Nope, it's the 23rd, our monthly housecleaning date, a 2020 venture. So far, so good. With the Husband and I working together, we're done in a couple of hours. So it seemed today.
Sweep. Dust. Vacuum. Scrub. Molly made sure she was somewhere else.
This is what you see when you walk up our driveway. Sorry, I don't remember the names of anything that's not a rose, daisy, spider plant, California poppy, canna lily, jade, or uhm, I think that's it.
Geranium! How I can forget geraniums? We have pink, white, red, bi-color, vine, bush, smelly, and not smelly at all. They live in the front yard, too. They're up towards the house so you can barely see them in the photo.
I have a decent success rate of propagating geraniums for someone who goes on intuition and by hit-and-miss. The late great Mama, the best green thumb of all in my book, always said (not in these words), "Try it. If it works, it works. If not, try until it works."
It's nearly four years since Mama's Spirit moved onward into the Universe. She loved her green lawn in the front yard; the Husband and I did not. So, little by little, the lawn turned into what you see now.
Today is the first day of the Sketchbook Revival, a free online art workshop hosted by Karen Abend that runs until April 3. I don't know what to expect. This is my first online art workshop. I like that I can pick and choose from over 20 sessions taught by artists, and that I have until April 26 to access the workshop. If you're interested, check out the website here.
I took advantage of the workshop's pre-session and learned how to make a junk journal. It was not difficult, complex, or scary like I thought it would be. Hurrah!
I'm already thinking HUGE. Maybe not for my next junk journal, or the one after that, or the one after that one, and most likely a whole bunch others before I attempt a totally hand sewn journal with handmade paper. Ooo-la-la. Dream big.
I'm dreaming of All Seasons and Mosaic Monday, so off I go to link up. Please stay safe out there. You know the drill.
Hello, you and your hubby did good, finishing the cleaning in a couple of hours. Molly is a sweetie. I am sure she wanted to help. Your garden looks beautiful, so many lovely flowers and colors. Take care! Have a happy day!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eileen. I don't know what to do. I want to plant a whole lot more flowers but where? Cheers!
DeleteGood luck with your new art programme.
ReplyDeleteHappy you dropped by my blog
Much❤love
Thank you, Gillena!
DeleteLove the look of your garden in the second shot - I know I've said it before but it looks just like a typical English country cottage garden, it's beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteYou can say it as often as you like, Eunice. My fantasy once upon a time was to have a country cottage garden. I didn't know I made it happen. Love it!
DeleteI love Mollie... such a sweet cat.
ReplyDeleteHave fun with the online art Workshop.
Stay healthy.
Happy MosaicMonday
Purrrrrrrrrrrrrr, says Molly the pinky-nose (wild) Cat.
DeleteOh wow, wow, wow Sallie - your front yard looks like that of a horticulturist - the difference in four years is amazing! Wished you lived closer so I could learn some things from you - a green thumb is in my dreams only! I can already tell you won't be bored the coming months:) Wishing you a huge learning curve when you tackle this art endeavor!. Many thanks for sharing your cheerful posts with All Seasons:)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jesh! A lot of what I know I pull out of an invisible hat. I also do a lot of Google searches and confer with friends who have huge green thumbs. :-)
DeleteYour flowers are just gorgeous! You both have green thumbs....for sure! I've made junk journals and LOVE them! Making them is fun too....all that cutting and glueing. I'll check out that link too. Thanks! Take care my friend! Stay healthy....both of you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane. The workshop is fun. I don't know if I'll get to all of them, but I tell you I've learned a lot from the two sessions I watched.
Delete...I like that you don't have a front lawn to mow! I was in the nursery/landscape business for 50 years and intuition and by hit-and-miss attitude was one of my strengths. Take of our self and the bearded guy.
ReplyDeleteThe Husband likes not having to mow a lawn, too. I'm proud to say he used a push mower. We've got some kind of volunteer grass growing in the backyard, so the mower may come out of retirement.
DeleteGlad you were able to get the cleaning done. It does go much easier with two people working together. Nice transformation of your front yard.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun working together, too. Almost like we're kids playing house, hahahaha.
DeleteI like the transition photos from your lawn to a colourful mixed garden. I need to get on a cleaning schedule. My condo may be small but it does need some attention. You are lucky to have your own backyard for walking. We are going out walking around the block now that we are in a stay at home order situation. - Margy
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margy. I've been playing with the idea of designing a fitness parcourse through the house and around the yards. That would be fun.
DeleteSu-sieeemac - first of all, I loved your question about which bathroom a woman who drinks beer should use. Hilarious! It seems I am always reading your comments to my husband. Maybe one day when the pandemic is over, we can meet.
ReplyDeleteYou know I am a big fan of natural gardens, so I am entranced with the transformation of the lawn to the garden. Well Done! Somehow I think Mama is smiling on it too. Stay well, and thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
Hey Angie! That would be fun to meet one day. I opt for Montana. I loved my few days there when the late first husband and I traveled around the western states in 1990. I remember seeing a big bird swoop down and grab a fish out of a stream while we were driving over it. That was a great trip. I also got to drive between two eagles as they took flight, right as we crossed the border from Nevada and Utah.
Deleteyou make cleaning house a fun read - and I do love Molly!
ReplyDeleteCool, Carol!
DeleteNever done a junk journal...
ReplyDeleteI bet you'd enjoy it, Dora. :-)
Delete4 years!!! Heavens to Murgatriod! :) . . . I do so love your front garden. :)
ReplyDeleteI know! That's a lot of sunrises and sunsets. :-)
DeleteYour yard looks like a wonderland . . . positively enchanting. 💙
ReplyDeleteAwesome, G! :-)
DeleteHappy sketching! Cute kitty shot too. Stay well..
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sharon. You, as well. :-)
DeleteYou set a housecleaning date, and you kept it, wow. Molly's coat looks lighter, like the way your hair gets in the pool sometimes. I can see her with a little swim cap and goggles.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is gorg e ous. My mother also had a green thumb. Mine is...um, red? (Is that the opposite of green on a color wheel?) Nice time lapse square, it smacks of patience and planning.
Your online sketchbook challenge sounds like a fun, creative endeavor. My current endeavor is to not punch a hole through the wall and strangle my neighbors with a cartoon arm the next time they slam the door.
It's good to hear from you and chat a bit. I'm going out to look for a less crowded place to bike and to try to unravel the mystery of shifting my gears. Maybe you don't forget how to ride a bike, but you may forget which gears on the crankset and cassette you need to pedal up a hill. I'm giving myself a headache. Skritches to Molly and you guys too.
Hey Jeanna! It only took us 23 years. We're not the best housekeepers, although I contend that if the Husband took charge of housecleaning, we'd have a truly neat home. But, then, we may not like each other.
DeleteThere are some days when Molly's coat looks more reddish. She's definitely lighter colored than when she was younger. Could we be giving her grey hairs?
I got curious and found out that a cat's hair can be influenced by temperature. Lighter hair when warm, darker when cool. By that wisdom, Molly's hair ought to be dark. Another way to think about it is that she feels warm even though it's cold out there. Sounds like a good thing to me.
I never figured out gears. That's why I opted for a no speed beach cruiser. Aw, I miss bicycling. Have fun for me, Jeanna.