Well I really have to say I'm impressed. Everyone here has been so encouraging, welcoming and positive. Thank you for so many good thoughts! Reading your posts this week has been great fun and I've enjoyed hearing what everyone had to say. On the topic of further projects (besides finishing my flower bed) we bought a wonderful old small twin headboard from the neighbors yard sale last weekend for $20. Normally that is more than I would pay but the headboard is great and we learned recently the neighbors are having some financial challenges so we were able to help in a very small way. When we get that together will post again. Have a great weekend all. Kate

When you are really attuned to nature,you can see so many things..big and little. I feed the raccoons so know they eat first,right when the sun goes down and then they make a tour of the property. Last night they took their coffee can full of cat food with them and dropped it right by the bird feeder when they climbed up to get the sunflower seeds. Greedy little buggers. We have big old toad who by day stays in one of the 12 terra cotta flower pots of geraniums lining my stairs. Trouble is,I forget about him from time to time and water his head. We have a wren who is nesting somewhere in our garage but I haven't a clue where the nest is. I always lock up the garage at night so the raccoons will stay out of there. My greenhouse is attached to the garage and right as rain every morning Ms. wren is in there yelling at me to let her out which of course I do. Ever try to argue with a wren? It's a lost cause. I could go on forever about the 2 red tailed hawks who are in our yard every day,the red fox who darts through the woods but is pretty elusive, and the roughly 25 wild turkeys who tromp through here every morning around 7. I am so used to all the critter noises that when I hear a new one my ears always perk up. A family whose property borders on the same woods as ours has started raising alpacas and they make the funniest little noises. Kind of neat.

Kingd-I can't get back there today. I struggle with vertigo and am dizzy today. The restaurant was Great Lakes Shipping Co. Here is the link to their site. http://greatlakesshippingco.com (The plants are not listed on the site; I just called and asked about them because I knew they were there.) The sale is today and tomorrow. If the world stops spinning, I might be able to get there tomorrow. He charged $25.00 per plant, but they are in 14 in pots. The one in the first picture is amazing, but the pubicalyx needs a lot of TLC. I can't wait to make it beautiful! I think he had 3 others that looked like they needed some care. (They were hanging from the ceiling so I couldn't get the best look inside the pots.) You can email me at carolynnv@sbcglobal.net if you want more info.

Oh I’m so glad your sweet little kitchen reno popped back up! I’d meant to comment on it when you posted it, and then I lost track of it. What a great job! Your material choices are spot on—it all feels right for this kind of house. I love how you treated the backsplash, and I applaud you for reusing the blue sink. It was a ballsy choice, and it totally works ;-) Hope you are enjoying it well!!