Same Scene with and without Trees

I had these three trees taken down after Hurricane Sandy and I haven't looked back. They really should have been removed long ago since they all turned out to be diseased and on their way out anyway. One tree hitting my house is more than enough, thank you.

I took this photo this morning. I will plant some grass seed in the bare spots next week. I need to rake that patch of mown grass behind the barn/garage. It was really long and I'm so glad I got my mower fixed just in the nick of time. I wish the sky were prettier so you could appreciate my opened up view of the property. The trees that were taken down had an assortment of seed pods that were constantly being dumped on my balcony so my sweeping chores are cut down to almost zero. I was originally worried that the back side of my house would be hotter but as it turned out, it is not. Those trees never really cast any shade in that direction because of the angle of the sun. It will look so nice next year when the lawn is restored. I have a giant underground bee/wasp/yellow jacket nest next to one of the boxwood I have to attend to as well. I am well under way with my window washing and maybe I'll even finish today. It's so nice to have a clear view from the inside. See you later. Have a great weekend. Webster has a play date with Henry today to help with his contractor withdrawal. 

Hold Fast To What Is Good

I love this. via

Fabulous Video: Cats Stealing Dog Beds

Cats Stealing Dog Beds

My friend Stacey of Stacey Snacks sent me this video yesterday because she knew I would love it and I did. It made me late for a real estate appointment. I almost slept the clock around I was so tired last night and my brain isn't allowing me to post anything original. Thanks, Stacey. I know our blog readers will enjoy this video of cats stealing dog beds too. Webster lets Tabitha do anything she wants because he is super respectful of her wishes, or terrified of her, I can't decide which. I think it's the latter. He won't even come inside the house if she's in the vestibule unless I stand in front of her so he can pass without having her hiss at him. 

Be sure to click on the link if you can't see the embedded video above. It's adorable. 

Kitchen Inspired by A French Bakery

From House Beautiful: A lovely kitchen in Tennessee inspired by a French Bakery. It's lovely. I got my mowing done and I'm tired. Can't wait to jump between the sheets and watch TV. I'm sure I won't be able to stay awake for any of my shows so I'll probably watch something I've already recorded. Image Source

My Riding Mower is Fixed

I just talked to the man at the mower repair shop and he told me I got lucky. There was only one bolt holding on the blade and he fixed everything for me. I guess it wasn't meant for me to be able to remove the dead battery, right? Today is going to be nice for mowing and blowing leaves before tomorrow's rain. I'm so happy!

Got My Haircut Today

Before via

After. I like it. As you can see from the before photo, it was long overdue.

Webster is lonesome!

I had to break down and have my riding mower picked up yesterday for a minor tuneup. I talked them into just putting in a new battery, changing the oil, and sharpening the blade. If it starts up after they switch the battery they will proceed with the other two things and bring it back tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me. After the man picked it up, I decided to use my walk behind power mower in the way-way back of my property. I let Webster outside to wait and watch me as he always does but it didn't work. The new owners of an old house diagonally across the street from me have workmen every day. They had to drill a new well and now they are putting in a new heating/cooling system. Their historic house never had air conditioning. I was about half finished with my hand mowing when I saw a young man approaching. He said he was busy working on the HVAC system when Webster appeared and started licking him. Poor thing. I had to stop my mower and walk all the way up to the front and put him back in the house. He's so lonesome now that our contractors have finished. He can see the heating men's vans and pickup trucks from the living room window where his bed is located. I feel so sorry for him and I know how he feels because I miss our workers too. I have become obsessed with wrapping things up before the cold weather and I never did wash my windows. Today I am determined to do the kitchen window over my sink and the two French doors in the living room. I can do those easily from the deck while the weather is still mild. That will change any day now. See you later. Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work I go.

The Cats of Downton Tabby

Season 4 begins January 5th.

Downton Tabby, read more . . .