caitlin anything about Betsy and she can tell you! Just as a little side note, Betsy was ahead of her time in that when her husband passed away early in their marriage, it was "understood" that women could not own and run a business in the 1700's. Well, Betsy was not about to give up her seamstress business and kept it going! She was a success. And when George Washington came in to her shop to talk about his ideas for a flag, he had some rough sketches and she did not care for what he designed so she put forth her own thoughts! Amazing!

In the foyer, on my happy little chair that I love to decorate sits more Americana. I want to purchase a couple more of these chairs this Summer in Lancaster. So reasonably priced and perfect for my decor. Only $21! I have a black one so I would like to get a mustard colored one and a burgundy.

You never know what you are going to find where and I ran into Rite Aid with a girlfriend the other day as she had a prescription to pick up and I happened to see these adorable resin bird figures (which I collect) for 50% off! I have collected resin bird figures, bird houses, etc for years. I would always buy a bunch of different birds in Lancaster and put them all over the house.My Mom and I love them. I picked this adorable shovel with blue jays for me and for Mom I got her the same one but with cardinals. Never rule out stores like CVS or Walgreens or Rite Aid to find good decorating stuff.

I added some real cracked corn too. I have this in the house as I don't want it to get broken outside by all the wildlife that visits us at night! I'll have to hope the new kitties aren't interested in tipping it over :)  I set it on a little blue bench my Dad had made for me and added a decoration of a glass porch door that normally hangs on the wall. I thought it looked well together!

And that's not all I got....

This one is solar and the bubbles pump up and down. These are things that sure make me happy :) In between the decorating,  I did some crafting:

I took some of the girls in my Brownie troop to the Guide Dog Foundation last Saturday. Our girls got to hear about the importance of this organization that exists on donation only; providing dogs to the blind and visually impaired all across the country. They learned how the dogs are acquired, trained and cared for. We visited their facility and met handlers and even an  elderly woman who uses a guide dog. She actually suffers from the same eye disease I have in its advanced stage, retinal pigmentosa. A little startling to me at first. Thank goodness mine has been in remission for many years but at least I know in the future it'll be great to have help should I require it. I had never known you don't have to be blind to receive a dog. We had great experience at the Guide Dog Foundation and the girls learned never to disturb a dog when it is walking with it's owner. Distraction could be deadly. 

In the photo above, my Caitlin is the little one on the right with the blue jacket. What a nice day!

Before I run, one more thing I added. I took all the bonnets Caitlin wore as a baby and toddler and hung them in my hallway. How cute does that look? I used to buy her the bonnets in Lancaster and use them every day for her. They were perfect for keeping the sun out of her eyes and wind from her ears as a baby. She wore them till she was almost 4! I found they fit better than traditional baby hats sold in the stores. I was so glad to see them one again.

Have a beautiful weekend! Hope the sun shines for you! 

And the Winner of the Garage Sale Give Away is.....

.....the lovely Shirley Hatfield of Zetta's Apron Strings! Congratulations! You will be receiving a surprise box of items I have collected from garage sales that I hope you like. Please send your address to blackbird365@aol.com

Thanks everyone for participating! I plan to do more give aways soon. So much fun!

Garage Sale Give Away!

On this rainy, rainy day I would like to send prayers out to everyone affected by the terrible storms and tornadoes.

 I would also like to announce a give-away of some garage sale goodies I have acquired over some time and would like to share. It's a surprise box of this and that so if you feel lucky take a chance! All I ask that you be a follower and leave a comment with your name so that I may choose a winner on Monday, May 5th! If you are not a follower already, you can follow and then enter. Let me know if you mention my give-away on your blog and I will count you in twice! Good luck gals!

Its Been a Rough Two Weeks

2004

2011

2012

It sure has been a rough time for our family. First, I want to wish you all a happy belated Easter. I am not one to post sad events in my life as I like to keep blogging light hearted and cheerful but we've suffered a loss that has been devastating. Our much loved cat Robin, whom I have posted about many times, passed away last Thursday at only ten years old.

It's been such a difficult time. Robin was like a child in our home. He was born here when my son was four and he meshed himself into our lives in such a way that  words can't explain.I think because he grew up along with Billy and then Caitlin was born two years later in 2005 that he really became the middle child. He was the sweetest and most loving cat ever. This is the first day I can even look at his picture with out sobbing. Cancer robbed him of his life and it came completely by surprise. He was fine. At least he behaved fine. Then one morning he had some labored breathing and wasn't eating. We brought him to our animal hospital and they concluded he had diabetes.It was treatable. But then he was getting very weak and the doctors were surprised at how quickly he was deteriorating. Almost over night. They did all kinds of tests but still he would not bounce back and they were shocked. With all the treatment he was getting, how could be failing so? Nine days of hospital care and he was declining but we had hope--after all, I was prepared to give him insulin or any other medications. Then suddenly in one night he went blind and couldn't stand. A specialist  was called in and it was discovered he had a rapid growing lymphoma that destroys your kidneys, liver and pancreas and then goes for the brain---in a matter of days :(   It masks itself as diabetes.
 And he was gone. Our Robin, who was named by my son after Batman & Robin--was a little super hero after all--and now he's gone. He tried so hard to live and come home to us again. In his last breaths at the animal hospital he tried to stand and crawl to my son. My son said he feels like he lost his brother.  What is so hard to accept is that two weeks ago he had movie night in our family room with Billy, Caitlin and our best neighbor friends--the three little girls who also have grown up with Robin. He sat in the middle of them all watching "Frozen."  Robin viewed them as his friends too. He loved everyone.

But I hate to leave you sad like me. When we thought he had a treatable ailment and was about to come home, we went on with our egg coloring for Easter on the Wednesday before with our neighbor friends. It's the tradition since my Billy and neighbor Genny were toddlers. We colored eggs and had desserts.

the gang

Julie, Jackie & Billy

my love bug

Genny & Caitlin

We were all smiles and had fun. On Easter, we were preparing for Robin to be released the next day. Then he started declining Monday and he never came home :(  But here is my Caitlin on Easter Sunday:

Robin passed this last Thursday night. Our house feels so empty without him. We have Dixie and Red Cat whom we love so much but we are lost without our Robin. We decided this weekend to throw ourselves in to our outside work. It's very healing and Robin would not like us to be sad; he was such a joy filled pussycat.

Billy and my son decided to build beds around the chicken coop and add some blue stone so it doesn't get muddy when it rains or my sprinkler system goes off. The beds are going to be filled with mulch and I like to fill the beds around it with herbs and plants such as mint, catmint, parsley, and pretty flowers. Next weekend a truck of mulch is coming for the property both front and back. More work! But that's a good thing. We love our property, our yard, our pets, our house, our neighbors and working together. That's what heals us!
And I thank God for allowing us to experience the special joy of having Robin. I've had many cats in my life and I have loved them all sooo much but Robin was a little different. He embraced people and he embraced other animals. The kindest disposition you can ever imagine. He had a huge heart and brought out the best in all of us. So for the ten years we've enjoyed with him I am grateful and I also know that there will never be another quite like him. He was that once in a life time gift.



this is the rear/the bunkhouse for chickens & bunnies

bunkhouse area nice and clean

After our hard work that day, Caitlin and I made a roast beef dinner and we had the first corn on the cob of the season.  It was delicious and it made us smile :)

Easter Countdown!

It's Friday! It's Friday! and it is also the last day of school before Spring break! Woo Hoo! I'm so happy when the kids are home with me. I think I get more excited than they do :)  Although Billy has been home with me receiving the home tutoring cause of the stomach issue, we have no tutors next week and no schedule for anything except fun stuff!We have our party, two events at Church before Easter Sunday, and the we plan to go to the movies. Today, Caitlin's class is having a Spring party, and it is retro dress day as well so she is dressing as a 60's girl. I wanted her to wear a bonnet and a long dress and go as Laura Ingalls to which she replied "No."......oh well...she's very excited that her class is reading "Charlotte's Web". I'm wondering if Easter Bunny can find the cartoon for her Easter basket...Speaking of baskets...I went to Dollar Tree the other day and saw these adorable eggs:  

 SO sweet. Dollar Tree really has lots of good stuff for the holidays and for the outdoors. I sure love going there. Today I'm off to a few stores to complete my purchases for the "baskets" ....I have a few ideas for them to make them special. I still have my original Easter basket from when I was little. These are the candy containers Easter Bunny left me:

The first one he ever left at my house was the one to the far left and that one is my favorite. I received it when I was seven. I don't open them anymore because the plastic is wearing a bit. Easter baskets were always so much fun. I would receive two chocolate bunnies--one chocolate and one white chocolate, chocolate eggs, fuzzy chicks and the candy container filled with jelly beans. Oh yes, there were M&M's too, I believe....

The other day I was cleaning my bathroom and I accidentally knocked over a glass Easter egg decoration I had displayed on my bathroom sink...Sadly the lid of the egg broke. I am somewhat klutzy. I managed to salvage the bottom part of the egg and recreated it:

Then it joined the pack with some other bunnies:

Proving once again that new friends are easy to make!

Happy Friday!!!!!

Spring is Here! I Think!

Good Afternoon! We've been super busy here, and I'm a bit behind posting. Also a bit behind with other things but I know I'll get caught up. The doctors handling my son's inflammatory bowel disease issue extended his home tutoring until May 30th so he will just be returning to school for regents exams in June. He has good days and some pretty darn bad ones. We are supposed to begin a new medication at his next appointment so we'll continue to pray that he gets much needed relief. We go back and forth on different weeks for testing or treatment at hospital so I haven't been home as much as I usually am plus I care for my Mom. Some days are crazier than others but it's all good. I get everything done eventually!

This was the weather here a week ago today--3"of snow! Then by Wednesday the temps went up to 60 degrees and it all melted! I think Mother Nature is finally moving on. I surely hope so. I have lots of buds on my plants and bushes and sprouts coming out of the ground. Crocus are blooming! We took advantage of the nice weather these last few days and really worked hard outside. I have my herbs and flowers picked out for around the chicken coop and my son and husband have seeded the lawn. Carol & Frankie took advantage of the sunshine too. They celebrate their first birthday this week!

Carol the rooster

Frankie our prissy girl

They pecked around and followed me outside while I did some cleanup of the garden
Here they are last June--only two months old!

Look Below!
How about some of these chicks? These are chicks I had growing up. Perhaps igniting my passion for all things chickens/roosters ? :) My Mom crocheted them! I treasure them because I only have a few and my Mom can not crochet anymore due to her arthritis.
Aren't they adorable? I love the 70's crafts. She got this idea from a 1970's Better Homes & Garden magazine, I'm thinking around 1975.....love it.

And Carol and Frankie aren't the ONLY ones with birthdays in the Spring! My Caitlin turned 9 on March 28th!

She celebrated with best friends at Chuck E. Cheese and we also had a small house party.

A fun, fun, fun weekend. I can't believe my baby is nine. She's helping me plan our annual Easter Egg Coloring Party. It really isn't a party but in my house if we have a few friends, desserts and a theme it's a PARTY! Since my son was an infant--seriously an infant !---I would invite my friends over to bring their little ones and we would have desserts and color eggs. As the kids got older, we branched off into MORE desserts, and MORE kinds of coloring egg kits. A simple little get together that has become a tradition for 14 years! We have so much fun coloring eggs and eating! We do the traditional PAAS colors, sparkle eggs, tie dye, ...you know them all! Stickers and writing on them with wax...all that fun stuff...Last year Caitlin and I made our Easter Bunny cake that came out looking like a cat! And that's okay! wink, wink   :) because we had so much fun making it! Lets see what happens this year.

We are planning some new treats this week. There are some great ideas on the Kraft Foods  and Spoonful
websites. Pinterest of course too!

And Finally.....some GREAT news to end this post with....My little Dixie..aka Dixie Doodles aka just Doodles --has made a remarkable recovery! We truly thought she was near death. She suffered two strokes in two weeks and we were spoon feeding her as she had no strength to walk upright, let alone drink or eat on her own. The vet recommended we put her down but I just couldn't yet. I'm happy I waited....she twitches, she drools a little but she is back to walking, eating and snuggling! Praise God!
Dixie is our little rescue from 9 years ago from a big state park.We had gone to the park after dinner one night to feed the ducks and discovered her stealing our bread and hiding in a hollow log. We returned to the park for three nights trying to find her and lure her into our cat carrier and finally caught her. She had no teeth and was deaf but full of love for us. We had no idea how long she had been abandoned in the park but I can tell you she adjusted to our home and we love her. She never really grew (she's kitten size) and weighs less than five pounds but she is our Dixie and she is one tough pussycat!(who can't resist baskets) This photo was taken last year. She still looks the same. Bless her heart.

Unfortunately Red Cat is still blind in one eye but he is doing well otherwise....and Robin is always loveable Robin...all these pets...I love them like children! :)

Have a great day!