A New Week!

What are your plans for the week? It's supposed to be fairly warm here so I'm hoping to finish up some gardening projects and decorate the shoppe for Spring. I'm still having a hard time calling it a shoppe, mostly because no one has been there to actually "shop". Maybe the warm weather will bring some folks out and into the little shed this week. If not, then I'm going to have find other venues to take this show on the road!

I'll be planting some lettuce this week too. My romaine has bolted (what we didn't eat) and I feel the need to play in the dirt. I just can't wait for Spring (have I mentioned that?). I'm also thinking of planting some greens too. I think I could exist on salad and cooked greens, I just adore them!

So planting and puttering seems to be what I'll be up to. What's on your list?

Weekend Around The Cottage

Good morning! How's your weekend going? Mine has been pretty busy so far. I managed to clean the chicken coop yesterday and fluffed up things a bit in there. The girls have begun to lay again and we couldn't be more thrilled! The fresh eggs are delicious, so much tastier than store bought. These girls do more than give us fresh eggs though, they are a constant source of entertainment! On Thursday, two of them were sitting on the ground and jumped up as I unlatched the coop door, only to reveal that one of them had laid an egg on the ground and was sitting on it. Too funny!

Today my plan is to fluff up the shoppe and and place some of the Spring items out there. It needs to warm up a bit before I venture out, my deck is completely frosted over. This afternoon I'm planning on working on the new herb bed some more, getting it ready to add manure and compost. The herb bed I created in the front of the shoppe will have to be moved. I knew in advance that it would get rain run-off from the roof,  (that's part of the reason I placed them there) I just didn't realize that it was going to completely pound them out of the ground, roots and all. You live, you learn!

Whatever your weekend plans may be I hope you have a great one!

xoxo~Dee

P.S....so what's up with the photo in this post? I'm trying to hurry Spring along!

Is It Just Me?

Or are there other folks out there who's glad that the holidays are over? I'm not a scrooge, just tired. I can't help it, I always look forward to Christmas, I really do but then I'm ready for Spring to be sprung. I'm going to try to get some seed starter this week, finances allowing, and get started with some planting. I'm also planning on doing a little digging of new beds this week. Not tilling but removing the sod. Thanks to a friend of mine, I now have the perfect tool!

Hey don't laugh! This works great for removing sod!

I have to run and get some supper going of some sort. Anyone else get tired of deciding what to make?

Just wondered!

A Year In Blogging...

I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who follow this blog and the Facebook page. I appreciate each and every one of you! I'm so thankful for all of the new friends I've made here and I look forward to another year with you!

xoxo~

Dee

Happy New Year!

I have Spring on my mind, can you tell? Every year after Christmas I'm like this:

If it isn't going to snow, then let's just move on to Spring. After all what good is the cold if there isn't snow to go along with it? Not much in my opinion.

However, living among peach farmers you learn quickly that we need a good cold snap for the peaches to produce properly and to kill out some of summer's pests. 

I'm good with that since I'm fond of peaches and my farming neighbors and I don't like an abundance of buggy type things...

Now on to the new year...

Have you reviewed the last year in your life? How do you feel about it? Was it a good one for you? 

I sincerely hope so! 

2012 was an okay year for me, I've had better and the good Lord knows I've certainly had worse. I've poured myself into trying to get a little business going and honestly it hasn't proven to be very lucrative. I'm hoping for things to get better. Really. Soon.

I hope that this will be a better year for all of us!

Stay safe this New Year's Eve whatever your plans are. 

JD and I will be right here at the cottage, cooking steaks that a couple of friends of ours gave to us, after which we'll probably fall asleep before midnight. Getting up at five in the morning isn't conducive to being awake at midnight!

Blessings and peace in your new year!

Christmas Gifts And Goodies!

I've been meaning to post this for days but since I've mastered procrastination I've put it off until now. Christmas with JD's family was wonderful but way too short. We celebrated with them on Christmas Eve morning but had to rush out after opening gifts since JD had an appointment in Spartanburg. I adore JD's family, his precious mother and her husband, his wonderful brother and equally wonderful sister in law, his four lovely and sweet daughters and the oldest daughter's new fiance! Yes, that's right, JD's oldest daughter is now engaged! All we can say is "yay" for them, they are absolutely perfect for one another! If you would like to read their story, just click here. It's a great story that I love hearing them tell.
I'd also like to share some of the gifts I received from JD's family this year. I loved and appreciated everything so very much and wish that I had the funds to reciprocate. Maybe the coming year will be better to me financially and I'll be able to do just that! Nothing would make me happier!
(Note to the family, I hope it's okay that I shared pictures, if not let me know and I'll remove them!)

Soft and comfy pj's (or jammers as we refer to them) from JD's mother and step dad. They're my new favorites!

A pineapple slicer from JD's brother and sister in law. Yay! I can't wait to use it! I love me some kitchen gadgets!

Cranberry soap from JD's two oldest girls. I. Love. This. Soap. It came from Soap For The Soul that I've blogged about before. S'wonderful!

Cranberry Punch candle, also from JD's two oldest daughters. OMGoodness! Y'all have to check out Soap For The Soul! 

I love this dish way too much, it's staying out all winter!

Handmade candy from JD's brother and sister in law. Yummy goodness! They should market this stuff. You can't get anything store bought that even comes close! Maybe they'll share their recipe with us sometime?

JD checking out one of his gifts.  

Number two.

JD often refers to his girls as one, two, three and four, so I'll do the same here.

From left to right, four and three. 

Number one with her fiance. And the ring. And two beautiful smiles! 

JD's brother and sister in law. 

JD's mother and step dad.


JD says that he's been blessed to grow up in this family, surrounded  with love. He also says that he feels truly blessed to be surrounded by four wonderful, caring and loving daughters. You know what? He's right. He is truly blessed. You know what else? So am I...