Checking In/ Spring Time Busyness

Hi, Friends,

How are you?

It has been an age since I have popped in to say hey. 

Hey!

I have lost the drive to document every instance of my decorating and gardening life but I have missed you all. Over the the years, I feel like I have shared the same stuff over and over again and there really isn't anything new to say. I've enjoyed employing spring touches without the pressure to share yet I thought I'd stop in anyway to check in and give you a life update. 

I'll share a few photos along the way. 

The busy season of doctor appointments is over for me. I have one more annual check up this week and one more visit to the audiologist and that should do it until September. Yahoo. 

Unfortunately, Bill's season continues as he has developed a secondary cataract. They are going to watch if for the next six weeks. They may do another zap with the laser at that time. 

We continue to split our time between the two houses. When I'm East Texas I want to live there. When I'm in town, I want to live in town. When Bill can retire, we will decide where we want to live. In the meantime, we keep busy tending to both places. 

So far this year, cleaning up the woods took up a great deal of our weekends until the poison ivy popped out. After the great freeze of 2021, (It got down to -2°, which was a 100 year event and stressed our trees.) many of our pine trees succumbed to the pine bark beetle. The needles turn a rust color, within a week or so they fall off and eventually the tree falls down. There was a long burn ban last summer so there was no point in bringing the dead trees out of the woods. The last few winter months have been a great opportunity to gather and burn the brush.

 

It was immensely satisfying. 

When I look into the woods, I want to see a clear landscape. Fallen trees that look like "Pick Up Sticks" isn't the look I want but it takes a lot of work. There is still more to do but I hope we will keep on top of it as new trees fall. Along the paths and road, my line of sight is pretty clear. Sitting by a big fire on winter days was a bonus. 

I planted the annuals earlier than our average frost date. Last year it got so hot so quickly that my plants really struggled. Our annuals need time to get acclimated before the heat arrives. I had to pull them in when one night when we had a freeze warning but they are loving our cooler spring. 

I've been spring cleaning out in East Texas. 

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The porches and the carport got a good cleaning. I took the opportunity to do a little decorating. 

East Texas is a dirty environment and there were spider webs and pollen aplenty. 

I tucked faux geraniums in some little pots for the porches. 

My son's vintage Tonka truck is a cute planter. 

I love the pop of red. 

A rocker left by the previous owners got a coat of white paint. 

Paint made a huge difference. 

I had the paint and the cushion. All it needed was a pillow to match the one on the bench. It's so much better. The pillow came from Walmart. 

My youngest son got me the planter for Christmas a year or so ago. I filled it full of faux geraniums. 

I'm loving the spring front porch. 

It will be darling with some patriotic bunting as we get closer to the 4th of July. 

The inside got some faux fern decor. We have so many woodland ferns that I thought it'd be cute. 

I've been on a jigsaw puzzle kick. It's been a cozy activity on chilly days. 

That's all for now. I hope you are all doing well. 

Katie 

 

Peeved

Several things happened today that have made me question my existence. 

These are in no particular order. 

I was scrolling my Instagram feed this evening. Maybe it's me or the feed I've created but I simply do not understand how an all white room with a farmhouse or a gather sign on the wall can garner 4,000 likes. 

How? It's all so much sameness. 

Anita Diaz of Far Above Rubies was talking about it recently. I tried to find the post for you but couldn't. 

Follow her on Instagram if you want to add color to your feed. 

I made a mistake when I joined it because my Instagram was going to be private since my Facebook was public. I should start over and call it Let's Add Sprinkles but I'm too tired of it to do that. 

This photo got 54 likes. It was cropped a little differently for Instagram. 

There's white but also some color. There are vintage collectables which I find interesting. 

This one got 32 likes. It's got the ubiquitous wooden cutting boards but it's got cuteness with the copper molds. 

I was following an Instagramer, I can't remember who but I wouldn't tell you anyway. She posts the same 8 photos over and over and over again. 

How does she keep her followers that way? 

I think I need to stay off of that platform for a while. It's not deep or informative like a blog post. 

Which leads me to peeve number two. 

I was scrolling Facebook and a big blogger/influencer announced the bloggers for some renovation challenge. All of them are young! 

Bitter (almost 60 year old), "Your table is ready." 

It wasn't this post alone that had me feeling like companies are reaching out to younger bloggers. 

I've had that sense for a while now but it still irks. 

There is interest and wisdom with belongings and decor that have been gathered over the years. 

Peeve number three is something I found out about today. 

Initially, I was filled with joy but now I just want to cry because my friends, colleagues and I payed a high price because of the actions of another person. 

We can't go back. It can't be undone. 

If God let us in on His timetable, would we operate differently? 

Imagine a whisper, "This thing that you want- that you hope for, it will take 60 years."

"This trial will be over in two years."

"This longing that you have, it will never be fulfilled."   

Life would be different, if we knew how things were going to end. 

Would I do things differently if God laid out a road map for me? 

Would I lose heart knowing I had a 60 year wait for something? 

Would I stick something out had I known it was for only two years? 

Would I reach despair if a longing was left unsatisfied? 

I really don't know. 

The past two years have been a struggle at times. Society puts great value on having a career. 

I had one - it came to an end but I've gotten into a groove. My days are full and I am pretty content. 

Yet, there is a longing for something - a longing to influence and have impact even if it's only about some pretty decorating post. 

I really just have to say that God knows what He is doing. I have faith that He has mapped out the course for my life. He is still good. He is still faithful.

Even though I'm annoyed and sad for all of us that were impacted by another. 

I know that God knows what He is doing and it will all be okay.

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jer.17:7-8

Good night! 

Katie 

Keep In Touch #25

Twenty five weeks of keeping in touch at my link party. 

Thank you for your faithfulness to link up when you can.

I shared a video tour of our garden last week.

Yesterday I shared my blue and white on display in the kitchen. 

We had a fun, fun and busy weekend.

On Friday I went to Dillard's to smell perfume after this post. 
Pop on over and leave a comment. I loved reading your comments.

I picked up Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. It came out this past spring.
I bought a bottle and the rest were all freebies.
Ask if they have a gift set available and you might get something free to build your own gift set.

 After the mall, a quick visit with my neighbor in her driveway yielded a lead for a fencing contractor. He started  today replacing the fencing on both sides of the yard. 

                                         

I'm thrilled. Who knew I could get so excited about a fence? I got his number late Friday afternoon.  He arrived in an hour and looked around and then gave a quote. The next morning we signed a contract. This has been on the "to do" list for about six months. 

The fence has been a hot mess for a while. 

Saturday night Bill and I got to go to the Eagles concert at AT&T Stadium. We'd never been to the stadium before which was fun but we'd never been to the Eagles before. It was a dream come true for both of us.

Vince Gill is amazing. He and Duncan Frey are singing Glenn Frey's songs.
 It was a treat to see Vince Gill in person.

If you get a chance, go and see them. It was bucket list for us.
Incredible!

Sunday was about good food, fellowship and hanging out in the pool.

Our feature this week is Debbie Dabble's Patriotic Tree is a cutie. Her tree decorating and ribbon skills are amazing.
This is fun and festive.

I've been living with chronic pain on and off for the last 15 years.
It has reared it's ugly head again and I've been at a 5 and up for the last three weeks. I've had two days out of this month with no pain. I've been to the Dr. I've had Xrays and I've got some pain meds (no Hydrocodone- so don't worry).
 Please think of me. 15 years is a long time and I'm weary of it.
I know that in the grand scheme of things, this is a small thing. The answers they gave me 15 years ago as to the source may not be the same now but I'd like answers and some relief.
Thank you.
Now for the link up. 

An InLinkz Link-up

A Dining Chair Saga

Silly me for thinking that something is "my forever _____ (fill in the blank). 

This post is about my "forever" dining room chairs.  

I guess I'm too fickle or stuff just isn't made the way it used to be. 

I remember my grandmother saying that. 

It's official. I'm old. 

We bought our new dining chairs in 2009. 

We were trying to do our own version of the trend at the time. 

I'll call it "Texas Bible Belt Decor". 

You may know what I mean. 

It was Kirkland's meets Texas meets religion. 

It was a little Spanish and a little Western. 

Throw in a few wrought iron crosses and you were guaranteed salvation and a decorating win. 

I worked at a Christian school so my cross collection was robust. 

The phrase "you do you" comes to mind. I think I was trying to be different versions other people's houses. 

We'd had our chairs about a year when we added a new member to the family. 

An ensconced member of the family wasn't pleased. 

Dixie would chase the cat. The cat would seek sanctuary on the dining room chairs. 

His claws left tiny holes on the seats of most of my chairs. 

We love having pets so we lived with it. 

I was sitting at the dining room table last summer and my robust thigh got stuck to the seat. 

As I pulled it off, the "leather" adhered to it and pulled away from the seat. 

What?

I immediately gave up sugar, fats, beef, and I took a walk. 

All of that lasted until dinner time. 

We had a sneaking suspicion that these were not leather chairs.

We've recovered dining room seats before and Bill had some brown leather in his stash. 

This chair got added to our project list. 

However, this was like a disease that spread around the room. 

One by one the vinyl started peeling way and my thighs had nothing to do with it. 

Then It started peeling away from the backs. 

I was going to recover them but the thought of all that nail head trim was a little daunting. 

I tried prying out one of the nail heads. The action left marks on the top quality finish. 

If prying out the trim was going to leave marks, we could get the chairs painted. 

The detail on the back would look amazing in white. 

I called the painter. They don't paint furniture. 

No worries. I'm sure the stain could be touched up. 

I was wrestling the nail heads on a chair when Bill stepped in with some science. 

It's been a while since I've taught simple machines. 

He brought a fulcrum in from the garage. 

He is a genius. 

It was fun and novel for about six nail heads. I purposed in my heart that I'd recover these chairs even if it took up my spring and most of my summer. 

Bill said, "Let's go get new chairs." 

I said, "Yahoo!" 

I didn't love the backs that much.  

I knew exactly which chairs to get.

We only needed the green light concerning comfort from Bill. 

We got the Paige Dining Chairs from World Market. 

They were on sale. 

Our store had six and the store in Fort Worth had two more.  

You will never guess who was sitting on one of the white chairs the other day. 

Bill just found cat throw up in his sneaker as I was editing this post. 

Haha. 

At least he didn't throw up on the new chairs. 

Have a wonderful day!

Katie