The Magnolias are in bloom and I am doing OK.
It is the season of being busy, and although I may complain about an aching back, my mind is in a very good place. The sun is shining, the cherry, peach, and apple trees are magnificent and spring flowers are popping up all over. The weather and my attitude has changed for the better. There is so much work to be done and I think I am up to it, but, if not, there is a young man I have hired to help me when needed. I did not want to do this as I have always prided myself on being self-sufficient (aka, Superwoman, without the cape, body and ability to fly), and giving into aging was not in my plan. However, there are jobs that I just don't want to do anymore, like cutting down and pulling out bushes, cleaning out garden beds, and putting down ten yards of mulch. They just are not fun! I will assist my helper with the mulch, but he will shovel and I will spread. It is a control issue with me and besides, I am paying by the hour and I want to hurry him along. I will still be designing my gardens, planting new flowers and tiding up after perennials because that is where I find my joy - in the dirt.
With the warm weather, I want to be outside as much of the time as possible so the Retired Man and I have decided to spend our children's inheritance on ourselves and will be having a new outdoor room built. I am so looking forward to this and am hoping for many lovely days and evenings kicking back with a cold beverage, watching somebody else work, and being thankful for the simple pleasures that life can bring in the summertime.
On another note, our family has expanded this last month. We have two new granddogs thanks to my daughter and her family. They are rescue pups and are my favorite breed, Heinz 57 (varieties). It was a litter of 11 pups and it appears that there was more than one daddy involved. Two of them look like St. Bernards with corgi legs. Others are tall, and some resemble Chow Chows. Hopefully, Momma won't do that again. Finn is the tri-colored one and Ellie is the lovely redhead. I can't stop smiling when I see them.
Puppies = more simple pleasures.
It is the season of being busy, and although I may complain about an aching back, my mind is in a very good place. The sun is shining, the cherry, peach, and apple trees are magnificent and spring flowers are popping up all over. The weather and my attitude has changed for the better. There is so much work to be done and I think I am up to it, but, if not, there is a young man I have hired to help me when needed. I did not want to do this as I have always prided myself on being self-sufficient (aka, Superwoman, without the cape, body and ability to fly), and giving into aging was not in my plan. However, there are jobs that I just don't want to do anymore, like cutting down and pulling out bushes, cleaning out garden beds, and putting down ten yards of mulch. They just are not fun! I will assist my helper with the mulch, but he will shovel and I will spread. It is a control issue with me and besides, I am paying by the hour and I want to hurry him along. I will still be designing my gardens, planting new flowers and tiding up after perennials because that is where I find my joy - in the dirt.
With the warm weather, I want to be outside as much of the time as possible so the Retired Man and I have decided to spend our children's inheritance on ourselves and will be having a new outdoor room built. I am so looking forward to this and am hoping for many lovely days and evenings kicking back with a cold beverage, watching somebody else work, and being thankful for the simple pleasures that life can bring in the summertime.
On another note, our family has expanded this last month. We have two new granddogs thanks to my daughter and her family. They are rescue pups and are my favorite breed, Heinz 57 (varieties). It was a litter of 11 pups and it appears that there was more than one daddy involved. Two of them look like St. Bernards with corgi legs. Others are tall, and some resemble Chow Chows. Hopefully, Momma won't do that again. Finn is the tri-colored one and Ellie is the lovely redhead. I can't stop smiling when I see them.
Puppies = more simple pleasures.
The little things are HUGE in my world. And I have certainly expended blood sweat and tears in my garden. I hope to continue to do so - I am happy to pay the price.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, EC. I hope that when my time comes, I will keel over in my garden, perferbably not in the fertilizer.
DeleteOh those puppies are so sweet.
ReplyDeleteI love magnolias, I love the Spring.
Like the sound of your new outdoor room.
Simple pleasures that life bring are to be enjoyed.
All the best Jan
Grandpuppies are the best, and like grandchildren, they go home at night, and cleaning up after them is not my job.
ReplyDeleteI wish I lived where everyday was spring.
im beginning to wish I lived where ANY day was spring...but oh those puppies.
DeleteYou will enjoy your outdoor room, I am sure. I can picture sunlight, hanging flowering plants, and Golden Girl type furniture. And there is also a cold drink, alcohol or not.
ReplyDeleteI am a golden girl, choosing Bette White as my hero, but I like to think of my furniture as more Crate and Barrel.
DeleteArleen, I've been getting off at every floor to find plumbing supplies. We're having troubles here with leaks and hot water failure. Cold showers! Pump cycling crazy in the pumphouse and my confidence waning. Bought stuff today, but know I'll need big help this week. Didn't know getting older would do this to me --but still, it's a privilege to get here.
ReplyDeleteYes it is, Geo, even if there are leaks and failures and everything is cycling crazy. I always keep a tube of crazy glue in my purse, because, well, you never know...
DeleteOh, those fuzzy faces! Is there anything sweeter than a baby (of any kind) . . .
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are finally getting some nice weather. It puts new life in us old folks. Until it gets too hot for some of us, but still.
I like the sound of your outdoor room.
Yep, I will probably complain about the heat and humidity in a few months but then I will think back to what seemed like the year long three months of winter we had this year, and be OK - if the AC holds up.
DeleteI love those baby puppy faces. A dog or two is a wonderful thing to have (at my daughter’s house).
The Outdoor Room sounds like a great idea and so does having help with the heavier and less exciting chores in the garden. Enjoy your spring and summer.
ReplyDeleteI will, Susan. I don’t have a Doug like you to build me one, but I have a Retired Man who knows how to make some calls.
DeleteThose Pups are delightful; you can give me the first one (red collar) any day. Don't worry about their inheritance; an added room will double the value of the house, and they'll all be trillionaires!
ReplyDeleteIt only took a week to find homes for nine of the 11 pups. I am sure the other two will be adopted quickly. It is hard to resist adorable.
DeleteIf we live long lives, my kids will be hundredaires after medical and health insurance companies take their cut.
OMG - those puppies are perfectly perfect! Kudos on spending on you and your comforts! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteI am granddog sitting today. They never stop moving or pooping, but I am enjoying them thoroughly.
DeleteAdorable.
ReplyDeleteWhy, thank you, Delores, and the dogs are cute also.
DeleteI intend to keel over in the garden and be buried there too. The rhubarb will love the extra fertilizer.
ReplyDeleteWhen my time is up, I have asked that my ashes fertilize a flowering tree.
DeleteI know exactly what you are talking about - I still want to do somethings and yet others - I am so tired of doing.
ReplyDeleteI think a new room will be awesome because you like the outdoors so much.
And will you send me those CUTE puppies!
sandie
Spring brings promise of good days ahead and I want to enjoy them to the fullest. Time is going by too quickly to spend it on work I don’t enjoy when there is a practical alternative.
DeleteI spent yesterday with the puppies. Their cuteness is off the chart.
yay!!--a new post! And Yay again....looks like spring has found it's way to you! so glad for that. The new outdoor room sounds really really nice! Oh my goodness those puppies are so adorable...I would have a hard time letting them go home, ha ha LOL. Just look at those precious eyes and velvet snouts and soft floppy ears......so so sweet!
ReplyDeleteThe sun is shining brightly today and more and more trees are turning green. Next week will be the prettiest week of the year for us. We waited longer than usual for this so it is even more appreciated.
DeleteThose puppies are such happy little creatures and it is contagious.
I love magnolias - the one I can see from where I am sitting now has quickly lost all of it's blossom in the April breeze!
ReplyDeleteThe puppy looks like the best kind of dog you could possibly want. Very lovable, and as we know - if you love a dog he will love you right back!
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s heuristic Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
The Magnolias started blooming here a week ago and they are magnificent. I wish it would bloom longer, but we probably have only another week of seeing it like this. Mother Nature is at her best now.
DeleteI had not seen the puppies in a week and when I walked in my daughter’s house the other day and they greeeted me with much excitement and love that I got an immediate high. Best medicine in the world.
Puppies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How adorable! :)) They are so cute, and yes, they are automatic mood boosters! I'm in the same boat right now...wanting to spend all of my time outside now that spring seems to be starting here in the mountains. Once the "foster" dogs are gone, we can get back to some kind of normalcy! I'm glad you're feeling great! :)
ReplyDeleteI hope life will be less hectic for you, Rain. It was so good of you to care for those dogs for so long.
DeleteHow nice to soak up some of your positive thinking. Spring here has been weirdly compressed since we had a late cold snap and some very wet drab weather, but in the last week the leaves have started to come out and summer feels as if it is almost upon us....
ReplyDeleteWe had the same here, Jenny and that is why we appreciate spring even more this year.
DeleteAwww Puppies, Spring, Gardens in Blooms, it's all so Wonderful! Your outdoor room plan sounds fantastic, I'm trying to decide whether or not to spring for a Pergola over the interior Courtyard... haven't priced them yet, it will depend upon sticker shock or not of coarse.
ReplyDeleteDawn, I love Pergolas and have wanted one for years. They decorate a yard beautifully.
DeleteIt made me smile to read you will be spending your children's inheritance on yourselves. Good plan! And you will enjoy the house and your retirement life so much more with the outdoor room. Those puppies!!!! Love.
ReplyDeleteMy kids think it is a good plan also. They want us to be happy.
DeleteYou will love your outdoor room and I love the puppies so adorable. I have a very small patio now, but sitting out there looking at the mountains and listening to the birds is sheer bliss.
ReplyDeleteYou have such lovely scenery where you live, Inger and it it must be so nice to sit outside and enjoy it all.
DeleteSpring is not always perfect, cold here in England, but the joy of spring blossoms and early flowers always bring happiness, as I am sure those beautiful puppies will.
ReplyDeleteI was driving around yesterday and although it was a rainy, dreary day, the trees were all in bloom, including the Redbuds and everything looked so beautiful. Flowers and puppies make me happy.
DeleteDear Arleen, Ellie and Finn both seem to already have personalities! Finn looks as if he's plotting a raid; while Ellie looks philosophical. I wonder what they will reveal about themselves in the days ahead!
ReplyDeleteI so understand your wanting to be in control, but also your realization that age brings change and we need to do those things that bring pleasure and delight rather than aches and pains and little enjoyment. I applaud your decisions.
Also, I so hope you share with us what the new outdoor room will look like. That interests me because I'd like to do the same. Peace.
Ellie is the alpha dog and Finn is very happy to be submissive. When I am over at my daughter's house, those two never stop playing and running after each other. It is so much fun to watch happy puppies.
DeleteMy outside room will not be very large large (10 x 12) but will protect us from the many bugs of summer.
Dear Arleen, so Ellie--whom I saw as philosophical--is the alpha! Her face hides it well! And Finn is a mellow fellow! I really read both of them inaccurately. Wonder how much else I get wrong each day!!!!! Peace.
Delete
ReplyDeleteA positive post...a happy post. There is nothing wrong in having help when and where help is needed. (Remember Lady Chatterley)!! :)
I love, love, love the puppies. Oh, how beautiful they are. :)
Thank you, Lee.
DeleteYour granddogs are beautiful and so is Spring. Good luck with your building project and when it's complete, I hope your addition is all you want it to be.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly, spring has turned into summer with these high temperature. One day you are very cold and the next you are sweating. Crazy year! Puppy kisses make it all bearable.
DeleteAwww...just look at those puppies. It has been a cold, cold spring here-with record snowfalls in April. High in the low 60s today (but raining). I'll take it! Have a great day! xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI hope your weather has improved, Diana. It has been a very strange spring. I was sweating last week and today I am wearing a turtleneck sweater.
DeleteIt sounds like the springtime (finally!) weather has lifted your spirits. Good for you for hiring someone to handle the heavy lifting. It's sooooo hard to give up control over the things we've always done in the past, but once we do, it makes life so much easier. And beside, sharing the burdens will give you more time to enjoy that new outdoor room. You'll love it!
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to give up control and if is harder to admit that I have to ask for help. It is nice, though, to become a boss again.
DeleteIt all sounds lovely and the pups are delightful. Hiring some muscle power is a good idea. My garden is becoming rather more than I can manage but it's very difficult to find the right sort of help.
ReplyDeleteYour garden room plans sound like a very good idea. We have never regretted the building of our small conservatory where we can enjoy the sunlight without the wind!
I feel lucky to have found Alex. He is hard working and wants to please. In other words, a perfect man.
DeleteI was mildly surprised that Cro received just 2 comments on his Bob Marley post of yesterday. Ours.
ReplyDeleteI think it had to do with timing and it being his second post of the day.
DeleteJust thought I'd pop over to look at some adorable puppy pics! Hope your day is going well! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteIHOP’s your’s is going well also, Ro. We have had six days of rain/storms with a few more days like this in the forecast. However, everything is green and beautiful
DeleteI just read you comment on Cro,s blog. I never reply to Rachel any more. She is the most mean spirited self absorbed insular vile person .
ReplyDeleteThe first time she said something to me was, you have to change your name I don't like it. you are and angry person to have this name blah blah I tried to be somewhat nice back to her but then I thought, this name is a family joke and I am writing a book about The Angryparsnip !
What I find so bizzare is all the bloggers that I enjoy let her get away with being a shit full mouth. Maybe the English wit is potty mouth but she is just horrific.
If you say anything against her comment she will attack you. I think she is a very unhappy person who can not bear anyone being happy.
I do not know why people like Cro, John and even Weaver like her.
cheers, parsnip
Thank you, Angry Parsnip. This has been bothering me all day. I know not to react to her replies as the conversation with her would only get worse. I just wanted to know why she was so down on the Royal couple who the world seems smitten with. My feeling is that John, Cro, and Weave know her differently and think she is a fragile person and want to protect her. If that is the case, they are better people than I.
DeleteThank you again. It was so kind of you to write me. It meant a lot as her comments really disturbed me.
I agree with Parsnip. I was friends with Rachel until her vile just got to be too much, and even then, I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt and said nothing. But then I simply agreed with another someone on another blog who said something along the lines of "please afford us the same courtesy we gave you Brits during Brexit" because she was shooting off at the mouth about American politics....and she was furious with me and let me know that she was no longer my friend. I couldn't believe she went off over something so innocuous, so I said to myself..."Good riddance" and that was the end of it. I understand other bloggers who are her friend wanting to defend her because they think she's "fragile" but I have to admit, sometimes I'm disappointed in them when they don't call her on her awful behavior to people who do NOT deserve it! She hurt my feelings more than once and I finally had to let it go.
DeleteAnyway, sorry for the long comment but I wanted to let you know that you're not alone in having been mistreated by Rachel. I honestly think she has some mental health problems, not that that's any excuse to be nasty to others!
Thank you for this comment, Jennifer. You and Angry Parsnip took what was not a good day for me and turned it around. Kindness from you two meant so much to me.
DeleteI realize that Rachael is not fond of America or Americans as her comments about the US are always negative. However, I think her anger goes deeper and for that I feel sorry for her. I will never engage her again.
Thank you, again
WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE ABOUT NEW PUPPIES??
ReplyDeletexo
jo
The puppies look adorable. I think building your outside room sounds perfect as does the idea of getting help. Much better than doing what I usually do which is try and do it myself and end up with some part of my body complaining afterwards.
ReplyDeleteI missed the comments on Cro's post and it looks as though he has removed it. (Perhaps it was for today and he posted it in error).
Those puppies are growing by leaps and bounds and are still adorable. They make us all smile and that is a very good thing.
DeleteThis post really resonates with me. Since my surgery I've had to delegate a lot of stuff. I really challenged myself to do heavy work as I felt that at some point I would be doing it alone. I wanted to be self sufficient. My surgery has made me ask for help. I don't think this will go on long as I'm super stubborn and don't think anyone can do it better than me! Still, I applaud you on getting help. We all want to carry on with the familiar and loved. Wise choice.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I love these cute pups. Have they asked you to dogsit yet? The adventures I've had as all my kids have dogs and they are all enormous!
Sorry for the delay in visiting. I'm getting around better now.
Jane x
It always takes longer to recover than we expect and we want to go back to our olds selves sooner than we should. Because of that, I have tried to do things sooner than I should with not good results. Take care of yourself and let others do for you.
DeleteI will be back on Blogger soon.
Spending the inheritance --perfect! Having a youngster to hand to work and learnlearn, even better. The generations need to learn to turn a row, glean a bush, Prime a rose. And, you're paying him to leave!
ReplyDeleteThere is little arguing with Amazon 101. It will not accept my thoughts; inserts it's own. Funny or frightening?
ReplyDeleteLove your description of us Superwomen {without the cape, body or ability to fly} that had me laughing out loud! Glad you're subcontracting your Gardening Duties, I'm going to have to give in and do that too... I thought less Garden would be doable but it's almost too much at the new place for me now, everything has flourished under my TLC so constantly needs trimming to keep the HOA at bay and pacified! *Le Sigh* The Outdoor Room sounds like a splendid idea to spend the Children's Inheritance upon, I'm thinking of a Pergola in the Inner Courtyard, hopefully sooner than later, so we can enjoy that space year round. The new Fur Grands are ADORABLE, what a hoochie their Mama must've been... ha ha ha!
ReplyDeleteHow is the outdoor room coming along? It's a while since you posted, I hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteI see your smiling face comment on so many of my blog friends posts I just had to come visit, and I chose a perfectly lovely post to visit! I will enjoy joining to follow along on your blogging journey!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful little babies, and kudos to you for doing what you like with the inheritance. (lol) Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteTrying to catch up over here. I hope your outdoor room is finished and you are enjoying it this morning. The pups are precious. Our little Willie is a rescue.... he is a border collie with a whippet body. He is all legs! I hope you are staying cool. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteAwww so cute! Thank you so much for visiting my new blog! Hope you’re having a good week!
ReplyDelete