bye 2013 Fairy Garden ... until next year!

 

Dismantled this year’s fairy garden … My dad used to take me for wheelbarrow rides in this wheelbarrow 50 years ago.  It was a perfect place for the fairies to play this year and much easier to tend to … 2 feet above the ground.   Used an old funnel to add another layer of planting.  Rog drilled holes in the bottom for drainage and it was real easy to move to mow the grass.  Dad’s been gone 24 years this week … bet he’s glad I’m still getting use of his old wheelbarrow!

xoxo

 

Habitat for Ornithology Volunteers

 

Little Screech owl showed up a couple of months ago perched in a squirrel box in our yard. Rog immediately designed and built a sweet ‘home of his own’, trying to lure him into the neighborhood as a permanent resident. The beautifully crafted home sat in the basement as we tried to figure out who would climb the big pine to secure the home at a perfect vantage point for our owl.

 

Between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m.every night for the last 2 weeks you could hear hooting in the night. The house had to go up!  It takes a whole village to raise an owl and check out these habitat for ornithology volunteers for little Screech’s new home! Stopped hearing the owl the night before the house went up, didn’t hear him last night either ….

Here is Rog surveying his work …

he trimmed some trees so the owl could search for pesky pests.

 

 

Thank YOU Habitat for Ornithology volunteers for creating a home for our Screechies!

 

 

Something better move into this little house and make it a home ... 

In the night ...

 so what goes on right in your own backyard when you are safe and snuggled in your bed?  This is  not the work of an opossum, or a squirrel ... 'it' flipped the stone bird feeder top and tipped over

the vintage wheel barrel cart.  Maybe a very big raccoon .... hopefully??? 

have a great holiday weekend!

xoxo

Bryan's Graduation Gala

This way to ...

Pizza Poni out of Old Saybrook fed us the best stuffed breads, Caesar salad and Pizza!
Pizza and stuffed breads made in a wood burning stove

does anyone see the possibilities here?  With this many culinary wizards in one family and a sports management grad, I envision an Italian/Irish sports bar by the sea that also goes on the road to do private parties and sporting/tailgating events :) with extensive background in security ...

Pizza Poni's, Tom and Carmen

the master at work!

Design your own ...
think this was a BBQ chicken and bacon pizza!

Peek ...

Pretty cool set up -
PIZZA!

 

watching the chef!



Linda, Carl and Tom

U of U Grad!
(Crimson and White, the colors of the day)

Party People ... Tam, Robin, Laura, Shell and Cory!

Barbara and Erika

Delfia

Amanda and Michael

Ashley, Eric and Bry

That's MY boy!

Ashley, Ethan, Carol and Kasay

Carol and Kathy

This is the new family that Rog will be living with! :)

just part of our entertainment

watching the 'show'!

Tam and Robin driving off into the sunset ...
 

BEST TIME! Thank YOU so much to everyone who attended, and missed those who could not be there! PIZZA PONI was awesome - so YUMMY! Wished it lasted for 3 more days! I forgot to serve coffee, I still have things to say ... loved Kevin & Bryan's closing day speeches! Thanks to all who made this day possible (chefs, entrepreneurs, friends, family, kitchen witches, workers, partiers, entertainers, and pet sitters too!) … it was WAY FUN! ♥
 



(card by Hallmark from Aunti Shell and Bruce)

Day 4 of Staycation - Cleaning the Shed

June's Staycation!  A lot happens in your own backyard.  Who needs to go to a zoo when you have critters like the character above right in your own backyard (well in Gary & Cheryl's backyard/our neighbors)?

There's plenty to do and see!  Rog installed a vent in the shed to improve the air circulation and try to dry out the interior of said shed.

So of course, then you have to 'clean' said shed.  Shell want those planters with the handles on the shelf?

A place for everything and everything in it's place!

LOVE my backyard! 

Even said shed built by my father years ago, especially now that it's clean!

xoxo

a WHITE Halloween?????

On August 16th I had my right hip replaced. 12 days later, on Sunday, August 28th, tropical storm Irene hit CT. Out comes the generator for 22 hours! On October 18th I had my left hip replaced. 11 days later, on Saturday, October 29th a rare nor'easter slams CT wreaking havoc that continues even as I post. Out comes the generator again for 121 hours (5 plus days)! This freak October snow storm will definitely be recorded as a historic event. The snow starts falling on Saturday, 10/29 ...

Bella hunkering down for whatever comes our way ... little do we know ...

Bella with friends ....

an hour before we lose power on Saturday I boil pasta and shrimp and power down my computer ...

October snow??? Bristol cancels Halloween!

Sunday morning 10/30 begins the 2nd day without CL&P juice

CRAZY snow!

when the snow begins to melt ...

in the still of the night 1 day after CL&P was restored to us, CL&P works to connect wires from a neighbors home pulled down by a tree in his yard.

LOVE this generator (which has been relocated to a friends home in Farmington who STILL does not have CL&P power ... 7 days after power was lost). So ALL is not well until EVERYBODY is back to normal!

p.s. if the hips have anything to do with it ... we're all set .... I'm done having parts replaced.