It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day!!

Just in time to let us bolster ourselves in the garden before the next blast of rain comes in and Christmas arrives and more rain.

The Garden Christmas Week

We got so much rain last night, just a steady downpour, that the paths were flooded all day.

The plants are all doing fine and the weeds are coming up looking just real healthy.  The rain is supposed to be heavy all week.  It would be great to get to those weeds before they get so big but it doesn't look like there will be an opportunity soon.

What's up!

Many projects have been keeping me so busy, things that I have put off for years and can wait no longer.  The gardens have been left on their own for so long while I traveled and painted my heart out.  And the house had gotten to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore.  So......When we got back from our 7,000 mile trip through the US I was inspired to redo the large garden areas.  I turned the beds and added fertilizer and planted about 250 plants.  I enjoyed every bit of it and certain helped stimulate the economy!  The plants took off and were blooming before I ever expected them too, each plant is like a child to me.  I only lost 3 but am still mourning them, wondering what happened. 

 Then I tackled the house.  The biggest project was to have floors refinished.  For people that usually do projects themselves rather than call in outside help it was quite a change to have someone come in and refinish the livingroom floor, put in new hardwood floor in the dining/entry area. (A lot easier, too!  As we age this is the way to go!)  I did lay the new kitchen floor myself though.

Now we are finishing the last few things before Christmas.  The garden has been doing fine on its own.  The poppies are blooming still as well as assorted other of my baby plants.  It is going to be interesting when I try to figure out if I have any "self-seeded" plants......how to tell them from weeds, that is the question.  The weeds are starting up too and hopefully I will be able to get out and weed before they get too large!

And, maybe I will get a chance to paint before winter is over also!