Give Me a Sign

Our " iron works" friend makes all kinds of signs and fun things for your yard.  We had bought the " Life is Good" sign from him, a couple of years ago.  This year at the Hot Air Balloon Festival Craft Show, we bought the " Ya'll Come Back" one.  They are all rusted when you buy them and it makes it hard to see them  against  the trees and pine needles.  They just blend in.  So, the last time  I had my gallon of blue paint out, they got painted.  Sure made a big difference.

Hens and Biddies

My Miss Hen pot has been sitting on the back steps for a couple of years now.  I have had several different plants it in but nothing that really worked.  Then we were at Walmart one day and they had this huge! pot of " Hens and Chicks" ( everyone up here calls them "hens and biddies") and it hit me like a ton of bricks.  That's what I needed to plant in my hen!!  Why did it take me two years to think of it?  I've had several comments from people on how perfect they are for that pot.  Now Miss Hen pot is happy and so am I.

For the Birds

As I was looking in the box of " treasures" that I have found with all my junking trips, I came across this bird feeder that I bought some where along the way.  It was painted icky green.  I had Chuck spray paint it white and then I sat down to embellish it.  I should have taken a before and after picture...what a difference.  It took the birds a couple of days to find it but they are now flocking to it and it's fun to be able to see them up close from inside of the window.

Plant Stand

I'm always seeing things at our favorite junking place that I want and usually end up buying them.  This last time, I saw a plant stand that I wanted for the back steps but Chuck said he had all the wood to build me one and all I would have to do is paint it.  The one at the store had a plain double hook on the front of it to hang signs or wreaths on.  Well, when we were in Hobby Lobby the other day, we found a really neat double hook with an owl on it.  Perfect since we see and hear the two owls all the time, that live here at Brambly Pines.  Now I have the fun of hanging different things on the hook and putting pretty flowers on the top.

The Bed-Bench

Our friend Mike who owns our favorite junking place has been making benches out of beds and sells them with big tables that he has painted to match.  Well, one of his benches was just what we needed for our new porch table.  He sold us a "Jenny Lynn" full size head board and told Chuck how to make the bench.  Chuck had made our bench before my surgery but I didn't get it painted until after.  He put it up on little wooden stools so it would be high enough for me to paint, standing up.  I had gotten the table painted before going into the hospital.  Our " Downton Abby" table is finished and ready to have company come eat at it.

In the Mail

Look what came in the mail a week or so ago.  Literally, it came in the mail....just like that...not in a box.  We had gone to town for some groceries and when we came home this pretty purple ball was on the floor of the back porch by the door.  Chuck picked it up and handed it to me ( since I can't bend over yet).  As I read all the nice messages that my book club girls wrote on it, I thought that either Lydia or Debbie had brought it by.  The more I looked at it, I realized that Leland ( our mailman) had brought.  There were two Post Office stickers on it.  I thought it was a great " get well" idea...you know...writing on a ball about " bouncing back" but knowing that it actually was mailed made it even funnier.  I wish we had been here when Leland had brought it up to the house.  He thinks we are the crazy people from Florida as it is...ha.  I'm sure we will hear about delivering the ball the next time we see him.  I have the most fun friends ever up here.  It sure has helped with dealing with this surgery.  I have 9 more weeks to go and I'm so lucky to have so many people who care.