Tomorrow, when the lighting is better, I will share pictures of our new and much, much, much improved, green kitchen. In the meantime, I am sitting on the front porch, in the lull between storms, waiting for my husband, to return from hunting groceries at the market down the street. I keep company with a potted plant left behind by the last owners of our house. Relegated to the back step when they left, I brought her inside. Re-potted her in store bought soil, a second hand pot. Placed her on the kitchen island, where she got equal amounts of … Continue reading Half-Wild

A quick peek tonight at the new and MUCH improved green paint situation in our kitchen. Tomorrow we will put on the second coat and even it out but tonight I am sighing a huge sigh of relief that this particular shade of green is THE correct shade of green. More info and pics tomorrow but big exhale for tonight. Continue reading Sneak Peek

My string of luck with regard to choosing paint colors has come to a screeching halt. Our kitchen was originally painted a light, non descript blue/gray. It was an OK color but not really fitting (in my opinion) for a kitchen. I immediately gravitated to green. Green is not my favorite color, but for a kitchen filled with vibrant fruits and vegetables, with windows that overlook orange trees, grass and shrubs, it felt right. We have been living with green paint swatches on the kitchen walls for the last eight months while I tried to pick just the right shade. … Continue reading It’s Not Easy Being Green

If you have ever wondered what twenty one sample colors of yellow paint would look like….look no further. Allow me to save you the time, money and mental anguish involved with navigating all of the different hues and tones “yellow” has to offer. I knew pretty early on that I wanted to paint the red dining room yellow. It started with an antique radio I picked up at a shop down the street. The deep wood tones of the radio hummed with intrigue and the reverb was a golden hue. The story was set. Think Cuba, think Hemingway, think cigars … Continue reading Lucky Number Twenty One

While the brushes are soaking and we are between coats in our just about perfect yellow room (yay!) I thought I would introduce you to my new adventure buddy. Stella Magnolia. You will remember the tragedy of the semi truck and the tree limb which totaled my old adventure buddy in March. I was not sure I would ever love again after that, and then…I spotted this little number on one of the used car sites. She is a six speed, 2014 Nissan Juke. White with red side mirrors and a red racing stripe. (A tribute to my beloved red … Continue reading Stella Magnolia

Exciting things are happening! At long, long, long last I have finally decided (I think) on paint colors for three of our rooms; the kitchen, the guest room which is going to be the master bedroom, and what should probably be a dining room but is going to be a bar/music/game/relax room. I have been struggling with commitment to color since we moved in. I knew what colors I felt drawn to in each room, but the devil is in the details and he has kept me quite upended month after month with shades and hues and saturation points. With … Continue reading Paint Party

Wish me luck. Last night my dogs started growling at the recliner chair in the parlor while the cat watched, eyes wide, from the coffee table. My husband tipped up the chair and there it was…..opossum baby. IN the house! Of course in the time we took to be shocked, it managed to hide itself behind a stack of boxes in the corner of the room. Eventually I was able to catch it in a towel and relocate it to the park outside. Much to my neighbor’s amusement I’m sure “Opossum baby make way! Opossum baby coming your way!!” Fast … Continue reading Yikes!

Today is my step father’s birthday. If he were still alive, and we still lived close to each other, we would have gone out to dinner and then back to my mom’s house for apple pie and ice cream. A simple desert for a simple man. I thought about getting pie and ice cream, lighting a candle, making a wish for him. I thought about marking this day with fanfare, making a fuss, but it didn’t feel warranted, it didn’t feel necessary. The reason is as simple as the man himself…..to my stepfather, Glen, every single day was to be, … Continue reading Celebrate Every Day

Look what came in the mail! Technically look what came in the church next door’s mail and then sat and sat but was hand delivered to us today. It is official. The Eichberg Oak is now a registered member of the Live Oak Society and has been issued this certificate recognizing it as being over one hundred years old. (Our estimates place it at 560 years.) I am so proud of this amazing tree, named after the architect of our house who chose to build in harmony with the tree. And although I have not yet received MY certificate, I … Continue reading It’s Official