seed 'n feed

Last week, I bought a new bag of bird seed.  Todd left it on our side patio, by the feeders.  It did not take long to become a major attraction.

First came the squirrels, who ripped open the bag...

...and indulged freely.

The chipmunks were next.  Look at those stuffed cheeks!

The birds made off with the leftovers...chickadees and tufted titmice, mostly.

The cats thoroughly enjoyed their undisputed status as mighty hunters from a safe distance!

We bought a patio set this weekend...

After a while, I noticed something lumpy on one of the umbrella supports.

It was a tree frog!

A nice surprise!  We've really enjoyed the patio set and occasionally eating outside.  The wonderful smell of the gardenias wafts up, and the mimosa tree by the pond is in bloom.  It is so beautiful.  The flowers look like tiny flames in the sun.

(Many thanks to Todd's point-and-shoot camera for these pictures...I've had some issues with mine!)

I bought an interesting indoor plant recently.  I'd never heard of bog plants, but these carnivorous pitcher plants looked so different that I couldn't resist.

They need to rest in water at all times, and need full sun (fingers crossed that my greenhouse window will provide enough light).  They catch small gnats and other insects.  I bought two varieties that have official Latin names, but I am not motivated enough to run and check them.

I have the "short, round" variety:

And the "tall" variety:

I always like a little diversity, so I'm really happy to have them!

I haven't been outside as much.  It's been very hot, and the mosquitoes are pretty merciless.  Instead, I've been working inside, on puzzles.  I have one set up at the far end of the dining room table at all times, and I absolutely love taking a spare minute to put a few pieces together.

As soon as I finish one, I start another.

I'm finishing one per week, or even a little more quickly.

I used to do puzzles all the time when I was younger.  I'm so glad to be back in the saddle again!

Have a great week!

the little house in the big woods

After weeks of packing and cleaning, of loading and unloading boxes, of hauling complaining cats in different vehicles and in and out of hotel rooms and boarding houses, we're finally in our new house in South Carolina. 

Although we don't know anyone, and it doesn't quite feel "like home", we feel so blessed to have found this house.  It's got so many elements that we've been looking for.

A long, open living room with a fireplace, and lots of windows.  And hardwood floors...oh, how I love hardwood floors.

A bright and cheery dining room, with plenty of space for family gatherings.

A big kitchen...

...with a big window for my plants.

The view from my old kitchen window was, four feet in front of me, the flesh-colored aluminum siding of the house next door. 

This is my new view!

The tree you see there in the background is a palmetto tree, which is the state tree.

Off the kitchen is the sun room, which was added on to the original house several years ago.

Another sunny, happy place to gather with loved ones!

The house was built in 1950, but the last homeowners added several features.  Besides building on a sun room, they widened the back living room and added a bank of windows that overlooked the back yard.

They also built a patio, just beyond the guest bedroom.

One of my favorite changes...they remodeled the master bathroom to add a 2-person jacuzzi tub and a stand-alone glass shower.  It's so modern-looking, which I normally dislike, but oh, the comfort!

They installed sinks on either side of the bathroom, so I have my own space.  Ahhhh!

I have my own craft room, too, a cheerful little room tucked away at the far end of the house.

I love the idea of being able to work back here with so many windows.  I have great views:

The house is white with green shutters.

Just like I've always wanted, it has a little fenced-in side garden...perfect for flowers.

On the other side, you can see the sun room jutting off the back, and the land start to slope down toward the water.

The back shows all the features added by the previous homeowners to enjoy the view!

And what a view it is!  We can't get enough of it.

There's an 11-acre pond, owned by a neighbor, running the length of our property in the back.

 

There's an outdoor fireplace that's fallen into disrepair, right by the water.

 

We're looking forward to restoring it, and area around it, into a comfortable gathering place for friends.

We're on a dead-end street, surrounded by trees, with a few spread-out neighbors...but just 1/2 mile up the road is the shopping hub of the entire upstate area.  Target, Walmart, Lowes, Petsmart, you name it...just 5 minutes away.  Yet we feel as if we're isolated in the country.  It truly is the best of both worlds!

We don't have much furniture, we're surrounded by boxes, and we have a lot of painting to do...but we're thankful to be here!  Listening to the birds singing and watching the colorful leaves drift slowly to the ground, we're feeling pretty lucky.

Have a great week!