Rounding Third, Heading for Home

This week has FINALLY arrived! One could say we have been waiting for it for five long months, since we closed on our NC house on March 31st and moved in with Missy M. One could also say that we have been waiting for two years, since we decided that we would downsize and relocate after we retired. One would probably be correct on both counts. Either way, in baseball terms, we are rounding third base and heading for home!

So, how did this week begin? Well, we are celebrating the first full week of our newest family member, Logan. We adopted him from the Walton County Animal Control, where he had been owner-surrendered because he was "to(o) hyper." We were told that he was "around 5 months old and weighed about 30 pounds," and the guess was made about his parentage: possibly Dalmatian? 

Wrong times three as it turns out. I took him for his first vet visit this morning, and when we got him on the scales, he weighed 25 pounds (and trust me, he hasn't missed a meal this week!). She checked his teeth and found he still has his lower puppy teeth (although his permanent canines are in on the uppers), so she's guessing he is no more than 4 1/2 months old (I had guessed he was younger than they said, since those little needle-teeth had been doing a number on our hands and arms!). And she thinks he is probably a border collie and lab...or possibly a pointer...mix.

Absolutely no matter...none whatsoever. Logan has completely stolen our hearts in the short time he has been under our roof. So much so that I have totally changed my thinking about one key point: I was at first appalled that anyone would surrender a puppy for being "hyper;" now, I am so very thankful that someone did surrender him so that he could have a chance at a good life. And "a good life" is exactly what we intend to provide! 

Here are a few more photos:

Also, as we begin our "Heading for Home" week, I had a good report from my foot doctor. He was pleased with my progress, but he wants me to continue to "ice & elevate" and wear the walking boot for at least another week. Fingers crossed that all will be well by September 6, which is when M is taking me to see Mickey at WDW for my birthday. But that's for a later post...

Back to reality...

I'd love to report that all was peachy-keen in the Peach State, but that's asking for too much. On the projects front, the electricians were busy with the fan and light installs last Friday (see pictures below). Single to right...man on first.

The Merry Maids guy didn't show up for his appointment to give us a quote (foul ball!), but the Molly Maids came through for the Move-In Cleaning today (double to center...advancing runner to third!).

But those electricians didn't quite finish the job and had planned to return yesterday. Didn't happen. Can't happen until after Labor Day weekend. Swing! Miss. Ah well...

Then Mr. T got a call from the moving company's Ops guy about our scheduled move-in on Thursday (8/31). Uh, no...that should be 8/30, says T. Hmmm. Seems that when they say a move is a two-day affair, they are counting their packing and transporting day as Day 1; the actual move-in happens on Day 2. Swing! Another miss. Ah well...again. 

Two strikes on this batter. I guess instead of rounding third and heading for home, it's more like we are standing on third and trying to steal home. So close...only 90 feet away! We can see it...we can feel it...we can taste it. 

H-O-M-E. 

And I have no doubts we will be there by the time I post my next update 'cause this batter is swinging for the fences!

Making Progress

As I write this progress report post, I am sitting on our new sofa which is sitting on our new floor in our new (to us!) GA home. Granted, we haven't crossed the Finish Line of this move just yet, but we are indeed coming out of the Backstretch and are headed into the Far Turn of this interminable, slow-mo relo race. And because things are indeed progressing, we brought Winston and Ella Rae along to help them get accustomed to the new digs.

Winston: "Can we go to the new house? Hunh, hunh, hunh?"

Are you ready for this? The German Shepherd who lives behind us...see his legs on the other side of this hole in our fence?...is also a rescue named Winston! How unlikely is that?! Let's hope the two Winstons eventually come to a mutual understanding over the ownership of the fence. Ahem.

It hasn't all been projects that have progressed. Mr. T took delivery of our new sofa and ottoman this past week. This sofa is replacing one we have had since our previous move to Georgia...in 1997. We figured after 20 years and 4 moves, it was time to retire Old Faithful.

New Sofa and Ottoman (probably the last time anyone will see it without a cover...;-)

New Sofa and Ottoman (complete with covers and happy dogs)

So, about that progress report I mentioned...

1) The tile project - Mark this one complete, as of 5:00 Friday! Hooray! And both of us think it was totally worth all the trouble. Here are some "after" photos for you.

     1) a) Install two new toilets - Done...no thanks to the plumber, I might add. As both bathrooms were getting new tile flooring, and as both 15-year-old toilets would have to be removed in the process, we figured we'd get brand new toilets (tall and elongated, to replace the seemingly child-sized ones) while we were at it. Bought American Standards, complete sets and had them delivered. But, when the plumber arrived, he kept saying they were "European" and would require much more work...and $600 to install. And then he left (without installing the garbage disposal either because there wasn't an electric outlet box to contain the wiring under the sink), saying he would have their office call us to reschedule. Good grief. Here is a picture of the new box that Mr. T installed under the sink (another one done!), and a screen capture of the text exchange between T and me, beginning with a report of my conversation with the scheduler at the plumbing company...and his pithy response:

New outlet...ready for the new garbage disposal (which this house has never had!)

Texts about the toilet install (done!)

I laughed for several minutes after I got that text from T. 

2) New light fixtures, fans, and extra outlets - In progress. Mr. T is tackling some of these installs (most notably, that outlet under the sink and the new vanity lights in both bathrooms - pictured)...

...and has contracted with an electrical company to do the more challenging ones (most notably, two fans in the16' vaulted ceilings). That's what is on tap for this next week.

3) Outdoor Clean-up - Mr. T has spent a good bit of the last week wielding pruners, loppers, and hedge trimmers in the Great Outdoor Clean-up project. It was abundantly clear that the previous owners (a) loved plants and (b) stopped maintaining their landscape a while ago. Everything just looked shaggy. So T has been intent on taming the property...and it shows! 

4) More touchup painting - Yeah, I thought we were done with painting, too. But the tile guys only "install" the quarter rounds after tiling; they don't do anything to pimp it. So next week, it looks like I'll be rolling on trim paint to the baseboards and qtr-rnd and using the caulking gun to put a period to our painting projects. Oh, and there are a few nicks and dinks on the walls from the tile installation, so patching and painting here and there will also be on the agenda.

And how does that work with a walking boot, you might ask? Well, I'm thinking I can use a low stool in order to avoid involving my foot. We shall see....

5) Finish Line - Our move-in date is officially scheduled for 8/30. Conceding that my foot isn't ready for all the standing that the cleaning required to spiff up the house before the Four Men and Two Trucks arrive would necessitate, we've got Stanley Steemer coming to do the carpeted areas (three bedrooms and closets), and then the Molly Maids are coming to do a move-in clean before The Big Day. 

Yes, the Finish Line. We will be crossing it in 11 days from today. Tick, tick, tick! Now, how exciting is that?

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If there are glaring design errors with this or any of my posts, please know that I do the best I can when I set up my posts and pictures in Blogger. But because Blogger (a Google application) and my iPad (an Apple product) do NOT play well together, it is a jaw-clenching effort to even get a post loaded. And, though I cannot lug my laptop around, it isn't much better or easier to wait until I can get in front of my PC. Oh, and there is no plan to fix the issues on Google's part. Sigh.

Nailing Jello to a Wall

Well, well...it's Wednesday! So, what's on tap for today? Let's see: Mr. T is at Casa 303, finishing up a cup of coffee on the covered porch. Here's his view looking out our back door (yes, it was another rainy night in Georgia):

Me? I'm RICE (rest, ice, compress, elevate)-ing my right foot at Casa 2244. Sigh. Only 3 weeks to go (you do realize that when the doctor said 4-6 weeks that I only heard the "4," right?). Wish I could report a miraculous recovery had happened, but no such luck. Still hurts. Dealing with it.

So, a division of labor has occurred based on current abilities: Mr. T (who can drive, lift, and carry) has inherited all the hard jobs. And me (who can sit, type, and talk)? I have inherited the Command Center. For instance...need new light bars for the bathrooms or some such? I place the order online and then track them down when they haven't arrived as promised (sigh); Mr T picks them up or makes sure he's at the house when the item is scheduled to be delivered (we are actually admitting the need to hire an electrician to install them, believe it or not). 

Another example? AC still not working properly after 3 house calls and a new compressor? My job was to contact the home warranty company...several times...wait on hold...143 minutes the last time...to be told basically "we're sorry." Not satisfied with that answer, I figured out what my options were: (1) contact my realtor (who is the REAL customer, since she chose this warranty for our seller to purchase and she has contacts with their Marketing folks) and (2) take my case to social media. Even though Option 2 gave me personal satisfaction, the first option seems to have gotten the best result since the AC vendor decided to send someone else out for a look-see.  That meant Thomas was up to bat, meeting the AC guy and hanging around while they installed and tested a new evaporator...which seems to have finally done the trick.

So far, so good. We divide and conquer...and we have this little routine going. Here is our current life in a snapshot:

As we moved ever closer to our move-in date of August 30 (yes! We have an actual date!!), all of the projects that we have on our To Do Lists (yes! There are more than one!!) are getting checked off or are rushing toward due dates. The major-major project has always been the flooring (replacing a bit over 1000 square feet of vinyl and laminate floors with wood-look porcelain tile), and it is front-and-center now. 

Last Saturday, Mr. T was at 303 to receive delivery of all the items needed for the Tile Project to proceed. Here's a picture of the pallets in the garage:

With that, it was time to get on the schedule of the installers (8/16), and to schedule with the plumbers to uninstall the toilets for the day before (8/15). Check! Up next: schedule Stanley Steemer to clean the tile (construction residue) and the carpets for after the installation (8/25), and Merry/Molly Maids to do a pre-move-in cleaning (8/28). Check and double-check! Then we should be ready for the movers who arrive with our stuff 8/30. Triple-check!

Perfectly planned, right? Perfectly timed, right? All nailed down, right? Wrong!

Just like what happens if you try to nail Jello to a wall (got that visual in mind?), our perfect plan has oozed out of our grasp. The installation company called after 4:00 yesterday, wanting to move our install start date up...to TODAY. Yikes! Which meant some fancy footwork had to be done about the plumber before 4:30...thank heavens they were still answering their phone!

And, once again, Mr. T had to battle the Sugarloaf Parkway morning traffic (remember ? Retired! We don't do traffic jams anymore if we can avoid them!) to get to Casa 303 and meet the installers Mo and Moose (I am not making those names up).  Here are some photos from the scene:

>Taking up the vinyl in the breakfast area (note: they have moved the stove)

>Painting the quarter rounds (which T is doing in the garage)

And me? I have to begin the process of rescheduling all those other appointments. 

Yep. Like nailing Jello to a wall.

And So It Begins

“Work is the best antidote to sorrow, my dear Watson." -- Arthur Conan Doyle, The Return of Sherlock Holmes

How true. Although we have felt broken and wounded by Abbie's sudden passing, we now (as of last Friday at 4:00) have a house to get into shape...and that requires work. A lot of work, it would seem. And all before we actually move in and begin the job of getting settled.

We want to get as much of the updating done before we move our furniture in, just because it will be easier in the long run not to have to move things around. Keeping that in mind, and keeping in mind that every day our stuff stays in storage, it costs money...money that could better be used on updating projects...we forge ahead.

And what exactly are we talking about here? The list, which is subject to change on a daily basis, is as follows:

1. Install new appliances - Our "new" house came with the original 15-year-old appliances...well, except there was no refrigerator. We knew the microwave had to be replaced, because the vent cover was falling apart. And we soon discovered that the stove had a major issue: it stayed on, even when the knob said OFF! We had to unplug that right away...discovering that there was a gas connection hiding behind that ugly electric monster. Ahhh! So we ordered a complete suite of appliances in GE's smudge-proof "Slate" finish, complete with a gas stove that has a griddle. Now we're cooking with gas, right? Not so fast...

     1. A. In order to install the new refrigerator and the new microwave, the (too-low) cabinets needed to be raised. 

That's what Thomas is doing in that picture. Although that created a whole host of issues, including having to turn the microwave-topping cabinet upside down in order to clear the electric outlet, I am happy to report that this is now complete! Here are the "after" pictures.

     1. B. In order to complete the installation of the dishwasher, we found we needed a 12' line instead of the 8' line that came with the installation kit. And, wouldn't you know, the guys that delivered and installed the appliances did not carry one on their truck (don't get me started on how much I detest the "just in time" inventory concept that spawned the absence of parts that "might" be needed). Sigh. I have a beautiful, brand new dishwasher sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor...until Thursday, when the install guys are scheduled to return to finish the connection. Fingers crossed. 

2. Paint - While we have inherited a rich, neutral "taupe" paint throughout most of the house (done by the seller because some decorator said that would increase interest among buyers, no doubt) which will be the perfect background for almost any color pictures and furniture, I find it a somewhat boring...and a vaguely depressing color, especially in the smaller rooms. Soooo, paint I must! Now, recall that I have said I am probably the worst painter on the planet: I'm too short to reach very high, I have vertigo issues when climbing on a ladder or looking up, I'm a shaky-Jake when holding a paint brush who cannot paint a straight edge to save my soul (so I must blue-tape everywhere!), and I typically end up with more paint on me than on the walls (hence, all my "old clothes" live on as "painting duds"). Still, with the heart of a DIYer, I refuse to hire this project out if I can possibly complete it...with Mr. T's height, of course. I am so happy to report that I have finished the laundry room and the pantry (both now a fresh and lovely green called Desert Hot Springs)...and I can't stop smiling! 

     2. A. and B.  Now, that leaves the hall bathroom (which T has already blue-taped) which will be painted Sailor Bay blue, and the guest room/my craft studio which will be painted an energetic and inspiring purple (what else?) called Uptown Girl. 

3. Repair of the AC system - When we had the house inspected, it was noted that there was no recent record of the service of either of the central units (heating or AC). We knew this might be an issue, but our realtor cleverly included a clause in our contract that the Seller purchase a home warranty, so we accepted the risk. You know what's coming next, don't you? Right. The AC fan is working fine, but the cooling part was DOA. And this is Georgia. In July. And the hottest week we had have since last August, according to the weather wonks. And it is now one week later, when (after multiple telephone calls, hours on hold, and two house calls) "they" have decided we are right...it isn't cooling. They will be replacing the compressor, under the warranty I'm happy to report. Now, if they would just call to schedule that install, I'd be much happier.

4. New fans and fixtures - We currently have a wall of boxes blocking Missy M's front hall, consisting of new fans and fixtures for our house. As we have several volume ceiling heights, and remembering that our ladders are all packed in storage in NC, and that T maintains a "healthy respect" for all things electrical, we will be seeking a local electrician for all of these installs. Oh, and while he's at it, could he install several new outlets here, here, here, over here, and over there?  Stay tuned...

5. Servicing the fireplace - All that talk of AC and fans makes a discussion about the fireplace seem, well, out of season. And it is of course, but we thought that getting the fireplace tended to in the off-season might make it easier to schedule. And it was! We got the recommendation for this great guy who came and serviced, cleaned, and taught us everything we needed to know about our gas logs. Wow! Check that one off the list!

6. New flooring - after much thought, discussion, research, deliberation, more research, measuring, mind-changing, yet more discussion and more research (well, you know how we are, right?), we have FINALLY got this project underway. Of course, we never seem to choose the easiest route...no surprise here. We have decided to replace the wood-look floating laminate (in the great room and dining room) and the vinyl (in the kitchen breakfast area, laundry, and bathrooms) flooring surfaces with wood-look porcelain tile throughout...everywhere except the bedrooms. That's a lot of tile...3 pallets, to be precise...of the same dye lot (shade) and sizing (caliber), so of course it has to be special-ordered. Add a couple of weeks for that. And we cannot schedule the installers until we actually have something to install, right? Sigh. Stay tuned for updates.

7. Master Bath Mini-remodel - We were inspired on our recent AZ trip by Cousin AMcG's master bath redo in her new house. So much so that we have decided to do something similar...as soon as we can find the right contractor for this one. We want to remove the giant "soaking" tub (which neither of us like or will use) and replace it with a roomy walk-in shower; and then remove the dinky walk-in shower and replace it with a vanity (the Master Bath currently has a single vanity). This is going to be a challenging project, but it can actually wait until we move our stuff in, as we have the hall bathroom. Again, stay tuned...

Yes, we have had some setbacks, and because we are still a bit sad we are more sensitive to those setbacks. But doing these updates and spending time together working on our house is making it feel like OUR home.

And so it begins...

Ye Merrie Month of May

Goodness, time is flying! Hyper speed. And since I haven't figured out how to work in the garden and blog-post at the same time, I've had to defer one for the other. Garden wins this time of the year, hands down. And since I am one "hand-down," so to speak (back to the orthopedic doctor in mid-month following a flare-up of the DeQuervain's tendinitis...another cortisone shot...back in the splint...take it easy...yadda yadda yadda), I sometimes have to choose. Gardening or blogging.

[Yes, we have a separate blog for posts about the garden, which you can find here (http:gardenwithgiants.blogspot.com). I'm no more diligent about posting there at this time of the year, either. Sigh.]

This is the week to remember. As of tomorrow, we will have lived here for six years. Count 'em, s-i-x! Not yet a record, but give us six more months and it will pass our previous "length of stay" in our Cordova house (6 years, 5 months).

Of course, it may be a race at this point, since a move in conjunction with retirement is on our horizon. Still no date for either, but we discuss our options often. No matter...what is for certain, we need to do a little prep work between now and then...whenever "then" might be. In making our lists and checking them twice, we have three BIG to-do's that have been looming large:

1) Decluttering, in general; getting rid of a ton or so of paper (records, receipts, etc.) that we have just boxed up and moved instead of destroying 

2) The Garage

3) The Deck

While gardening and yard word leave little time for other to-do's this time of the year, I am pleased to report that I successfully combined something from the above list with a necessary garden chore. It was time to weed, feed, and mulch the corn. And, once again, we found a use for several pounds of documents that we can't just toss in the trash (sensitive and/or personal information that identity thieves would love). Maybe you will remember that last year, we mulched the corn with a mountain of my parents' old documents (some dating back to the '70's!) that we first thoroughly soaked in the galvanized tub before using to suppress weeds in the paths...worked great! This year, I shredded a large part of the contents of the box dedicated to 2005...which will keep weeds at bay and make a nice dent in Item 1. Check out the corn in the Block Garden...where it looks like it has snowed!

Item 2 is still on hold until the cooler Fall months, but we can now check off Item 3...the Deck. I'm happy to report that our old, sad, badly worn but structurally sound deck is now a thing of beauty. We applied a couple of Rustoleum products called Restore 10X and Restore Solid Stain in a lovely, bright clean taupe called Driftwood. Just check the pictures:

From worn (above) to WOW! (below):

Whew! That was a huge project! Time for some rest and relaxation. We certainly are looking forward to turning in our paint brushes for some fun on Friday, when we celebrate our 39th anniversary. And celebrate it, we shall! We are taking the train to Raleigh for a fun day, then returning to enjoy the Grasshoppers game. More on that in my next post.

We've already "exchanged" our gifts: two new roses. I know, I know...seems an odd choice for folks who may soon be leaving their Rose Garden behind, but we couldn't resist. You see, the gift suggestion for 39th anniversaries is lace. LACE. Really? That just wouldn't do, so we just skipped ahead to the suggestion for next year: ruby. Much better! And we chose two ruby-red roses: a Don Juan and a Mister Lincoln. 

To pick out new inhabitants of our Rose Garden, we took a little adventure to Roses Unlimited in Laurens, SC, to check out their Open House. Once a year, visitors are allowed to go through the greenhouses where the newly-propagated roses are...a little like looking behind the Wizard's curtain in Oz. And then we checked out an eatery in Spartanburg. All-in-all, a fun Saturday.

So, May has been a merry month. A merry month, indeed. Wonder what June has in store for us? Hmmmm....

That's A Wrap for 2014

Perfect song to have running through my brain while creating my last post of 2014...it's an oldie but a goodie:

One minute to midnight
One minute to go
One minute to say good-bye
Before we say hello

Let's start the new year right 
Twelve o'clock tonight
When they dim the light
Let's begin
     Kissing the old year out
     Kissing the new year in

Let's watch the old year die
With a fond good-bye
And our hopes as high
As a kite

How can our love go wrong if
We start the new year right?

— Irving Berlin
"Let's Start The New Year Right"

From the movie "Holiday Inn" (1942)

Want to listen? See if this link works for you:  http://youtu.be/GEv5rndSeSA

I never thought I'd say these words, but I'm about footballed-out. We are watching the Orange Bowl with Mississippi State and Georgia Tech. I'm a Rambling Wreck wearing a Yellow Jacket tonight, while Mr. T is pulling for the Bulldogs (although he may be waffling as the score climbs in GTs favor). Truthfully, I was more interested in switching seasons this afternoon and watching my Memphis Tigers beat Houston in basketball. And since they won their bowl game earlier this month (as well as the brawl that broke out after the final whistle...ahem), I'm just an interested bystander for the rest of the games. Still...it will be a l-o-n-g time before I get to see a college football game after the Championship game next week. Pro? Yeah, they will keep going until I'm more than ready for the Super Bowl to be in the history books.

I feel I should be using my time wisely, I suppose, knitting through it all while one game melts into another. But I've developed some kind of tendinitis in my left wrist, and that limits how long I can comfortably click the sticks. I did get an article on Garden Journaling written and submitted this afternoon, so I don't feel too slothful: check it out here: http://guilford.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/01/garden-journaling-keeping-the-record-straight/ . It's just that I really miss uninterrupted fibre marathons.

I did get to move some projects from UFO status to the Finished Objects category and wrapped for Christmas. Here's the wrap on that...

Did you see my crochet project for this year? Snowflakes! Here they are, being blocked before having the ribbons added for hangers.

I didn't get a pic of the hat knitted for Bro T, but here's a dropped stitch scarf for SIL LaD in a Paton's Classic Wool rich purple.

These are the Serenity Bed Slippers, knitted for SIL J, in a sock yarn from Deborah Norville's Garden Yarn.

While I didn't knit this year's "Silly Hat" for Bro J, I did ask him to send me a pic to post when he opened it. (We did get to meet him for lunch last Friday, we missed seeing SIL J who was hosting a serious sinus infection.) Here's Santa!

And this is the Woven Rattan Scarf in Terra's silk and baby alpaca yarn in color "Beet," made for Missy M. Oh wait...seems I didn't snap one of it either, darn it all. I'll have to take one the next time I go to Georgia, and then I can post it along with one of the gift that's still under the tree for N/M/E's BFF AW (I'll see her on Friday to deliver it).

Yes, our tree is still up...and will be until Epiphany, January 6th. I keep most of Momma's traditions, but her insistence on taking the tree down by New Year's has gone to the curb. She grew up when real candles were put on real trees...and lit! Plus, two family houses burned to the ground in her childhood (not from Christmas tree accidents, but still...) So, it's understandable she thought the sooner the cedar was out the door, the better. We made the transition to artificial trees a few years ago, so those concerns have been shelved. (I can't explain her tale about it being "bad luck" to keep a tree in the house after the first day of the year...other than to say she was fond of adding to a story rather than subtracting.) Missy M texted to report this evening that "Nana would be pleased," since M had spent her day off taking down the rest of her decorations (we helped her get her tree down and to the fire station for recycling before we came home on Sunday).

So, are you ready for New Year's Day? I am! I took a tenderloin out of the freezer, so our pork dish will be thawed. I plan on baking it with apples and carrots (from the garden), and serving it with the traditional black-eyed peas (from the garden), turnip greens and collards (from the garden...and just for me; Mr. T will have to settle for getting his "good-luck green" from a salad), and cornbread. I made a pecan pie today, so that should bring us a lot of luck in a real sweet year!

As usual, I plan on following the adage: "as goes the first day, so goes the whole year." I will ignore the laundry, the dust bunnies, the bills, and the emails. I will do those things that I want to do lots of in 2015: reading, knitting (as much as I can), writing in my journals, playing a few games with friends, cooking a nice meal, and gardening. Yes...if the weather cooperates, I hope to get in the garden, if for nothing more than to pull a carrot or two for dinner. Oh, and watching a few more Bowl games...at least until my eyes cross.

Well, it's almost time to make our traditional Mimosas (pictured from last year, above) to toast at the stroke of midnight. I guess it's fitting that we are watching the Orange Bowl, then...heheheheh.

Thank you for being a part of our 2014...and we wish each of you a happy and healthy 2015! 🎉

A Little Rain...A Little Work

I'm sitting here, kicked back and watching the Braves playing the Nationals on TV. Nearly midnight and only top of the 4th. Game didn't even start until almost 11:00. For the second night in a row, they've had a rain delay in Atlanta, this one nearly three hours. And typically when it rains in ATL, it'll rain here in the next 4-6 hours. Just add it to the gauge. 

We actually started out the week, hot and dry. On Monday Mr. T headed his car to the DC area for the week, and I got caught up on some work-work. On Tuesday, I coached a group of volunteers at the Blandwood Mansion (historic home and property in downtown Greensboro), helping them learn how to care for their heritage rose garden. We were all exhausted by noon, but thrilled with the results. Here's a pic the Director snapped and posted on Facebook:

Wednesday was a Master Gardening day at the Extension Center, with a Board Meeting followed by a general membership meeting and speaker from the Piedmont Nature Conservancy, who talked about invasive plants. Interesting...thought-provoking...but I think I'll keep my mimosas and butterfly bushes.

I spent Thursday of this week in the garage, having moved my painting project inside for fear of storms (it didn't). The rains didn't arrive until later on Thursday...and they are still with us...and in our forecast for the next few days.

So, what was I painting? I had agreed to get trellises for three climbing roses in the Master Gardener Demo Garden. The original plan had been to build them, but I would be the wrong Adsit for that task. As I said in a Facebook post, I could probably knit a trellis quicker and better than I could build one. When, at a recent meeting of the DG committee, the chair gave the go-ahead to purchase them, I couldn't get to Home Depot fast enough. They had some redwood ones on sale, and I had a coupon! And that new lime green trim paint on the information kiosk was just perfect to add color to the spot, even in the dead of winter. Here are a few photos of the project for you:

As you can tell, I volunteered Mr. T to be an honorary Master Gardener for the day. Planting these trellises would have been near-impossible for me without his help, as he just knows how to do stuff like this. Plus he wagged the 50# bag of Quikrete across the garden and used the post hole digger to dig six perfect holes in some pretty awful soil. We worked in a bit of drizzle and finished just as the bottom dropped out of the sky. Actually, I had wanted to do a little touch up to the paint, but decided that task could be tabled until our Demo Garden Work Day scheduled on Wednesday.

All these activities have kept me out of my own garden, so I wound up having to harvest in a steady shower on Friday. I snapped beans for five innings of the Braves game on Friday, and then I put several bags of beans, tomatoes, and peppers in the freezer before I just had to stop. Here're a couple of shots of the haul:

And now? It's starting to rain again. And I think I hear the produce growing. Ah well, that's life in mid-Summer...a little rain, a little work. And a great feeling of accomplishment, when all is said and done.

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For more on how our garden is growing, be sure to check out the latest post on our garden blog (http://gardenwithgiants.blogspot.com). Click here to go there.