Home Sweet Home - Fixing Up

  It's nearly 100 degrees and humid to boot! Jeff Beaty is out in it - scraping down the porch and painting more of the railings. The long porch was added on after Bill passed away about 14 years ago. Jeff also goes around and patches things up - peeling hall and kitchen ceilings, nailing together and old wooden bench out by the front door left by the former owner nearly 40 years ago, and restoring the huge picnc table - which seats 10 people when I have a picnic here.

  I was able to "forward" a lot of paint supplies on to Jeff, too. I won't be doing any more major projects "on my own" that require all those brushes, trays, rollers and paint. The amount of stuff that I have acquired "over the years" fills garage cupboards - top to bottom. Gradually, I am getting through it - giving it away - sharing and using, too.

  The Kharma, LLC yard guys were here last week to clear out the "jungle" - overgrown plants and bushes all around the back yard. The guys will be back to lay down pine straw mulch out front. Another job is to get up on the roof and get rid of the magnolia leaves that fill roof valley underneath the magnolia tree. Whoever planted that tree had no idea how huge it would be in 50 years! Speaking of trees, the gigantic oaks and locust trees are due for "opening" by Madison Tree Company. There is a lot of tree work to be done - crabapple trees need pruning, a huge ash tree needs to be removed and in back of the cottage there are plenty of dead limbs on the evergreens that "should go". The trees around here have been fed, pruned, nurtured and saved - a major investment - worth doing!

  I planted the moonflower plant that Gary brought into my art studio last week. I'm hoping it survives. I bought some fresh Miracle-Gro moisture-control soil and put it in a pot just for that plant. The moonflower has special meaning - it's a "family" flower that reaches back to my childhood memories and my early love for growing things.

  Out on the lower patio I'm trying my luck at growing some lavender plants again. Last year the big pot of lavender was frozen out. The summer herbs have grown and bolted. I don't use many of them - I just enjoy growing them "just in case". I may make the Walnut Pesto recipe given to me by the We're All Nuts guy at Madeira Farmer's Market - I have the walnuts, now to make the pesto!