Two For the Seesaw - Update

Update:  Apparently Mom and Dad abandoned the nest.  Since it was located right above the water faucet and we were watering constantly (until two days ago), there was just too much activity.  Two tiny eggs remain. 







In our side yard there is a lovely lilac tree; it's even lovelier now that there is a cardinal nest!  We have been entertained with the chirping of the Daddy a during the day and evening.  He's keeping a very close eye on his house for sure!  Adjacent to that bed is the garage with a weathervane.  He perched there yesterday along with a little friend who just happened to be flying by.  They were so cute!

We haven't heard any baby chirps yet, but we're listening.  Enjoy your day! 

Flaunt It Friday

Potpourri Friday

Show and Tell Friday

A Peony For Your Thoughts

Although there has been precious little rain here lately, things are really filling out (thanks to copious amounts of watering!).  I thought you might like to see what is bloomin' around here (since I have nothing else to share at the moment!).  So...without further ado, here are some of the stars around here:

Those of you who have these lovely plants know how sweet the scent is.  They bloomed so fast that I didn't have time to bring any inside; but, they did put on a show for the neighborhood!

The boxes on the deck are filling in nicely; I couldn't bring myself to shear back that beautiful trailing lobellia!

The Asiatic lilies are popping out, too; these are the first!

The clematis is full of buds and blooms!

The Annabelle hydrangea is thinking about blooming soon!

The apples are actually getting ready for fall, way up high in the old apple tree!

A butterfly stopped by to perch on the shadow of a leaf on the wall of the old chicken coop!

And the fuschia is happy on an old cherry picking ladder under that old apple tree!

I hope that all of you are having a fabulous weekend!  The Headmaster and I are taking off this aft up the Peninsula to see a production of  "Opus" at Peninsula Players!  It's one of our favorite things to do in the summer!

The Headmistress will be attending some of these fabulous gatherings this week; thanks to all of the lovely and talented hostesses!

Under the Table and Dreaming ~ Sunday Showcase
Sunday's Best Party @ My 1929 Charmer

It's Party Time @ It's So Very Cheri

The Tablescaper ~ Seasonal Sunday

Between Naps on the Porch ~ Metamorphosis Monday
Debbie-Doos Newbie Party

Mop it Up Mondays ~ I Should Be Mopping the Floor 

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Making The World Cuter Monday @ Making The World Cuter

Mingle Monday @ Add a Pinch

Show Off Your Cottage Monday @ The House in the Roses

Bedazzle me Monday @Everything Under the Moon
Creative Mondays @ Judy H-J's Thoughts - A Twinless

Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home
Dear Lillie Link Party @ Dear Lillie
Just A Party with My Peeps @ How to Nest for Less
Cowgirl Up @ The Farmhouse Porch
It's Show Off Monday @ Kampen Lane

A Stroll Through Life ~ Tabletop Tuesday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm 

Time to Shine @ A Diamond in the Stuff 
Tuesday Cuppa Tea@ Antiques and Teacups 
Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life 
Talent Tuesday @ Vintage Wanna Bee

Twice Owned Tuesday @ Creating a House of Grace

Tuesday Link Party @ A Bowl Full of Lemons

Knick of Time Tuesday @ Knick of Time

Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Anything Goes @ Type A

Club G.W. @ Charm Bracelet Diva 
Show Me What Ya Got@Not JUST a Housewife
Inspiration Board @ Homework
Rock 'N Share @ The Shady Porch
Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co.

Savvy Southern Style ~Wow Us Wednesday
Ivy and Elephants ~ What's It Wednesday
Cuisine Kathleen ~ Let's Dish

Works for Me Wednesday @ We are THAT Family

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday @ Primp
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm 
Wednesday Link Party @ Very Merry Vintage Style
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style 
Show and Tell @ Blue Cricket Design

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Create and Share @ Trendy Treehouse
Link It Up Wednesday @ Junk in Their Trunk
Sugar & Spice @ Seven Thirty Three
Show & Share @ Southern Lovely

Between Naps on the Porch ~ Tablescape Thursday
Catch a Glimpse Thursday ~ A Glimpse Inside

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours

Time Travel Thursday @ Brambleberry Cottage 
Catch a Glimpse Thursday @ A Glimpse Inside

Creative Things Thursday @ The Vintage Farmhouse

Vintage Thingie Thursday @ The Coloradolady

Pearls and Lace Thursday @ Faith, Grace, and Crafts

Pin'Inspirational Thursday @ The ArtsyGirl Connection

Thrifty Thursday @ Tales from Bloggeritaville 
Cute & Creative @ Dumpster Diva

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Coffee & Conversation @ Passionately Perfect
Thrift'n On a Thursday @ Savvy City Farmer 
Debbiedoo's Newbie Party @ Debbiedoo's
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life
Creative Thursday @ Michelle's Tasty Creations and Crafty Ideas

Chic on a Shoestring ~ Flaunt It Friday
My Romantic Home  ~Show and Tell Friday
Flaunt It Friday ~ Chic on a Shoestring
Foodie Friday ~ Designs by Gollum

Air Your Laundry Friday @ Freckled Laundry

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Inspiration Friday @ At The Picket Fence

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Friday Flair @ Whipper Berry

Feature Yourself Friday@ Finger Prints on the Fridge

Farmhouse Friday @ LaurieAnna's Vintage Home
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove
Potpourri Party @ 2805

Funky Junk Interiors ~ Saturday Night Special

Homemaking Link-Up Weekend @ Hope in Every Season
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Say G'Day Linky Party @ Natasha in Oz

YOU - Are My Sunshine!

What a nice, nice surprise to find this award from the talented Donna from Distressed Donna Down Home.    Also, last week, Alana at All Is Amazing nominated me, but I was having too many 'technical' problems and couldn't respond.  If you are not a follower, please stop by and see what these lovely ladies are up to; they are as entertaining as they are inspiring!  Thank you so much to both of you!

To list all of the fabulous blogs that have inspired me would be impossible; there are way too many!  As a new blogger, though, I would like to recognize the following and pass this award on to them; I hope that, if you have not already, you would visit them and see for yourselves!

 Plum Perfect

I Should Be Mopping The Floor

 Lynne's Gifts From The Heart

At The Picket Fence

The Impatient Gardner

One of the stipulations for this award is that you answer some questions; here are mine!

1.  Favorite color?  YELLOW; the color of sunshine!

2.  Favorite animal?  Dogs, especially rescued dogs and pound puppies!

3.  Favorite number? Two; two fabulous sons!

4.  Favorite drink?   A great glass of ice cold sweet tea; lots of ice; lots of lemon, LaCroix sparkling water; the occasional (!) glass of Chardonnay!

5.  Facebook or Twitter?  Facebook for sure.  Started FB to keep up with kids and grands, but I've caught up with so many people from HS and college...and great blogs as well!

6.  Good book or good movie?  Adore 'One Writer's Beginnings' by Eudora Welty (actually all of her books); Tennessee Williams; 'A Confederacy of Dunces'; 'The Help' (book and movie).  

7.  My passion? Seeing beauty in nature; homekeeping for the Headmaster; family and friend relationships

8.  Giving or getting presents? Giving, for sure!!  MY present is seeing the joy of the recipients!

9.  Favorite day? Any!  I'm retired!!!

10. Favorite flower? Peonies; roses; irises; lilies; blue hydrangeas (though mine are pink and not likely to change any time soon); sweet peas; zinnias

Here is how this award works:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them
• Answer the above 10 questions about yourself
• Select bloggers that inspire you, link their blogs to your post and let them know they’ve been awarded the Sunshine Award!
• Don’t forget to copy and paste the award on your blog! 

HELP!!!! I Need YOUR Help!

In our small town in n'east Wisconsin, there is a festival every year in August to celebrate the Lake (Michigan, that is).  There is always a photo contest; though I've never entered, I want to this year.  I am such an amateur, and if there was a category beneath that, I would surely qualify.  Anyway, I can only enter two photos.  And I can't decide!  I would be so grateful if those of you who read this would give me your thoughts on the following photos.  So many of you are such wonderful photographers, and I would love your feedback!!  Thank you so much!!  Here they are:

#1:  House in the ditch (and it really IS in a ditch!)

#2:  Red cabin and fall foliage

#3:  Barn and vine on silo

#4:  Cows at the fence

#5:  Garden Walk Wheelbarrow

Even if you don't follow this blog and are visiting from somewhere else, I would really appreciate your input! Thank you all so much in advance for your help!!

Happy Fathers' Day!

The Headmaster and I will be entertaining his children for Fathers' Day tomorrow, but I wanted to wish my Dad a very well-deserved Happy Fathers' Day!

My Dad is 95 and was a glider pilot in WWII, seeing action in North Africa, Italy, and England, among others.  There are very, very few of these guys still living.  He's a great guy, and the smartest man I know!

Happy Fathers' Day, Daddy!  I love you!

Thrifting on the Door Peninsula

 Thursday provided us with another gorgeous day in northeast Wisconsin; blue skies, a slight breeze, and temps in the 70s.  There is a fabulous resale shop that I've been following on Facebook lately and I was dying to see it.  Julie's Upscale Resale Shop (Sister Bay, WI) did NOT disappoint!  There was so much to see--a great variety of things!  Julie says that drop offs come in everyday, all day, and I managed to acquire some great things!  Here they are!

This fabulous picnic basket had just been dropped off earlier in the day...

There was even a fork included--don't think I'll be using that!  

The center tray is removable...I thought it was a great piece...and VERY reasonable, too!

This precious little metal basket with a sturdy wire bottom will hopefully assist in cutting down some clutter in the bathroom...

There are dozens of these lovely vintage handkerchiefs at Julie's...I grabbed two!  As great as these finds were, this was the greatest of all:

A fabulous Staffordshire Ironstone pitcher and bowl, made in England...very heavy, large, and very beautiful!  I've been watching this online for several weeks and was so excited to see it still available; I simply had to have it!  If you look to the left, you will see the ears of  Assistant #2 peeking up, as well, I believe, the 'blue hour' from the back door!

It was a great afternoon; if you're ever in Door County, by all means visit Julie!  They seem to have a great time there!
Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sharing at the following Gatherings:
Seasonal Sundays ~ The Tablescaper
It's So Very Cherie
I Should Be Mopping the Floor ~ Mop It Up Mondays
Debbie Doo's Newbie Party
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow Us Wednesday

Afternoon Delight...at the Garden Centers!

It has just simply been unseasonably COLD since we arrived in n'east Wisconsin last week, and the weather just hasn't been conducive to visiting garden centers.  Today, however, we 'toyed' with 70 degrees and I managed to coerce convince the Headmaster to accompany to some local places (we love to buy local whenever we can).  The nurseries are pretty much loaded and will remain so for a few more weeks, then all will be gone :(

There are two new beds here that need attention, not to mention the established beds that need some weeding and mulching.  But today it was flower time!  These will go in pots and in the boxes that line the wrap-around deck.  So, without further ado, here is what I found today; eye candy, for sure!!

First, though, a look at what's already here.  Two views of our lilac tree that smells wonderful.  It's planted right outside the guest room and I always leave the windows in that room (and most of the other ones) open so that when you walk in you experience the most beautiful scent.  I'll have to cut some to bring in soon!

The hostas lining the sidewalk from the garage to the deck.  Once again, they seem to have been on steroids during the winter and spring!   See that dark green 'carpet' at the bottom right?  It's that creeping thyme that will absolutely take over EVERYTHING.  And it apparently LOVES Wisconsin winters!  I can hardly control it!

Some weeks ago, someone (I'm so sorry I don't remember who) posted on the little violas that 'volunteer' every year.  These are some of ours that have found a home next to the old chicken coop.

And now, today's purchases.  Two lovely red geranium hanging baskets (just one pictured), found on sale!

Yellow super-bells and lobelia for boxes on the south side of the deck.

More super-bells; these are called 'Candyland'.  Don't they just look like little jewels or little pieces of candy?  I just love them!

Trailing lobelia (new to me) that will go in the Candyland boxes.  Now...if I can only close my eyes and shear it back, it will, I'm told, fill out nicely!  I just hate to do that!

Three varieties of coleus for a pot on the deck.

Not pictured, white geraniums that will go in the little red wagon along with some nasturtiums I'm going to sow with them.  The colors will be nice if it works!

There are a few other garden spots that I need to visit, and I'm sure there will be a few more purchases!  But this is a start, and hopefully the weather will cooperate and these things will take off soon!  Stay tuned!

Have a great week, everyone!