Our Beautiful Sarouk (Persian) Rug...

Our Sarouk rug shown in the living room of our Florida home.

We've owned this gorgeous Sarouk rug for nearly forty years. Handsome's brother owned it prior to that, and he purchased it from an estate in Chicago, Illinois. We purchased it when we bought our first home, and it's been in the last two homes since. It measures 21'6" long x 10'6" wide.

In fact, when we built our second home, the main living space was sized to accommodate it - and make it the centerpiece of the living room. When we moved to the farmhouse, we hoped it would span the two front rooms (our living and dining rooms) as it's certainly long enough. However, the archway between those two rooms only measures 8' wide. 

Our younger son had it for a while prior to our move, hoping to use it in our granddaughters' shared bedroom space, but the addition of a large closet shortened the room just enough so they couldn't use it. It was folded, rolled, tied, and placed in the basement of the farmhouse. The basement is and has always been dry so that wasn't an issue. 

We planned to move it upstairs much sooner than now, but in addition to being beautiful it also has a wonderful thick pile, so it's heavy. So heavy in fact, that it was impossible for Handsome and me to move it. So there it languished...until yesterday.

We'd placed another favorite large Oriental rug we've also had since Florida in the living room, with a separate one under our dining room table. The living room rug had to be cleaned, so Handsome took it to a company in Milwaukee. That rug came home yesterday, and we'd made arrangements for their workmen to move the Sarouk from the basement out to our cement-floor pole barn so we could assess whether or not there was any damage to it since it's been downstairs. We knew it too was going to need cleaning, and the (!#@&) mice had chewed the fringe off. We were praying that there was no other damage to it.

So, it finally came out of the basement and was unrolled for the first time in all these years. Handsome and I stood with our fingers crossed as it was again open and flat on the floor. Although it was dusty and needed a good bath, we were relieved to see that there was NO other damage.

We went back and forth from the house to the barn, taking measurements, and confirmed that it won't fit in the front rooms as is. There were also calls to a Sarouk/Persian/Oriental rug dealer to see what we might be able to realize if we sold it after we restore the fringe and clean it. The amount he quoted was much less than we paid for it, but we recognize it's a unique size and would need to find the perfect buyer willing to pay our price, which isn't likely to happen. As we've had it for as long as we have, it certainly doesn't owe us anything, but we will have to put some more money into it. We love it enough to do that, but how to make it work for us?

We know the first thing to take place will be a deep cleaning. The fringe will be replaced, but after taking more measurements, we're floating the idea of cutting it down. I know. I know. But how else can we use it if we don't - short of building a new home or remodeling the archway in the living room to gain another two feet?

We may call our carpenter, Jeff and find out just how much it would cost (and if it's even feasible) to open the archway to accommodate the rug's current width, because the alternative is to keep the length, but cut off the sides where the cream border (that you can see in the foreground) begins. That would bring the width measurement down to 7' 6" (which would fit inside the archway as it is right now). We'd keep it the existing length of 21' 6".

The rug left here late yesterday. They'll clean it first and then get back to us to find out how to proceed. We'll be discussing it here and gathering more information until we make our final decision. Stay tuned...

Platter Rack Reveal...

Completed Dining Room Platter Rack

 

As planned, I spent Saturday painting the bare wood of my new platter rack. This location in the dining room was the best place for it, and because of the dogs, we decided it shouldn't go all the way to the floor. As it worked out, there was still enough space for my antique commode to fit below it. I asked Handsome if he thought I should paint it and got a resounding "no". I'm inclined to agree. That would be a lot of white.

"Populated" Platter Rack

So, now you can see my very large Spode turkey platter, and why I wanted needed a place designed especially for it. I've been so concerned that it would get broken. In our Florida home, I had more than a few places where it could be displayed, but there just wasn't a natural place (large enough) for it here...until now.

I'm very happy with the way it turned out, and now I can stop fretting about  it. I have a handy place, near the rest of the set, and the bonus was more storage for our other serving pieces.

This week will be spent creating a few Christmas gifts, adding new items to my online shop, doing laundery (ugh), and making some treats in the kitchen. I'll be sure to share what I'm working on, and perhaps inspire you with a few things you can do, too. Hope you'll follow along.

Installation Day...

My New Platter Rack Being Installed

 
I'm so excited about this, I can hardly wait to tell you! Yesterday was "installation day" for a custom-built platter rack for our dining room.

Last time Bobby was here, I asked him if he'd build this for me, and he said he would. After taking measurements, he told me he'd be back after Thanksgiving. If you remember, Bobby's grandpa and grandma (he's Shelly's cousin) owned this home before us. I think it's so cool that he's helping us update a house he knows so well. I woke up to Bobby's phone call asking if he could come over with the new rack. 

I have a huge Spode turkey platter that's been floating around the house for lack of a good and safe place to store it. It's from the 1920s and is part of what's called a "Hunter's Set", consisting only of the platter and twelve plates. (Hunters being "meat and potatoes" people, no other dishes were needed to complete the set.)

The platter rack is made of beautiful poplar wood, and will be painted to match the china cabinet next to it. Once I get it painted, a rail will be added to the front of each compartment to keep anything from falling out. The finishing boards that frame each opening also create a lip for added security. As we live with dogs, I didn't want this rack to go all the way to the floor (for obvious reasons), so stopping at counter height was perfect. This way my antique commode will still fit under it, too.

I'm going to paint it this weekend, so the next time you see it, it will be finished and populated with my platters. The turkey platter will have a place of honor front and center. I'm looking forward to sharing photos with you soon.

Tag goes to the groomer today, so you can expect to see "after" photos of the little dude when I get him back home. I'm sure he'll want me to wait for you to see them until he can tell you all about his experience on Tuesday. I'll honor his request, but that doesn't mean I can't giggle at him in the meantime.

I've got a busy day today, so I'm off to grab a cup of coffee and then head to the studio. I'll be back with more tomorrow. Have a great day!

I'm Liking It!...

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmhouse Kitchen - A Work In Progress

 

I finished painting the cabinets that were installed on Wednesday, so I can share what's been done so far. I'm really tickled with the additional storage and counter space, and I love how the color delineates this piece from the white cabinets that were installed earlier.

The countertop came with the cabinets, and is fine for now. We'll likely order a new hickory countertop (like the island), but I have other items on my list first. I'd like to get a power strip installed under the upper cabinets, as well as down lighting to brighten the work surface. I'm contemplating a stone wall treatment on the wall between the top and bottom cabinets here, too. (Think "veneer version" of what was used on our wraparound porch.)

 

Oh! The upper cabinets have the hardware that came with them, because I was short on the pull hardware that we bought. I was going to put cup pulls on the small drawers in the bottom center, but opted to use the knob pulls instead. That put me down four of the pulls I needed. I'll get more in the next week or so.

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmhouse Kitchen 

The roll-around cart under the windows is useful for now, so it will stay. The cabinet next to it is the unit I purchased because it belonged to a baker and has heavy duty pullouts for large containers of flour and sugar. I'm thinking this piece may eventually end up in the pantry, but that will stay here for now, too, and I'm deciding whether to paint it the same "London" color as the cabinets on the right, or paint it white. What do you think?

 

I'm also thinking about the overhead lighting. First of all, it bothers me that it's not centered over the island. Because there isn't central air conditioning in the farmhouse, a ceiling fan comes in handy, but not this ceiling fan. I need ventilation and lighting, so I need to put some thought and research into that. Any ideas (with links)? I'm open to suggestions. I mean. There's no rush, because I want to do it right.

Finally, this floor needs attention, too. Right now, I'm leaning toward paint. I've been reading and watching a lot of tutorials about the process, and I haven't changed my mind yet. Or perhaps luxury vinyl tile (LVT) would be good, taking the dogs and wear and tear under consideration? Again no rush. 

For now, I'm going to enjoy the latest project. Once all the dishes and cookware are put away, I can reclaim the storage they took up in the pantry. That should keep me busy for a while.

I Just Can't Help It...

Brynwood Needleworks - Bobby Working In The Kitchen

 

I'm so excited! Our old friend from nearly forty years ago came yesterday to do a kitchen installation for us. Bobby was on our building crews for a carriage house/garage and bedroom addition in our first home in 1983. He was also on the crew that built our entire second home about five years later. We hadn't seen him since our return to Wisconsin until the day before yesterday, when we contacted him about helping with our kitchen project. 

Another aspect of our relationship with him, is that his grandfather owned our farmhouse when Bobby was a kid, and he's our neighbor, Shelly's cousin! His dad and Shelly's dad are brothers. We think it's so cool that someone who knows this home intimately, and has fond memories of being here, is back as an adult to help us with a few projects. The first part of his job here involved removing a section of the baseboard (and believe me...it was a struggle). We don't think the baseboard wanted to go!

Brynwood Needleworks - Plaster Behind The Baseboard

 

When Bob finally removed he section of baseboard, he told us that this was still original plaster behind the base and the beadboard. It was in great shape, too! Pretty cool, right?

Brynwood Needleworks - Just A Peek Today

So, what he's doing for us is installing the cabinets that I've been busy painting for nearly the past month. I love the color and how the cabinets turned out. Once they're installed, I'll be doing any needed touch up. Plus, there's a top molding for the cabinet that had to be cut to fit, so I wanted to wait until that was in place to paint it out.

I'll share the entire piece after I finish painting it later today. I'll show you what it looks like in place, and explain the other pieces in our kitchen at the same time. All in all, it was a pretty great day! Who doesn't get excited at the prospect of more counter space and storage? Not this girl. I'm over the moon! Handsome's pretty happy, too.

My Weekend Project...

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmhouse Kitchen Cabinets Project

The weather was beautiful this weekend, and perfect for painting! So, I went out to the garage to continue working on painting out the cabinets we purchased for our kitchen. 

I white-balanced each of the images in this collage, but the only photo that shows the color the way I actually see it is the photograph of the two containers of product I was using to paint! The deglosser is in the container with the dark lid, and the primer/paint combination is Heirloom Traditions All-In-One Paint, and you can see the variety of colors available HERE. The color I'm using is "London". I'm covering the original stained wood in these KraftMade™ cabinets.

The images upper left, clockwise are: 1) Upper cabinets with the doors removed. (Interior cabinet paint color is Cashmere. I used an entire pint covering the dark wood! We were contemplating painting the base cabinets Cashmere, too, but it took multiple, multiple coats to cover the wood. I said, "Nope. Nope. Nope. We're not going to use that on the outside!" London started covering almost immediately.) 2) Base cabinet and lower door (2 for each base), 3) First coat of London on the upper cabinets, before painting the cabinet interiors, and 4) Heirloom Traditions All-in-One-Paint and deglosser.

The base cabinet shown is finished and drying. I still have to do the backside of the base cab doors, and then I'll move on to the second base cabinet. We're already using the 12" wide, 4-drawer cabinet in the house, so I'll have to empty that to paint it, too.

Coffee, and then heading out to the garage. I really want to get the cabinets finished so they can be installed in the kitchen. I can't wait to show you how it turns out!

Island Girl...

Brynwood Needleworks - Father and #2 Son

It began with a conversation with our younger son. He's a carpenter who has flipped homes over the past few years. We approached him about installing a kitchen island for us...and while he was at it, one other cabinet next to the range. 

The project began on Thursday morning, when #2 son brought in all the cabinetry and hardware. Handsome and I ordered custom countertops from a company who produced all the millwork for the home we built seventeen years before we moved to Florida. When it came time to choose the wood, you'll never guess what one of the choices was...

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Hickory Butcher Block Detail

 HICKORY!!!

 

We got the phone call to tell us the countertops were done and ready to be picked up. Handsome drove down to get them, and when the counters arrived, I was beside myself. They're sooo pretty! You've got to know we'd jump at the "hickory" option.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Our Own Talented Carpenter (Our Son)

 

I took a photograph of our hard working, family oriented, talented carpenter. He's our younger son, who flipped homes with his wife for quite a while. He really knows what he's doing!

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Completed Island

 

As the project completed (for now), the sun came shining in the hall window. The island cabinet, countertop and hardware were the focus of this project. I have thoughts about what's next. We purchased cabinets reminiscent of a china cabinet, but that's all I'm going to say for now.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - More To Come!

 

So, every morning we'll come downstairs to this view (for now). I can't stop smiling! I still need to paint the primered beadboard and trim edges, but otherwise it's finished! I'm so happy. Now, I'm an island girl!

It's Going To Be Beautiful...

Brynwood Needleworks - Stair Refinishing In Progress

During the last half of last week we had workmen refinishing the back hall stairs. You may remember THIS post, where I got a wild hair and pulled up all the linoleum tiles. 

We got a call that there was an opening in our contractor's schedule, so rather than having to wait until February, he could come right away. We had people working on sanding and cleaning up the maple boards half of last week, and they should be finished and sealed this week. 

When they're finished, they'll be just as beautiful as the wood floors in the rest of the farmhouse! We're sure hoping that when we eventually pull up the tile floors in the kitchen, back and side halls, and pantry, that we'll find the same. We're excited at the prospect.

Handsome came home from the hospital on Saturday (to much rejoicing), and I'm healing by the day. We're looking forward to a good week. I'm even hoping to be well enough to concentrate on something other than sleeping. 

Thank you to everyone who has been sending healing prayers and wishes our way. We're both certain that your thoughts are working. It's going to be a good week!

Farmhouse Renovation - Unplanned...

Brynwood Needleworks - Compass Barn Door (Before)

After working in the yard last Wednesday, we were unable to pull the old garage door down to cover the opening on the Compass Barn. Rats. We'd hoped to limp one more season with the old door, having just completed the porch project, but the door had other ideas.

I went online, did a search for "Garage Doors" in our area and picked one that was nearby. I made a call, and within an hour the owner was in our driveway, taking measurements and giving us a quote. We gave him the go-ahead, and the replacement installation was scheduled for Tuesday.

On Friday, he called to tell us that they cleared the current job earlier than planned, so they'd be here on Monday. He said they'd be here at 8:00 am, and the workmen drove in at 7:59.

Brynwood Needleworks - Compass Barn Door (Removal In Progress)

The guys got right to work removing the old door, which was ready to come down. The fiberglass model had long outlived its usefulness, but it did a good job keeping rain and snow out of the barn. 

Brynwood Needleworks - Compass Barn Door (Old Door Down)

The old door was down within minutes, and the guys set about framing up for the new door. They had taken down all the old tracks and hardware, so they made the new frame to close up the gaps in the original frame, and put up the new tracks.

Side note: If you look through to the opposite side wall of the barn, you can see daylight. When the owner made his initial visit, he asked us if we wanted an insulated door. This picture explains why we giggled, and declined, opting instead for a sturdy, uninsulated, metal door.

Brynwood Needleworks - Compass Barn Door (Bye Bye, Old Door)

They loaded up all the old door parts, and even hauled them away so we wouldn't have to worry about how to do that ourselves.
 

Brynwood Needleworks - Compass Barn Door (After)

In a very short time, we had a brand new door installed in the opening for the Compass Barn, and it really looks great. Even better, it will keep the elements out of the barn, so our machines will be protected, and any visiting opossums will be toasty warm this winter.

I have to say that this company (Mid-West Overhead Doors in Fond du Lac, WI) is a true customer service oriented business. 1) Fast response on initial call, 2) Great pricing, 3) Great employees, 4) Great product. We'll highly recommend them to any and all who ask.

Brynwood Needleworks - Front Yard - Saturday

Brynwood Needleworks - Front Yard - Tuesday

You'll remember the photo I shared of our front yard on Saturday. When we woke up yesterday morning, this was the view outside our windows. Reports said we got about three inches of the white stuff. I admit, I laughed out loud.

I remember snowy Halloweens as a kid, but forgot how snow looked in October. By the end of the day, even with warmer temps, we still had snow on the ground.

Brynwood Needleworks - Honeysuckle (Saturday)

Brynwood Needleworks - Honeysuckle (Tuesday)

 

The honeysuckle blossom is under a snowy mantle, too. I think it's pretty either way, but I think I prefer it without the snow. 

 

Bella sees the specialist again today. She's getting around pretty well (even if we had to keep her on a leash because she badly wanted to run in the snow), but we want to make sure everything is healing right, and see how much longer we have to keep her from running. I'll keep you updated on her condition, but from our point of view, she's doing remarkably well.

 

If you've got snow, stay safe and warm. If you're in a warmer climate, please don't rub it in to those who aren't. (wink)

 

Farmhouse Renovation - Weekend Project...

Brynwood Needleworks - Rear Entry Update

 

We've been watching the weather for temperatures that would be warm enough to accommodate a little project for the "friends and family" entrance to the farmhouse. This past weekend, it got into the low 60s, so it met our requirements for painting.

 

We decided that the supports for the rear entry could look more cohesive with the porch work we did this fall if they were white, rather than the same as the siding on the rest of the house. We purchased the paint a couple of weeks ago, so I just had to wait for the right day.

 

Saturday, I set up my painting supplies, and Handsome set up the ladder for me. It was warm and sunny on the south side of the house when I started, so the project went relatively quickly. As I put the finishing touches on the job, the sun moved behind clouds, and the wind got a little more brisk. At least the job was done. We're both really happy with the way it turned out!

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Full View of South Elevation

 

I put away my painting supplies, cleaned my brush and Handsome put the ladder away for me (it was heavy!) and then I helped him finish the job he was working on. He gave me his sweatshirt and asked me to drive the tractor so we could move more mulch around.

We mulched the bed in front of the Compass Barn, and also along the south side of our big pole barn. We also put more in the beds in front of the porch, and on the north side of the house. We still have a bit more to move, but we decided we'd done enough for the day.

Although the weather was equally nice on Sunday, our elder son, his wife and our grandson came to visit for the Packer game and halftime meal. We really had fun, and when they left late day, it never entered our thinking to go back out and work. We can do that later this week. We just rested and reflected on our visit the rest of the day.

I'm back in the studio this week. Orders to mail, and more to fulfill. One of my projects is a bit more involved, so I've been procrastinating on it. No more. It has to get done. I'll show it to you when I finish. 

 

You'd think I'd know better than to put off the hard projects. Once they're finished, I'm always wondering why I waited. We'll see. At any rate, I'll be hoppin' today to make some headway. Busy me. Just the way I like it!

 

Farmhouse Renovation - Porch Project - Before and After (Most)...

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmhouse Porch - Before

We love this old farmhouse. For over one hundred years, it has sheltered generations of one hardworking, and God-fearing family. In 2016, she became ours. With ownership came responsibility to honor her for as long as we're here.

Sadly, the porch that baptized every member of the previous family, would not have been safe enough to baptize one more. She was showing every year of the past one hundred, and it was time to do something about it.

If you're a follower of my blog, you've seen the entire project in process. (I just realized that I need to update the link at the top of my blog with all the posts about the project.) There are still a few things to do yet - the second-story airing porch on the left side of this picture, and we're going to repaint the supports for the "friends and family" entrance below it. We're waiting for the rainy weather to pass this weekend, and then those things will be done. I'll do one more "before and after" of this image when it's all done. I just couldn't wait another day to show you the finished lower (main) porch.

Brynwood Needleworks - Porch - South Elevation

The "before" image of the southern side of our porch was pretty sad. It really was listing (slanting)  that much to the right. The new porch is exactly the same footprint as the old one, but the rails were moved out about four more inches. (See that they're not centered on the pillars?) Doesn't it make a huge difference?

Brynwood Needleworks - Porch - Eastern Elevation - South to North

The biggest difference on the eastern elevation (the old front of the porch), is that the staircase to the front yard is gone. We now have rails across the entire front of the house, which will allow for more sitting and visiting area on this side. (This view is what you see when you come around from the side entry.)

Brynwood Needleworks - Porch - Eastern Elevation - North to South

Another difference you may notice is the new light fixtures. We took down the old ceiling-hugger fixtures, and installed vintage Appleton barn lights. I love them, and it will be so much easier to change out the bulbs when they burn out. 
 

Brynwood Needleworks - Porch Project - After

 

One feature I forgot to share (but will in the next and final post about this whole renovation) is a token we added to show one hundred years hence, so everyone will remember the year this new porch was built. It's a beautiful 2019 Liberty Silver Dollar, encased in acrylic and embedded into the stonework. 

We love this new outdoor space, and it will definitely get a lot of use in years to come. We especially love that it honors and elevates the grand, old lady, without looking pretentious. The best part is that, except for repainting the rails from time to time, this will be a no-maintenance porch. Great for owners our age.

So, I hope you love the new look as much as we do. Just looking at these images again makes me very, very happy. We have a few garden tasks to complete yet this fall (and the two items I mentioned above), but we're otherwise ready to enjoy the rest of this beautiful Autumn. 

Our home will be safe and cozy this winter, thanks to the hard work of the guys from Wendels Construction, and our younger son with his incredible carpentry skills. We are truly blessed, and are so grateful that we could do this for ourselves and our home.

Farmhouse Renovation - Porch Lighting...

Brynwood Needleworks - Vintage Appleton Barn Lights

 

The electrician is working at the farmhouse, while our son is building the rails for our stone porch (and for the upstairs airing porch). Handsome and I found these nearly pristine, vintage barn lights that we had installed to replace the old ones.

Don't worry if you can't remember what the old ones looked like. When this project is finished, I'll be posting comparative "before" and "after" photos to remind you - and so you can see the difference.

While the guys were working on the house, I was busy baking bread for the next few weeks. By the time we sat down to dinner last night, I'd made two loaves of banana bread (you can find the recipe in the "Recipes" link at the top of my blog); and five loaves, plus three baguettes of French bread. In fact, we cut into one of the baguettes as a side for homemade vegetable beef soup at dinner time.

Today, Bella is going to the vet with Handsome for her twice-weekly splint and dressing checkup to make sure she's not getting any sores or irritations from the splint. (For those who don't know, while in San Antonio, our little jock attempted a jump but didn't land well. She fractured three toes on her left foot, plus did a little damage to a tendon. As a result, she's confined and splinted until everything heals. Confinement is really hard for a dog who's always on the go!)

When they get back, we're all going to pick up Concord grapes at a local farm, and then to Menasha to pick up my newest Wool Box from Primitive Gatherings. (Bella and Tag love riding in the truck, so of course, they're going, too.) Once we're back at the farmhouse, I'll break out the canning supplies, and we'll have grape jam in the pantry cupboard by dinnertime!

It's going to be a busy, busy, runaround-type day, so I'm going to enjoy my coffee while Handsome and Bella are at the vet's, and then we'll be off about our day together. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. See you then!

Watching Paint Dry...

Brynwood Needleworks - Painting Railing Parts

 

There are a lot more parts painted and stacked against the wall outside the frame of this image. Don't worry though. I'm not going to ask you to watch me paint. That would be unspeakably boring.

 

I'm only showing one of these images to show you what I haven't been doing. Baking, laundry, oh, yes...and needlework. Only loading the rollers with paint, and waiting for it to dry for the next coat. And, I'm not finished either. sigh

 

#2 Son arrives today to begin assembly, so I guess I'll be painting some of this after it becomes actual built railing. I'm good with that, but I'll certainly be happier when it's finished. 

I think I'll be in the studio while he works today. I wouldn't want to be in his way, after all. (We won't actually speak about my ulterior motives, right?)

 

Farmhouse Renovation - Goodbye, Mud...

Brynwood Needleworks - Mulching

 

Well, we're working on it, anyway. The dirt in the foreground has been seeded with grass and clover. The history of the farmhouse says that the year it was built, it was "planted" in a field of clover. Much of the clover still grows along with the grass. We're continuing that tradition when we plant grass.

The top of the yard (above the wall) is being mulched to keep down weeds while we work on plantings. The long downspout will eventually be replaced with a gravel "riverbed" and a little pond. It's part of my plan for next spring, however, if I have time yet this fall, perhaps I'll get started on it.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Goodbye, Mud

 

I've already planted sedum, Jacob's ladder, gypsophila (baby's breath), pink and purple coneflowers, lavender, and hardy mums. I'll be adding Shasta daisies (Mom's favorite), and a few others. I also have a beautiful butterfly bush, but I read that it can get 6-8' tall, so I'm rethinking that. While I want the plantings to fill in, I don't want them to obstruct the stonework. 

My plan for the stone "riverbed" and little pond will begin at the base of the downspout, and work outward toward the corner and stone monument. The lavender and coneflowers will frame it. I'll be trying to decide what I'd like along the retaining wall, too. Perhaps something that will trail over the edge? 

I'll be able to work on my plan over the winter, order plants, and be ready for more landscaping in the spring. I'm looking forward to that.

For now, Handsome and I will place the rest of the ten yards of mulch that were delivered on Saturday, along with the additional five yards being delivered today. We only managed to place this much on Saturday, before we were both pooped (and I was also running back and forth into the kitchen, as I was making bread that had to proof thirty minutes at a time. I baked it off after we stopped at the corner). 

We also lost a beautiful branch from the old apple tree last week, and Handsome is mulling over my request to place it in the front garden bed (you know, like some places use driftwood). We may move it in there so I can see what it looks like (after the mulch), and then I can imagine how I'd like to plant around it. I'm sure I'll take photos to share with you before and after it's moved in place, so we can decide if it's going to stay.

Tag will be here tomorrow to tell you about his week (or day). We're going on a little outing this morning. Shhhhhh. I'm not telling him where, but I'm sure he'll have something to say about it when you visit with him tomorrow. I'd better get going...