House & Garden

Sometimes You Have To Give It Up For Winter’s Beauty

/ Ally Bean / 14 Comments

Living in the midwest it’s easy to forget that not all winter days are gloomy.  The gray becomes ubiquitous.

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So seeing sunshine and blue skies and shimmery snow out my window yesterday made me smile all day.  I could even ignore the 14ºF temperature outside.

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While it’s true that I enjoy summer’s showy colors, a February landscape dressed in neutrals is appealing, too.  It makes me feel grounded.

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I believe that sometimes you’ve got to remember to stop and enjoy what is, especially when you live somewhere where a pretty winter day is a rarity.  Yesterday, grateful am I.

Then The Rain Gutter Fell Off The Back Of The House

/ Ally Bean / 21 Comments

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And Zen-Den* said: “It’s all good.”

And K the House Painter** said: “It’s all good.”

And I*** said: “NOOOOOOO!!!”

• • •

* He’s nuts, of course.  But he did manage to get the sales guy from the gutter company to come over to the house;  talk with the sales guy as he evaluated the damage caused by the heavy rain & high winds that ripped the gutter off of the house;  and sign a contract to have this company replace the fallen gutter.

Good job, Z-D.

**  He’s wise, of course.  First of all he’s already been to the house to cover the damaged gutter with tarps and received cash for his efforts.  Secondly, he’ll be the first person I call after the new gutter is in place because the new gutter & new wood will need to be painted the color of the house.

Once more.

***  I’m ticked, of course.  Because for the first time in years the exterior of our house is all the same color.  Plus, do you realize how much moolah this will cost us?  Hint: a 3-day roundtrip luxury resort getaway to Montego Bay, Jamaica, costs less than this will.  Hint: a new Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro with the latest operating system, Yosemite, costs less than this will.  So what am I telling you here?

Expensive.

3 Simple Examples Of Cause & Effect Explained With Photos

/ Ally Bean / 18 Comments

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CAUSE:  Neighbor’s sweet kitty cat who likes to enjoy an afternoon nap in the sun along the edge of our terrace next to the woods behind the house.

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EFFECT:  Gift of bird feather placed smack dab in the middle of our front stoop so that I can find it when I step out the front door.

~ ~ • ~ ~

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CAUSE:  Exterior house painters whose ladders spent a good part of the early summer on our deck.

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EFFECT:  Unexplained rusted door stop found over the weekend in mulch along stone path around back of house where painters painted for weeks.

~ ~ • ~ ~

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 CAUSE:  Beautiful deciduous trees, in our neighbor’s yard, whose leaves are in the process of changing colors.

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EFFECT:  Dried up leaves along the edges of our driveway ready to be collected and disposed of in the forest behind our house.

~ ~ • ~ ~

Hello August, You Cheerful Colorful Month

/ Ally Bean / 29 Comments

Our flower garden has become a magical swirl of color…

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from the salmon-colored roses that catch your eye…

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to the purple petunias that help a pig take flight…

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to the bright pink roses that keep the bees buzzing…

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to a hand-painted pot of orange zinnias that add some love.

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In other words, our garden today looks nothing like it did on a cold February day six months ago.  *brrr*  The transformation is amazing.