Today...

Today... the kids did yet another Culinary Arts 'experiment'.  This one was loaded with nutritional value, not.  These num nums were called Krispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls.  They were naughty indeed.

Today... I gave the Dappled Willow a haircut pruning, and I love the leaves so much the branches came inside!

Today... I sat for a very long time, here.  Pondering very deep things, like...

I wonder what this plant is actually called.  Lowes has it labeled 'tropical' with no other info, grrrr.

I pondered where the final location for this lovely old newspaper boy bike will be.  It just keeps traveling around the farm, trying to find a place to put down its kick stand permanently.

Should I get a new door bell cover?  This one used to be black, I guess I hit it frequently with water when watering the porch plants and it has seen better days.  But depending on the day, I either like or don't like the rust, hmmmmmm.

Today... I stared at our Sugar Maple.  It was a wispy little twig when we bought it years ago.  It needs a clever pruning to encourage it to spread out.  I don't think I know how to give needed clever pruning, so I am stalling, ugh.

Today... I waited and waited with my camera zoomed on this birdhouse so I could document one of the birds that has set up a nest inside.  It is blue, but the brightest most turqoisey blue I have ever seen.  But alas, it was shy. 

Today... I wondered how I was going to get these Pine needles inside the stone planting bed.  I have a very hurt back right now and would truly love to do it myself, but I fear that would be ludicrous.  I actually love doing things like this.  Curses on a puny back!

Today... I sat here with a stack of yellow gloves, seriously these gloves GLOW... and came up with a solution to get the pine needles spread.  Actually I came up with 3 solutions.

My solutions were wonderfully called Christian, Ty, and Savannah.  Ahhhh, love a good solution, don't you?!

My solution solvers were ever so merry to help, insert cruel chuckle.

I tried repeatedly to lighten the mood with plumber's gardener's crack jokes... to no avail.  Big ole grumps!

Solutions A & B (aka, the boys) were at least happier when Solution C (sister) showed up to help... she was conveniently out at the barn when I came up with my genius plan.

Makes a mom's heart swell to see her kids working together... singing... bonding over the common good they are doing... encouraging each other in there valiant efforts. Delusional?  Just may be.

Today... I have a beautiful, weeded, and mulched planted bed.  sigh.

Today... the kids found the second task I asked them to do MUCH more fun than the first.  They got to pull up the dead trees.  They especially loved me when I suggested that they forgo the pick ax and use a chain and 4 wheeler instead.  That simple suggestion made the task much more fun!

Today... I am still perplexed that one maple tree would die right next to another maple that did just fine?!??!

Today... I dreamed of planting replacement trees for those dead maples and I hope someday I have an informal allee (sp?) like this one.  I had never thought to plant ginormous pots with hydrangeas.  This page is going into the idea file!

Today... I have a quick question for the masses.  If you could have an investment property, would it be a Lake home or a Beach home?  We love the beach, the Gulf Coast Beaches are some of the best in our opinion.  But a 6 hour drive for us.  We do that drive at least once a year, I wonder if we would do it more if we owned a house there.  But OH do we love going to the lake now that we have a little boatlet (a boat that is teeeniny).  So now I think we sure would make good use of a Lake house just a couple hours away instead.  Are we buying an investment property anytime soon, or ever?  Ummmm, i dunno.  I just spend random hours in my day wondering about things that may never be... am I alone in this.

Today... has been an great day, other that the pain in my back.. but overall, a great day!