Projects

 Oh what fun!

Now that the temperatures are cooler, its so wonderful being outside.  Gentle breezes, pleasant sunshine, and the smell of autumn in the air.  It's time to get our mojo on and getting crackin' on some of the household projects.

House washing out of the way...windows cleaned.

Need I say, the weeds won!  Totally out
 of control.  Time to declare war!

The Potting Bench.  My dad made this.  After he died, we were cleaning out the basement and Mom asked me if I wanted this.  Absolutely.  I painted it firecracker red!  Why on earth?

This morning it received a makeover...white.  I might "Chip" it up a bit. It's going to be more functional and not piled high with stuff....wait to see the end result soon.





The few things left to do yet this week  are:

Maggie and Don volunteered to power wash this swing.  It is so nasty. We'll see if they come through for me.

I really want to have it cleaned then I'd love to make a seat cushion for it.  How charming would that be?

The Dinner Bell.  This is moldy and needs to be repainted....bad.  This bell was in my parents backyard.  It rang every night at dinner time and at dark when it was time for us kids to come home.  One day I stopped by my parents and it was sitting in the garage.  I asked "what's with the bell"...they replied it was in the Chronicle Freebies and they were waiting for someone to come over and look at it!  I about flipped....you can't sell that...it's a family heirloom.  I left with the bell in my car trunk and it now resides at our house.


Time to go get the paint off  my hands and arms.  Must run to Meijers to get some sweet corn.  It is so delicious!  We're going to have a little happy hour with Maggie and Don and grill out!  Perfecto!
Babs~

Something to Think About

Something To Think About. . . Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children.. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.. 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32. 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: *In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? *Do we stop to appreciate it? *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made. How many other things are we missing?

Girls Night Out

We had a nice evening in Grand Haven Thursday night.  Met Jessie, Leah and Maggie at Snug Harbor for dinner.  Snug is located on the Grand River along Harbor Drive.  The Grand River leads right out to Lake Michigan.

They have a varied menu and good drinks. Once again, it was a perfect evening to sit out on their deck.  I love this NO HUMIDITY thing.  Now we can enjoy our summer weather.

Did a lot of girl chatting.....Jessie is off to Chicago for the weekend to see JoJo.  Leah leaves Monday for Colorado to see her brother before she heads off to college.

Leah (left) and Jessie (Right)

Great relaxing evening!

Blueberries

I've been on a kick where I wanted to pick blueberries this season rather than buy them.  As kids, both Richard and I picked berries.  My parents sent us out to the fields.  I think we got like seven cents a pound for picking.  They would punch our card and at the end of the week, we received our pay.

We headed out to a blueberry field not too far from home.

The young man told us today was the last day for picking!  That was a surprise.  He said the berries are about done at their field.  The berries were scattered so we would have to look for them.  Well, the truth is he was correct.

But once we found a good row, we were on it!

It was a gorgeous morning to pick blueberries.  Sunny, breezy, not hot....P E R F E C T!

We ended up with seven pounds!  Pretty good!  Now I have to get busy and make some great things with the berries, though we will get our fill of fresh ones by the handfuls.

  What a great morning it was.  I must say it felt like fall was in the air! 
Babs~

Nature's Beauty

From our garden.

Nice Stop

We went to Grand Rapids for an appointment yesterday.  Afterwards, it was so pretty outside, we decided to stop at one of our favorite restaurants, Blue Water Grill.

We sat at the outside bar and enjoyed the scenery, the fresh air, and a cosmo or two.

Ahhh.....a perfect summer afternoon.

Penny Does It Again!

 My blogging friend, Penny, from Illinois is such a dear person.  The other day, a package arrived in the mail for me!  Surprise!

 Penny made this lovely crochet-edged pillowcase for me.  I find all these ideas for her online and send them to her and she creates them.....and sends me her first!  How wonderful is that?

And this lovely handkerchief of my State, she found recently while thrifting.  It is so pretty...I think it will nice framed!










It's my intention to make a trip to Chicago soon.   I'd love for Penny to teach me how to crochet.  She does such a beautiful job.  I have tried so many times and have not yet been successful.  I'm thinking she could do the trick, sitting right by my side.  Oh, I could also get a visit in with Joslyn while I'm there.!
Thanks again, Penny!