Fireplace Re-Do...Or Not

This is the fireplace surround that came with our house. I'm not crazy about it and the builder promised to find another (more country french type) surround and replace this one for a low sum of money. I've yet to hear from him, so I'm thinking I'm stuck with it.

This is the view of it across the room. I took this before we moved in...or should I say moved our boxes in. We haven't really settled in the house yet, even though it's been 5 months. We have a couch and chair, and a bed in the master and a bed in one of the guest rooms. And, uh, boxes of stuff all over the place. When we're there, I call it "camping in".

So, back to the fireplace surround. I'm thinking of adding a top to the fireplace that would go up the wall above the surround. I'm also thinking of painting the fireplace. Anyone out there have some ideas for me? The cable outlet and plug in are built into the wall above the fireplace and a flat screen will be up there some day soon.

So...what's your idea for me? Paint it white and make it "pop" like all the designer/decorators like to say? Our make it look like an aged stone piece? It's a cement replica I believe and I'm willing to try a few things. It's only paint, and the more layers the better, right? Leave me a comment on what you would do...that pinky color just doesn't work for me.

Fences I Really Admire

When we were looking for a new house last winter, we kept going back to this neighborhood in Prosper Texas just so I could look at this lovely driveway with its Austin stone fence and iron gate.

Here's a look at it from a distance. Isn't it lovely?

We did so many drive-bys, I'm sure they thought we were casing the place! To say I love this driveway is an understatement.

Even though our builder put in a great 6 foot wood fence around the house we eventually bought, Wild Bill and I have a "some day" list that includes putting up a rock fence like the one above.

This iron fence is pretty too:

The iron fence is "high-dollar" (which is Texas speak for expensive), but looks ineffective next door to the rock fence.

I love this front yard...a great way to cut down on lawn and still get a lovely garden feel. I'm reading up on how to covert your lawn to flower beds the easy and cheap way.

It's so hot in Texas this year, reading up on it is all I'm able to do. Have to wait until Fall for the weather to get cool enough to spend much time outdoors.

In the mean time, I'm planning out how we can get rid of the grass (and the mowing and watering it entails) by putting together an idea board that includes patios and flower beds like the ones in this post.

On the top of the list is a new patio for the front yard just like this one:

Watch What You Say

The "unusual" glass of tea above resulted from my asking 2-year-old Lily if she wanted to put sugar in Gammy's tea for me. I had forgotten how literal a 2 year old can be!

So, after her mother and I had a good laugh, I tried a different approach and made myself a little clearer. I showed Lily how to shake down the sugar packet and pour the contents in the tea. She took the job very serious:

Getting the sugar to the bottom of the packet with precise detail. Then, tearing it open so as not to spill a speck of sugar.

It tasted so much better without the paper wrapper still attached!

No One Thrown Off This Island

Eight miles out of town is a huge body of water named Lake Texoma (Texas and Oklahoma border this lake) where you can dock your boat at this dock (among others) and enjoy a brief respite from the Texas sun.

Since we don't have a boat, we took the car out to the lake and headed toward The Island. Some of us were impatient for the older ones to catch up...

The Island bar and grill is a welcome sight. We got there at 11:00 am when they opened.

Looked like we were not going to have to share the space with anyone, but this soon changed as the fisherman and the fishing guides came back from their early morning fishing trips and had the same idea we had --- get out of that sun!

We had a variety of appetizers and veggies, plus a fruit plate hit the spot with Lily.

We sat at the edge of the patio. The breeze kept us nice and cool, and Lily enjoyed feeding the fish, turtles and ducks that gathered below when they determined the place was open and there were tourists to throw food for them.

Here's a view from our table. This quiet was quickly broken when it hit noon and the fishing boats started returning. The place filled completely up and we decided we had occupied our table long enough.

We drove all the way across the lake road and when we came to the end, we had this lovely view of the lake. I really hated to leave, but nap time was near and we all needed one.

Don't Fence Me In

I love old fences and the creativity it took for the builders to make them. Around Texas this type of fence was real popular. Apparently, the early settlers would cut down the cedar trees that grow wild, and put a hole in one then use the others to make the rails. Pretty simple and pretty rustic, but doesn't look like it held much out.

I love this fence made of old bikes. The bikes don't add much to the fence, except to make it unusual.

I have to wonder...did the bikers get tired and just leave their bikes by the wayside? Is that what started the tradition of adding the bikes to the fence?

These old bikes are just laying around at the Donut Shop in the same town. I wonder if they are planning to add them to the fence?

I think I'll ask if he's willing to sell one of these. They make really cute planters with a basket full of flowers on the front and ivy growing over the spokes.

So Far So Good

No pictures today...blogger just won't cooperate!

I read over at Wilf The PON the following and I'm stealing it as my motto today:

I'm going to live forever...so far, so good.

More Down On The Farm

When we drove into the organic farm to buy meat and eggs, we enjoyed the sights of a typical farm setting. I wanted to skinny dip in the pond, but age has made me reluctant to strip...or maybe it's wisdom!

The gravel road kicks up dust, so you have to go slow. Just like at my grandpa's farm so many years ago. Some things just don't change no matter how much the world progresses.

Here's a shot of the outside of the farm store. When I asked what the hours are, the lady laughed! "Just don't come too early or too late" she said. Seems she lives next door and when she hears a car she walks over to tend the counter. The grandfather left the farm to her parents who then let each of their 3 children and spouses build a house and help run the farm. The whole family is committed to running it organic and keeping the beef grass fed and hormone free.

We found the farm cat to be quite friendly. Since Lily was raised with two cat-hating dogs, this was a treat for her to have a cat purr and flop over on its back to be tickled. And, speaking of being tickled...I asked to buy a dozen fresh eggs and was given 18 for the price of 12. The farm lady thought they were a "mite" small, so she made up for it by giving us 6 eggs free. We left feeling we'd gotten our money's worth, that's for sure.

Lily's mama took quite a shine to the rug on the floor, so I got a picture of it for her. I think I saw this rug for sale at Sam's Club or Target, but am not quite sure. Anyone out there who knows who sells it, would you please leave a comment? I think it's an in-door/out-door type rug, about 5 by 7 feet.

Down On The Farm...

We went to the Farmer's Market recently and found one of the venders has an organic farm not more than 5 miles from our home. We went out that day and enjoyed the sights as well the meat we bought.

This is the farm store. I really enjoyed the pictures painted on their sign and hope to have the artist paint a blackboard for me.

This old chair must be as old as I am! It looks comfy, but didn't risk whether it would hold me or not. We will be buying all our meats at the farm from now on. All animals are grass fed and free to roam. No pesticides, hormones, or fertilizers are used except for the fertilizer that comes out one end when the cow eats from the other...if'n you know what I mean.

Modes of Travel

I drove over to Albuquerque last week, leaving Northeast Texas very early in the morning to try to get across West Texas during the cooler part of the day. Riding in air conditioned comfort, my thoughts wandered to the pioneer days and earlier modes of transportation.

Can you imagine how hard the ride must have been with wheels like these instead of our rubber tires? While I still love to watch Little House On The Prairie and fool myself that I would've made a sturdy pioneer woman, even my heavily padded tush would've ached after a few hours on this board seat.

My mother-in-law was born 24 years before I was (we share the same birth date) and she often tells me about riding in a wagon like this with her siblings. They had 10 girls and 2 boys in the family and she says in the winter they lay on quilts and snuggled together for warmth. There were plenty of cars around back then, but with that many kids this was the original mini-van!

Come on! Let's hitch up the horses and take a spin...well, maybe when the weather cools a little and we can pad the bottom with a lot of those quilts she talks about.

Patience Is A Virtue

If a prize could be given for most patient dog, surely poor old Wrigley would be the recipient. This is my favorite picture of him and 'his baby', little Lily.

This past week, 2-year-old Lily and her mother have been visiting with the dogs. I've had quite a few chances to see how unbelievably patient poor Wrigs is...accommodating long passionate kisses with a little hand grabbing each cheek, being put in 'time out' even though no one was sure of his actual offense, and sitting through a pretend 'blow dry and comb out' that even the toughest-headed old bitty down at a beauty shop would object to.

I have a renewed respect for this dog, and mid-way through the week I gave in and threw a quilt on the couch and let him spend his evenings up on it. He surely deserved such a little comfort as a well deserved reward.

No Bull

Just before Easter, Wild Bill and I were driving in a mall area when I spied a large bull. Whhhaaattt??? Whoa the horses!

Of course I had to get closer...

The grounds were done in a very organic way using prairie grasses and natural stone from the area, so of course I had to stop and admire it. But, where was that bull?

"Oh, well done!' I thought. Since it was just turning to spring weather, the brown vegetation was turning a lovely green.

Anyone know what this little creeping plant is called? I'd love to make a topiary of my own out of this stuff.

This is a Texas Longhorn. During the early days of Texas, they drove them up through towns in Texas on cattle drives to towns "up north" to provide beef for the nation. Things you hear about in the old western movies, like Chisholm Trail, Goodnight Trail and stockyards, are a local mainstay 'round here.

But, even so, I'm not use to running into a longhorn in the local mall...even if he is "green", which is the direction the world is heading these days, now isn't it?

Well, we had to bid Mr. Longhorn goodbye because the "ole bull" I was with wanted to get home and read his newspaper. Guess nothing surprises a Texan. You get the picture?

Ya Gotta Love Her

More than a few times I 've written about Dee. She belongs to my middle daughter and her husband, or should I say they belong to her? Recently they all came down to visit and bring their 1-year-old son Ben to meet the rest of the Texas branch of the family.

Dee was a pound puppy, about 2 years old, when Jaysa and Mike adopted her. Dee loves two things with great gusto: Her baby boy Ben (who, at 14 months, is fast out-growing Dee) and EATING.

Dee especially loves human food, and is never far from anyone who has a plate they might share. Subtlety is not Dee's strong suit. She's a more "get in your face" kind of girl!

When Dee thinks it's time to be fed, she picks up her dog bowl and carries it around.

I had to crack up at the chewed up edges of her bowl. Dee is none too patient with her humans and gets pretty insistent with the bowl.

As you can see, she had an entire obstacle course of Ben's toys to get through. She pranced around with the bowl in her mouth until finally her dad gave up and got her some dog food.