Pure.....

Nothing more pure than a single tulip...beauty in its purest form...

"I hide myself within my flower,

That wearing on your breast,

You, unsuspecting, wear me too --

And angels know the rest.

I hide myself within my flower,

That, fading from your vase,

You, upsuspecting, feel for me

Almost a loneliness."

- Emily Dickinson

Heidi

Garden table needs your help.....

We have a young family living next to us since last summer. They have two extremely playful girls while we have no children and are used to quiet. As they use the front garden a great deal to eat and play, we moved our bench to the back garden since we will no long sit out front. This combined with our rocking chairs created a nice outdoor living room area after moving our table and chairs which normally sit here to the back terrace which was a coffee corner. You can read about here on my old blog.

Last week, we were able to get some brand new pallets from someone we know. He was going to take them to the dump so told us to take them away. I (okay...this is actually to be read as Jos to do it for me...grins) wanted to make a table top to put on the wooden blocks we have.

Jos first set the pallet upside down and sawed the middle sections away. These pieces were used later on for the ends of the finished table. He then saw away a section in the length of the pallet so that four boards remained. Two of the three boards were sawed separately and nailed to the side of the pallet with the two short boards added to the two ends. Because the block in the middle section is still in tact (you see it next to the saw in the top right photo), the blocks sit snugly into the table top to support it.

But here is where I need your help! Does anyone have a tip on how to age fresh wood fast? I looked it up and read that you soak steel wool in vinegar overnight then dilute with water and rub into the wood. Jos does not think this sounds like a logical way to darken and age the wood. The furniture is already aged to silver grey over the years. Anyone have good advice on what we should do?

I am so looking forward to using this area now that spring is finally going to start. It is will be fun to be creative as I plan on trying to crochet some seating cushions for my rocking chairs from hemp string. I also see a quilt laid out on the table. *sigh* Bring on the good weather.....

Heidi

April snow-showers.....

At first, we opened the curtains on Easter Sunday and wondered if it was Christmas...

Enjoying breakfast while watching the snowflakes fall...

A light lunch taking a break...

...from painting the cottage. Jos was pretending to be a graffiti artist. We had a nice long weekend at the cottage and needed to get the room done. Next chance we get for a long weekend again will be used to paint the ceilings.

But Dagi spent his long Easter weekend doing what he does best...catnapping...

Easter dinner was light. We had carpaccio kababs with steamed broccoli and a green salad...

Back home and I was baking cookies as a surprise for Jos as it was our 26th wedding anniversary...

I tried a new recipe for these chocolate chip and walnut cookies. They are really good and I learned a few tricks to getting a more tasty cookie...

And back home.....Dagi is still catnapping but he says thanks for the sweet comments on the last post. Since he has grown old, he has started sleeping in very unusual ways. Sometimes his paws are hanging over the couch of him and sometimes he sleeps with them laying out in front of him.

Heidi

It's a cat's life.....

...for me! Remember me? I am Dagi and this is my house. Sometimes my owners think it is theirs but I do little things to remind them who is boss. *Meow*

While my mommy is too busy doing things like baking...

...or sewing for Easter...

...or crocheting to keep herself warm against the cold wind still blowing...

...I am getting into trouble since she is not looking. I found this plant she placed in the window to get some sunlight and decided it might taste rather yummy. I changed my mind and spit it back out again.

Now I am very tired and just need to catch up on my beauty sleep. So please pardon me while I take a long catnap and have a very happy Easter weekend!

Dagi

A good heart.....

It is already the close of the month of January. Time is flying and 2013 is only just begun. Valentine's day is just around the corner so my tree is up to set the season. I took my vintage olive pot and placed the branches in it.....

Hung hearts - handmade or bought most of which were gifts.....

And now we can celebrate our Valentine's day 2013 with a great deal of heart!

Heidi

What makes me smile?

Bird tracks in the snow.....

Heidi

Cleaning up in 2013

I have been debating about what to post as I wanted to start this year out with a challenge to myself to clear out things I do not love or use. More about that debate a little later...

I started last week with a simple baby step. I have a drawer in our hutch which is a mess. I took everything out placing it on the table and going through it all. I only replaced what I needed to  keep throwing out about a third of the contents. You know those Christmas cards you keep thinking to use them to make tags or new cards, old letters that need to go and just lots of tiny junk.

Each week of this year, I want to work on one area and declutter and simplify. I am going to go about it this year that even the smallest area will eventually make a big impact. I feel best and most  at peace in our tiny cottage so I think that speaks mountains about our home. It too needs to be simple so I can feel that peace here too.

Are you in the simplify mood this year too?

This is a primrose blooming in my front garden. Mother Nature is quite confused by our very warm weather and thinks it is spring. I am hoping we are not in for an extreme cold freeze like we had last year. In February, we got extreme frosts and an easterly wind causing a great deal of damage in the garden. I would hate to loose more plants again this year.

But now that debat...

I normally do not like to vent on my blog. We returned from Cranberry Cottage yesterday afternoon to find that my car had been vandalized. Jos asked our neighbor if she heard anything. She was angry as there have been problems with some teenagers causing trouble again behind their house. It has been so bad that a house was set on fire about a year ago. These kids do not live here and the police say they know who they are but cannot do anything about it as the parents will not cooperate. This is the first time, we have had a problem and I have no insurance coverage for vandalism. It is going to cost a big sum of money to have the repairs done. But worse, the kids keep getting away with it. My neighbor was all upset that she has raised 4 men who respect people and their property. Jos told her that has everything to do with her as a real mother and why these kids are causing the problems they do not having one. Do their parents really not care???

Heidi