Ohhhhhh Is Anyone There???

 Hi there everyone. Thought I would drop a line or two. Yes, I am still alive and kicking. As you can see by the dates on the pictures below, they are 5 years old, but they are Fall pictures, so I am using them today.

I have not been much into a blog mood, only because not much is happening in my life. Since JP's death, (1 year, 2-1/2 months) everyday just seems to blend into another. I have tried to get a lot done around the house, but sometimes I just find myself sleeping. I get plenty done in my mind, but my body does not cooperate.

Next month, 11/21 I will be 76 years old. WHERE did that time go to?? Never thought I would make it to this age.

Well, to update you all. I had my garage sale and made about $140.00 which did help in paying some bills. The sale was back in June. I thought I would have another one in July, August and possibly in September. But I decided not to. June was enough for me. I am still in the process of cleaning the garage and ridding myself of all the old garage sale stuff that did not sell. I gave "Good Will" 6 banana boxes of stuff already with 2-3 more boxes to go. 

I have decided I am NOT going to sell and move out of this house. And would like to stay here for as long as I can. To down-size, pack and move just sounds like too much stress and a hassle at this time in my life. I am not under pressure now, as I was even 6 months ago as I have made plans with the City to begin paying my property tax which will now keep me from foreclosure in two years. 

I have had a few other financial situations cleared up, so my future looks a little brighter, that's if this country does not go down the tubes with inflation, high gas and food prices and every other crisis that comes up. 

It has been hard to keep my nose above water these last couple of years what with the Pandemic, JP's sickness and death, trying to make ends meet has been a challenge. But God is Good, and He takes care of His own.

I had a really good garden this year with tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, onions, dill and basil. I am in the midst of drying the dill and basil. I think the beans are done as it was my second planting. I brought in my green tomatoes, and they are ripening in a dish pan. 

My card making has been at a minimum lately, have lots of ideas, but seem to find other things to do. Cooking for myself is not fun. When JP was alive, I cooked much more, always trying something new and different. Now I just cook what is easy, fast or not so healthy. Hamburgers, hot dogs, salad, fries, steak, beans, broccoli, and corn. Chicken when I can and porkchops anything that can be made in the Air Fryer or microwave. My Air Fryer is my new friend.

My car has a gas line leak, so it has been sitting in the driveway this week. Monday, I have to take it to the service station, hopefully there is enough gas to get it there and has not all leaked out. Then the guy won't be able to work on it till the 20th, maybe sooner. Hopefully the bill will be affordable.

Well, I guess that is all for now, this was going to be a short blog, but I guess I am just too wordy. You all have a great rest of the month...I am sure it will go fast. The days are flying by, enjoy them while you have them. Keep looking up!!! Better days are a comin'. Louise

10 Days Already???

Hi there everyone. My goodness, has it been 10 days already since the last time I posted??? Really, I must think it is summer and I can take time off or something....lol! So anyways.....thought I would give you a few shots of my summer here in "Louise's La La Land"

I never get tired of taking pictures of my garden and it's lovely flowers. These two rose plants make the prettiest flowers. The white rose above is a long stemmed white rose, so it always looks great in a tall skinny vase. She has been around for at least 10 years. I want to get a new rose bush, have just the right place for it. Next to my yellow bush. I am think a violet/blue rose bush. I saw one this past spring, but did not buy it. I will be on the look out this fall, or next spring.

This rose bush has been with us for at least 20+ years and has always been loyal in it's production of beautiful roses. It sits in front of the house and gets full sun. The white rose gets half a day's worth of sun. Mostly the morning sun.

Here is my little herb garden. Basil and cilantro is about all I have planted. If I see something else, maybe I will plant it.....but not really looking.

Oh the glory of my Black Eyed Susan's.....I love these flowers and love that they come back every year and last 4-6 weeks. They too are in full sun. I can't seem to get them to grow in the back yard though....too much shade.

Miranda's Bee Balm....This is quite the choir of flowers. They were just starting to bloom here....I should really take a picture of them now, they have take over the back section of my yard which is over-grown now. I bought a new Miranda Bee Balm plant last week....a fuchsia colored one....just have to decide where I am going to plant it.

My little pond....never get tired of it. No, there are no fish in there. I want to buy a few more plastic lilly pads at Menards....hopefully they are still there when I do finally get back there to shop.

Well I think I will close here for now....I have some exciting news to tell you....but it shall have to wait till my next post. So be sure to come back for the up-date. 

Time to go walk Kylie, she is begging me to take her out. Then she wants to eat.....that is her evening schedule. 

You all keep looking up better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Sitting on the Front Porch

Hi there everyone....how are you all doing??? Hope you are keeping Cool. Cool. Cool!!!! I am not, we still have not replaced the air conditioner....I had it on for about a half hour last night and then it started spitting and had to shut it down. But, it was on long enough to cool things down a bit in the kitchen. I felt a little cooler, but the coolness did not last long.

About 10pm Kylie and I went and sat on the porch for about an hour...it sure was cooler outside with a slight breeze AND there were no mosquitos.....goodness, could they not find me???? I almost fell a sleep a couple of times. The trickle of the water in my fountain and the crickets chirping had a very hypnotic affect on me.

So, in the pictures below.....you will find me sitting on the front porch, again. Yeah, it's a place to go when I want to take a time out......"my mini vacation" to dream about places I would like to go if I had the money. The last couple of days my wishing has taken me to places where I would be close to water and could sink my toes in some sand.....gosh that sounds heavenly to me about now. But for now, I shall have to dream on my porch and listen to the water fountain trickle on the porch or in the back yard.

So here I am, camera facing east. In the foreground is a big butterfly....it's sitting in my fountain. In the very last picture you will see the water fountain with flowers, flamingo's, light, fall leaves and the butterfly. In this picture you see my brown eyed Susan's and my privacy wall of star climentus. And yes, we have eaten on the porch....not a lot, but some.

That's my glider chair....it's a nice place to fall asleep on. When our air conditioner worked in the kitchen, I would bring that chair in the kitchen and slept in it all night long....very comfortable. Next to the chair on the railing is my 3 pots of basil. I have been drying the leaves for later use and putting the leaves in grilled cheese sandwiches and salads......yum!!!

Oh look.....my tosey's!!!! Just relaxing. So in the front view are my petunia's and that green plant you see is my Christmas Ponsetta.....yep, it's still growing. One of these days (not sure when) I shall have to stick it in the closet or some dark place so the leaves get red. Maybe I better google "ponsetta plant care" and see what the prescription is.

In this view, are my roses, among the roses is lemon mint (that I need to dry and make mint jelly with), petunia's and brown eyed susan's. If you look through the screen and porch railings you can see Hissop growing. That's another plant that I need to bring in the leaves and flowers and dry them for tea.

Finally, my camera is facing south-west and you see my white wicker chair (which I have painted every couple of years), we have had that chair for 25 years now and who knows how long the neighbors had it before us. Anyways, in this picture are my geraniums....they are two years old. JP brought them in for the winter and managed to keep them going. I think they like this spot, cause they get lots of sun.

Here is a closer picture of the geraniums, they are sitting in a pot that straddles the porch railing. I want to find another pot like that.....I think I got it at Shopko...but have not seen another one as yet.

Last, but not least is my little trickling water fountain....water looks a little green, I better change the water. Yeah, this is a nice place to sit....I wish my computer could go out here too, but alas, I do not have a lap-top.....that would be nice though (I think).

Well, time to close, it's 5pm and I need to get some pictures up in my Etsy store. Finally!!!! I have been working on cards, but just too lazy to take pictures and get them in the computer then into Etsy....but today I shall do a couple of cards and maybe a couple cards tomorrow. My next post will be the cards that I put up in my Etsy store.....stay tuned.

Have a great day and keep looking up, better days are coming.

Cheers ~ Louise

The City Plants a Tree and I planted basil and onions

Well, we got a gift today. The City of Appleton Parks and Recreation Department planted a little Linden Tree in our front yard. So sweet...only thing we have to do is water it every couple of days. They mulch, prune, stake, fertilize and replace if it doesn't take. OUR cost........water the baby, 2-3 gallons of water every other day.....pray for rain. See that blue line on the sidewalk, far left......that is our water line....oh my, wonder how big the roots will get? I looked up to see what a Linden tree is......from the basswood family, will get to be 50'-60' tall and 40' wide. Will have little flowers in the spring and heart shaped leaves.............good for lots of raking. Oh, and it is fast growing too. Cheers, have a great day.

Well, I did some planting of my own today, basil and onions........that is a start. Will take a picture when the seedlings begin to grow. I have them in the old barbeque and covered with chicken wire to keep the squrrel out of it. He is a pest sometimes. JP bought me 4 tomato plants Mother's Day. Two Romas and 2 cherry tomato plants. So begins the planting, hopefully the weather will cooperate, been kind of cold lately and we have taken in the plants. Here you see my Geranium plant that JP got me for Secretary's Day....that was a pleasent surprise. I have decided to do Geranium plants for the front and back of the house.........they are hardy and bloom all summer long. I saw some Martha Washington geraniums, dark maroon. I shall have to pick one of those up Wednesday on my way home from Kaukuana. Never saw such a pretty plant before. Well, little by little I shall get things done..............so much to do, so little time. I shall close for now, it is almost 3:00am.........really time for bed.

Louise