Backyard Football

Backyard football.... is actually inaccurate because it took place in the front yard. Speaking of which, why is "backyard" capable of being one word while "front yard" must be two? Someone please explain this to me. Thank you.



My eldest nephew, F , is quite the little athlete so he and DM tossed the ol' pigskin around for a little bit.



And see that garden in the background? The one with the deer fence surround? I'm pretty sure DM only had to lift the little guy in there once to retrieve a stray pass. Let's count that as a win, shall we?





Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure DM had to retrieve the ball from the "woods" a few extra times...



Eventually, little H decided he wanted to play. Unfortunately for him he ended up playing Monkey in the Middle for the first several minutes.



He's running!




He's ready!



And?




Yeah, ummm, no dice.




But look at that determination!!



Finally it is his time to shine.



It is possible...



... that he might need a little help on his technique.



But he still gets an A+ for cuteness.

Blowing Rock, North Carolina

After we went to Grandfather Mountain we drove to nearby Blowing Rock. Which I love. It is so quaint and wonderful and if nothing else, look at their hanging baskets!



The little "tourist" section really is wonderful. It is a street of shops and restaurants with great small town feel and architecture.



Honestly, this is my kind of small town. It is very quaint and friendly but has maintained a different level of class than you sometimes are able to find in small Southern towns. I really love it... a lot.



Plus, the crisp mountain atmosphere is perfect for growing the most beautiful flowers.



They have a couple of b-e-a-utiful churches.



Take another look. Or don't. It's up to you.



Across the street is the Episcopalian Church. Their landscaping, which I did not adequately capture in the photos, is absolutely stunning. Very much the English country garden feel. Love, love, love it.




Again.



Again. Okay, I won't make you look at any more.



One of the reasons we went to Blowing Rock was for this restaurant. The Storie Street Grille. We've been there once before and DM developed a severe crush on their sweet potato fries topped with gorgonzola. And I mean severe. He used to talk in his sleep about how much he loved them. Okay, okay he didn't.



Or maybe he did and I didn't hear because I was asleep. You never know....




They do have excellent food. I ordered the lasagna, which was fantastic, and also enough food to feed the entire Blowing Rock population. But their food really is delicious!



Also? Did I mention their hanging baskets? Mine look pretty much the same way if you think dead brown twigs shooting in random directions out of a basket that hangs pathetically from the front porch looks the same as these (don't judge me!). If you do, you are also my new best friend. So come on by, new best friend, and gaze at my beautiful hanging basket bounty! It will be glorious!

Beautiful Day!

Today is an incredibly beautiful day!



The skies are the bluest of blue, the temperature is magnificent, and Ilove it!

The horses are munching on grass, the puppies are snoozing on the front porch, the husband is mowing the grass... all is right on this homestead.



Now, if my laundry would somehow just magically fold and put itself away...

Vegetable Garden!

Living in the country has inspired me.... Inspired me to start my own vegetable garden.

"This is going to be a disaster!"

While Winnie might be right... I'm just going to keep going and not listen to her!! First, we had to build our garden. We have very compact red clay 'round these parts and building a raised bed seemed like an easier plan :) Plus, it should be a little easier for me to keep weeded, etc. which is always a bonus.

Everything I read said that if you are new to gardening, START SMALL! So, I did the opposite. Not that my garden will be huge, mind you, but it does not fall under the parameters suggested for beginners. If I'm going to fail, I want to fail big! Anyway, I laid out the boundaries for the two beds.

Oliver laid under the trailer (hence the extraordinarily tall grass) and watched my progress. He was very helpful and encouraging. (See, Winnie? Encouraging!)

Look, we measured and everything!! Then it was time to drill...

"I can't look!"

Winnie, what did I say about encouraging??

See, girl? No need to fret. We did just fine!

Two beds... complete. Now we needed to finish staking them into the ground.

Then I filled with a mixture of dirt and compost. Much better than red clay! Also? A wheelbarrow full of dirt is heavier than you would think... Write that down.

Time to plant seeds! This is where I really ignored the advice. Throwing caution to the wind, I decided not to keep it small and only plant 3 (or fewer) varieties as suggested for newbies. Instead, I planted about 16 different veggies and herbs. Fail BIG, I tell ya!

My temporary garden markers :) Don't worry, I'm a note-taking freak so I have bed layouts drawn with notes on harvesting, etc. Maybe if I want to embarrass myself, I show that to you one day.


But you know what?


Seriously, guess...


Ok, ok... I'll tell you

It's working!!! This was my first sprout! I mean, I still have plenty of time to kill them all and fail miserably... so don't lose faith in me yet... but as of now, we might have a fall bounty on our hands!

"Okay, Lady... that's great and all... but when do I get to eat 'em?"