home care

Hello! 
I know it's been over two weeks since I published a blog post. It's been a busy summer. Lots of get-togethers with friends and family, more time spent outside and not on my laptop, and I'm still in physical therapy two days per week. My knee is doing great, but now I'm having lower back and hip problems, all related to the knee. All will be well: Besides my regular scheduled physical therapy, I recently had an hour massage that focused on my problem areas, and I plan to have another massage in a couple of weeks. I'm also going to return to a regular yoga class next week.

Not much is new around here, but I thought I'd show you some things we got for the house recently, as well as the goings-on in the yard.

We got new windows last week! With the house being 27 years old, we were definitely due. Now to get rid of the ugly, faux wood trim around all the windows. We contacted our contractor about doing all the trim as well as a couple of other projects and he and his crew are book until November! So, looks like the ugly trim will be staying for awhile longer.

Tim had been trying to talk us into getting a toaster oven. Claimed it was so convenient not to turn on the oven, especially when cooking a small meal, or reheating something that wouldn't turn out as well in the microwave. With not wanting to heat up the kitchen in the summer by turning on the oven, we finally bit the bullet. We wanted a quality toaster oven, so we chose this Breville Smart Oven. I'm loving it! I've roasted veggies, baked chicken breasts, sweet potatoes and cookies, and we also use it to make toast instead of dragging out the toaster - which is now packed away in the basement.

Speaking of cooking, isn't this French enameled cast iron Dutch oven a beaut? It's made by Fontignac - a division of Staub, if you're familiar with them. Staub, Le Creuset, take your pick. Both excellent cookware. When I got a promotional email from Costco over the Fourth of July weekend about this Fontignac Dutch oven, I did my research on the quality and pricing and found both the reviews and Costco's pricing excellent. I have yet to actually use this pot though...it'll be perfect in the fall and winter for soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, etc.

Now for something quirky and fun...cat pillows!

They're from IKEA - and only $3.99 each! They were purrfect (sorry, I had to) for the casual, modern furniture - coincidentally enough, all from IKEA - in the basement family room.

Around the yard...

Hostas are beautiful as is, but even moreso at this time of year when they're showing off their purple spiky blossoms.

Gazanias are my new-to-me favorite flower this year. They're the ones poking out of the double green pail and the beige planter below the green pail.

Close-ups...

The Joe Pye Weed by the patio has really spread, as it's known to do. I think this will be the year where we'll have to dig some up and plant it elsewhere. Did you know bees love Joe Pye Weed? Once it blooms - and you can see how the blooms are starting on mine - the bees will be all over them.

We've been enjoying a lot of patio-sitting, from morning coffee, to afternoon breaks, to evening relaxation. One of the best things we've done is to hire a mosquito-spraying service. The mosquitoes are rampant here due to all the trees and water (have a nearby lake with lots of creeks) and our little village doesn't spray for mosquitoes. We've never been able to enjoy our patio except in the early spring and late fall. Silly us - wish we had've thought of the mosquito spraying service years ago! This spray also repels ticks, so it's a win-win. Normally, we're against any kind of chemicals either inside our home or outside, but it also becomes a matter of mosquito and tick-borne illnesses, such as West Nile virus and Lyme Disease.

Purple coneflower and phlox are blooming in the butterfly garden now.

Lamb's Ear is blooming, too...

another plant the bees love.

My hydrangeas aren't big plants - I don't think they get enough sun - but they sure do produce huge, gorgeous blossoms.

I don't think we were too wise with using an old crib mattress as a trellis for KY pole beans. They look more like a tangled mess, and....

they're growing so tall, that they're over the fence. I've been pushing the stalks into the grooves between the fence boards to hold them up! 

The cherry tomato plants are about six feet tall and slowly starting to produce fruit. 

A patch of wild strawberries appeared around the tree stump in the side of the yard. I wonder if they taste good. I think I'll just leave them for Chippy (what I name all chipmunks) or any other wild creatures that might want a snack.

Back yard view. That's the compost bin in the middle of the lilies.

It's a gorgeous Monday here with clear blue skies and temps only in the 70's, so like I mentioned earlier, the laptop is now going off and I'm going outside to do some yard work and enjoy this beautiful day. The heat returns tomorrow and so does a physical therapy session, so there's no time like the present.