Ahhh, to sleep at the beach

It's been a year of adult child drama, but I won't go there except to say that our daughter didn't get married as planned. That's not such a bad thing at all. It was a good decision for her, even though she didn't make it. Meanwhile, there was this huge deposit made at the wedding venue and an option to transfer it to the beach house owned by the same property. Soooo, we chose the beach and boy am I glad!

It was a great long weekend in a beatiful (much too big) home. It helped us know that:

1. Our dream home is still cottage-sized not super sized like "The Retreat" where we stayed



2. We want to live closer to the beach some day


3. Sushi tastes better on the beach


4. I feel guilty using a 5-gallon-a-minute-rain-shower-head even on vacation
   
5. We don't really use lights much and so appreciate natural light.


6. Our grand baby is so very happy at the beach
7. Coconut hand soap can enhance your good mood


8. Daytona's City Island Farmers Market has some great deals


9. Angell and Phelps Cafe and Chocolate Factory is a great place to indulge


10. It's REALLY good to get away to the beach!
    

Chickens?

For years I've day dreamed about having a few laying hens. We do already have 1 1 3/4 jobs between the two fo us, a couple of tripical birds, a couple of spoiled dogs, a couple of sometimes-almost-grown adult children and a rambunctious 1 year old grandson who visits the garden daily. My Frenchman has always said that since we live within city limits, that the neighbors would complain (never stopped the neighbors who once has peacocks). Well, the landscape protects our home from all but one neighbor, a long empty foreclosed home. I suppose the next person buying it will make their purchase depending on if they can stand my curious dogs (only sometimes noisey)our backyard garden (chickens & all?).
I have to get past the fact that the very handy Frenchman would have to build a small coop. I'm working on researching my explaination of the permaculture benefits of chickens and the idea of a dozen fresh eggs a week for his breakfast. I'll let you know how far I get with my request :)
Happy Sunday!

Organizing a Busy Office

I am the Administrative Assistant at my church and love it here. Not one of those churches that's only open on Sunday; one that is hopping with people day and evening. We're in such a great place - seated between a high school and a middle school with two elelmentary schools in walking distance. I love kids and enjoy seeing families worshiping together, so this is a perfect job for me. My boss is a great guy; the founder of this church 11 years ago. He's very drivien and is always trying to look at the work we do from new perspectives.

I sometimes begin to feel weighed down by my work, especially when I start to get unorganized. I get so much joy working in nice environment that I made it my goal to change my office envoronment; right down to the work on my desk.

• I cleaned up the desk area and ask my dear hubby, the Frenchman, to build the tiny fountain that has been trapped in a box under my desk for at least a year.



• I scanned all the paper that I needed to file (I admit - I hate paper) into my computer.



• I created a binder. I admit that I hated binder and was a die hard folder girl for years. Binders seemed too large and hard ot manage. I imagine that the binder I made is a "comand central" type binder. I started to catagorize the tasks that come across my desk during a normal week. I even left room for weeks when there are more than a few events going on around here.



• I got down to work with a new joy and thought I would share the new photos of my desk (as opposed to Monday's desk).

Next...I'm thinking about attacking my home office/craft room :)

I need some cottage ideas

I'm stuck about what else to do in my garden. I have sort of a clean but comfortable taste. My dining room might be a good example of my style. I love to see white in the garden, but right now it's so plain. I'm on a budget, but have a handy Frenchman who can build anything. I have some white flowers to plant int he area between the garden two windows (there's already a tree gardenia there). I, some day, would like to replace the window on the left with yet another french door to the patio. (As you can see, there's a new roof in our near future). I also have this great gas fire pit that I haven't been using in the screened room because the grandbaby and dogs get too close to it. I also have a very ugly little shed. The flower boxes rotted and fell off last year, so my Frenchman rebuilt he shed sans flower boxes. We've neglected the bromiliads to the right of the shed and also need some new shade loveing zone 9 plants.
Do you have any ideas? I'd love to hear them.

An Overnight Visit from the Easter Bunny

See the bunny tracks?

Garden Update with photos

Today is my tax day. I've finally finished sending my cash to my Uncle Sam. I can't complain though, at least we had income. I rewarded myself with a bowl of ice cream and stroll to look around the garden after high winds and rain. I was pleasantly surprised. We got our "first fruits" in the form of very hot radishes. The grand baby & dog were intrigued, but not impressed. Have a beautiful week!

Chilly Night

I hope the scattered frost is a rumor, but I didin't take a chance with my first real garden. The tomatoes will sleep under flannel Pooh Bear and red & blue race car sheets, just like my little son did once upon a time. Stay warm my friends.

Dusk in the Garden

It's dusk on a windy cool spring night. It's 69 degrees and I've been wandering under the moon. I'm just getting over a rough bout with influenza. Poor baby Logan is still feeling bad. We get texts from his Mommy updating us on his symptoms. I smelled the orange blossoms and jasmine as walked around the garden, I hung a few more solar string lights and checked on the solar uplights on the crepe myrtle then did my best to capture a photo of the garden at this wonderful hour.

I'm going to enjoy this evening with the doors open and the breeze blowing through my little house.

A Peaceful Place

Ever wonder why it's so hard to get away from the hustle and bustle, the noise, the distractions? Are we afraid to miss something? Are we concerned about what small voices that we might hear if it's quiet? No, not the pshyco things we hear about on the news, but the little nudges we feel, some call it "concience", some instinct, but I believe it's more.

We leave the TV on as background noise, have ipods and cell phones ready to fill quiet times and deprive ourselves of peace. I've started to question why I feel so rushed and busy in my office and in my house and so peaceful outside and in the garden. It's not silent in the garden or outside at y work. It can even be loud with frogs singing and cranes squaking as they fly overhead. I've started becoming aware that I've even had profound thoughts in the shower; maybe that's because it's the only place peaceful enough to think or hear anything.

I'm now looking at the examples of Jesus. He went to beautiful peaceful places of solitude, for meditation and prayer (Matt. 28:16; Mark 6:45-46) like mountains and gardens. Meditation is not "new age", it's an ancient practice of calming the soul. Jesus was able to connect with God the Father most in a quiet place of solitude. He set this example, and I intend to follow it.

Yesterday I began to follow that example and found a peaceful place to pray and listen for that small voice.




Jesus and his followers went to a place called Gethsemane [a garden]. He said to them, "Sit here while I pray." - Mark 14:32