STEP BY STEP for "Tea In The Garden"

After lifting something way to heavy last week, my back
told me the party was over. So after much ice, medicine and
not doing much of anything, I am back.
  Things aren't perfect but improved
so I am sharing a little "Tea In The Garden" posting.
I had already
 decorated outside the front
 door for fall.  It is still
hot though with high humidity.

Almost 3 months ago we hired a brick mason
to come redo our front entrance steps and 
sidewalk.  It's one of those projects that 
took much longer than it should so we are
so glad the steps and sidewalk are done.

Here is the house and you can see some mulch on the
 driveway that I wasn't about to move.  We
are still going from project to project.

While I show you a few things - please have some lovely tea.

I picked a few roses and flowers from the garden.

 The idea for new steps was really for safety.
  The inspection report for our home suggested
 that we needed  additional steps added

to the one single step so that it wouldn't be
 so steep coming up to the door.

I am sharing my English Tapestry teapot:

After painting our front door green, we
noticed it still needs more paint so I
am sure it will be coming off again.

We look forward to cooler temps this fall.
I love this little flag I found in a flower shop
in Washington, Missouri:

I will be sharing this post at:

Home Sweet Home

I hope you can join my tea time blog party below:

An InLinkz Link-up

A LIVING ROOM - FINALLY!

Back in May we ordered living room furniture.  We

have never had new living room furniture before. 

 No, we always bought antiques or had

 repurposed pieces, used furniture or something

that was given to us.

  Another words, this was a big deal.
Don't think we don't have antiques too
because we have lots of those around.

Both sofa's are moss green but my camera made
the bigger
 one looks more limey than it really is:

My husband has a plum colored lazy boy:

Since we have a teenage grandson and a close to

teenage granddaughter - we wanted something

comfortable the whole family could enjoy.

So yesterday I sewed some vintage floral fabric

pillows for summer and I will look forward 
to changing things through out other seasons. 
Of course - these can be tossed on the floor
when the "grans" come over.  I also made
a summery skirted cover for the footstool out of
this and that.

The rug to the left just got "repaired" (I did a "fake job") 
 as my son's dog pulled a thread on it pulling many, many
 years back and it has been in the mending pile for a long time.
  

And this is my view from where I sit and what
I love the most:

So there you have it.  I still hope to find a curtain rod
place a lace panel on each side of the window unit.

  The goal is also to get that DVD player into
 the walnut buffet too -
 more stuff to do! 
 Disclosure:  All photos have avoided the TV.

I am sharing at:
Simple & Sweet Fridays

MY ROOM WITH A VIEW

I decided that today was the day to get down into the sewing room

and work on some projects.  It is very hot out.  My hubby is staining the deck and other projects.  I'm making some pillows for the living room.  After 3 months of waiting, our living room furniture arrived last Thursday and needs

some "fluffing up".

If you had told me a year ago that I would have

a sewing room with a pond outside the

window I would have not believed you!

I took these pictures through the screen

window.

My old White sewing machine still presses on....

not very fancy but

it works for me.

I thought I'd get a shot of this little guy:

I didn't realize he had a girlfriend too:

This photo reminds me of that scene in

"Miss Potter" :

I was in an exchange once and received

this piece.  Whoever made it was clever!

But alas, it is time to get back to work!

I am sharing at:

No Place Like Home

STARTING A NEW FLOWER GARDEN IN MISSOURI

I wasn't going to show any photos of my back garden yet because

with temps in the high 90's for weeks things are a bit bloomed out.

BYA:   Several people have asked so I will share these photos.

This starts over to the left looking down from our deck:

And then a little further over:

And then to the right:

AND THIS WAS BEFORE I STARTED - yes - one bush

in the yard and the woods and ground bushes, etc covering the back area which now is open to the creek.  My husband definitely

has less lawn to mow!

Just giving you an idea of how things are now!  I am
thinking that next year these areas will fill in more.  I
just grew some Forget-Me-Nots from seeds and planted
them around Mr. Peter Rabbit.  "Grow little plants - grow"!

A ROBIN'S NEST IN THE JAPANESE RED MAPLE

There is a sweet little robin couple with a nest of babies
just outside our front door in that Japanese Red Maple:

For Mother's Day, my son gave me some

huge rocks for the garden so I am sharing rocks today.  Well, actually just this one as I am trying not to show you the huge mess piled up at the right from where we trimmed the Pussy willow.  It is a rainy day so we aren't cleaning it up just yet.

The nest is right there hidden pretty well:

I have spent many hours working in the yard.  Most of my motivation has been due to my prior knowledge about the very hot summer that is coming. The fact is that I will not be acclimated to the heat yet. I was here once in the summer and it was in the high 90's with about 100% humidity and I remember thinking "how do people do this"?

 Mr and Mrs Robin weren't very happy about my presence:

I saw 3 little heads pop up:

One of the things I wanted in a retirement house was a big front porch - 
I guess I will wait till heaven for that one. 
This is our entrance area.

Sharing at "Share Your Cup Thursday"

A Very Early "TEA IN THE GARDEN"

One of the sayings I recall from my life
 journey is that "change is inevitable".  On March 17th we made our final drive to our new home in Columbia, Missouri.  

Another change is that we now have a koi pond.  When we were here to close on our house January 29th, I could just barely see the fish on a cold day, way down in the bottom of the pond.  We stayed here 5 days and returned to a blizzard at our Colorado home. When we came back again on March 17th with our 2nd and last truck load, I thought the fish were gone.  I told my husband "I think someone took our fish".  After a week or two and  on a warm day - they reappeared.  I finally understood.  They go down in the deepest part of the pond when it is cold. 

 I also noticed that in some pictures I had seen on line (from the former owner) that there were lily pads. Who took those? Well, now that it is in the 60's to 70's everyday, guess what has reappeared?  At first I thought it was a purple leaf in the pond and I tried to net it but it was attached!  Hello - anyone home?

 Of course, I did not leave some things behind in my Colorado garden.   My Beatrix Potter style cast stone garden statuary were not getting left behind in Colorado.   I do think Jeremy Fisher loves his new spot near this pond.  What do you think? And his friends are close nearby.  We just dug out a huge bush that was blocking the view of the pond and I am much happier about that.  Also, I planted lily of the valley, daffodils, violas and violets as there were no flowers near the pond.

 In the summer it will be very hot and humid in Missouri.  I say that in case some of you thought we were going into this blindfolded. This is why I have been busy in the yard working and racing ahead of the hot summer weather.  I know some of you told me slow down.  The former owners had a few areas of flowers but not too much.  I did find one area that was rather hidden in the lower front yard and I have been stealing the flowers from there and moving them to the pond  location (peonies, Columbines, etc.)  I also brought a box full of things with me and they are all very happy here.

See this little bird inspecting the birdhouse today?  I have never heard a bird sing like this one!  Beautiful sounds are coming!  He or she spent the entire day going in and out with little pieces of this and that.  They sang to each other all day and it was beautiful!  Several have told me now that this is a House Wren.

The planting in my old birdbath now:

 This is my first "Tea In The Garden" for 2016 AND MY 94TH "Tea In The Garden" post since 2011!   

I did want you to see this view from my "Where I Create Room" as I showed you this room last week but not the view outside from the room:

Can you imagine sewing here?  I think I'm in heaven!