it's all done!

as of 10:15 am this morning my 2013 Christmas shopping was complete!
YES! if you are on my Christmas gift list your gift is somewhere in these stacks!
Tags, bags & gift wrap is here too!
Next on my holiday list are my cards! The design is complete so I'm headed to the craft table now!
Hugs!
Patty

Sunrise ...

6:10 am 11/26/13
looking southwest from the backyard....

this was the view that greeted me when I let Annie outside this morning!

show & tell!

I found this little bird nest under our tree out back a few days ago. I am always fascinated by the intricacy of nature. I've decided this will be the perfect show & tell for our young niece & nephews when we see them on Thanksgiving.
Hugs,
Patty

yesterday's lemons...

yesterday afternoon life handed me a few lemons! but by 10 pm action had been taken and those actions led to a most wonderful morning today! How cool is that!
I ended up 2 places today that were not in my plans but as you can see it was all good!
My first unexpected trip took me right past North County Fair Mall so on the way back I stopped in and redeemed a $10 Godiva Chocolate certificate which yielded 2 free pieces of chocolate and left me only having to pay $5 for this box of chocolates! SWEET! After that I went to the Teavana store and used the balance on my gift card to buy 2 new teas... Spiced Mandarin Oolong that was 50% off! and a new White Chocolate Peppermint tea - can't wait to try them!
When I made my last stop on the way home I discovered I was right across the street from a big farmer's market! So I purchased avocados, figs, dried coconut, fresh bay and flowers. But most surprising was to meet a young woman who has recently located here from North Carolina. Her name is Maria and she was selling photographs. As I was looking at some of them I asked if she had anything local, she didn't but she asked me for suggestions since she is new in the area. After talking for a few minutes we discovered we both not only enjoy photography but we both sell Origami Owl Jewelry!
I have been blessed my entire life to have just the right people cross my path at just the right time & I give thanks for those blessings every day!
Hope your day will be full of blessings too.
Hugs,
Patty

lunch on the patio...

such a nice fall afternoon! Annie & I enjoyed lunch outside today. & I even got a picture of Annie looking at me! the trick was to go in the kitchen and turn the camera on then shoot from the doorway!

Hope you are enjoying your day too!
Hugs,
Patty

1996.....

The year 1996 was one with lots of things to remember! Stick with me here & you'll see it's all good stuff! & it ties to today!

My first memory is probably spending Father's Day at the hospital visiting my dad just 2 days after he had major surgery. He was doing fine, in fact flirting with all the nurses, receiving a lot of special attention & having a good time!

My next memory is the passing of my grandmother in August. Grandma was just 3 months away from her 91st birthday when she went to be with the Lord. She had been well until just a few weeks before her passing so it was a blessing she did not suffer long. I will always remember her telling me when she was in her eighties that it was going to be ok when she went to be with the Lord, she was ready and she had already lived more years on this earth than the bible said she was expected to. She didn't want me to be sad when she was gone.

Then in October my nephew Jason was born. He was one of those happy kids right from the beginning! He is seventeen now, a senior in high school and has a gentle, kind soul. He's an A student, a star football player, & a great big brother.

Then on November 1, 1996 Doug & I got married! We flew to Las Vegas on my birthday and got married in a civil ceremony at noon the next day. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch afterwards.

When Doug & I started talking about marriage in the summer of 1996 I told him I wasn't going to get married unless it was going to be a forty year deal! And I was serious! Well this is year # 17 so we are almost half way there! We have shared so many things, good times, sad times, the oh my gosh you didn't do that times and now I can't remember what is was like before we were married. We are so very blessed to have a life full of love and caring and sharing. So to my forever sweetheart, Thank You!
Hugs, Love & Blessings to all!
Patty

Annie's quilt...

Annie will be spending a couple days at the kennel next week. Doug thinks we should take her quilt when we drop her off. OK! So I called the kennel this morning to make the reservation and asked if it would be alright to bring her quilt. The very nice woman on the phone said "Oh yes! Just be sure you put her name on it." So the quilt has been washed and now I'll make a name tag for it!
Gotta keep everybody happy!
Hugs,
Patty

look what I just found!

Remember our swap meet trip on Sunday? Well! this is my leftover cheese corn! I love cheese corn!
I had forgotten all about this until I found it tonight when I was almost done cleaning up the kitchen... now I have lunch snacks for the next couple days!
It's so much fun when you day ends with a happy little surprise!
Hope you had a happy day too!
Hugs,
Patty

dinner from the grill!

This was dinner tonight! Grilled chicken breasts, grilled asparagus, grilled french bread!
Delicious!
and now laundry is done, dishes are done - & it's time for brownies & ice cream!
Hope you had a great day!
Hugs,
Patty

Swap Meet Day!

I figured out to get a good picture of a bouquet put the vase on the floor & shoot down.

Aren't these pretty? and they were only $3.00!
My first purchase at the swap meet this morning was 2 crystal vases for just $8.00!

 If you know me you probably think I really didn't need anymore crystal flower vases! But I liked these! & I knew I'd find somebody selling flowers!
So far it's been a very nice day... I got to spend the morning wandering around the swap meet with Doug while he looked for a holster for his new phone and I looked at just whatever caught my eye! Then we stopped at IHOP for breakfast on the way home & got a 10% discount on breakfast!
Hope you are enjoying your Sunday!
Hugs,
Patty

Papermate

I wanted a blue pen to write inside this card I'm sending & when I reached in the desk drawer tonight to find one I saw this old Papermate pen! I've probably had this pen for over 20 years! I've lost it countless times but it always made it's way back to me! I used to call it my lucky pen because of that! The funny thing is, one of the reasons it used to be my favorite was because it was so slim & easy to hold. But tonight when I was writing with it I actually had a little trouble because it was a little bit too skinny to hold easily! Funny how things change sometimes, but I still love this pen! It even says USA on it!
Hugs,
Patty

RAIN! lots of it!

As you can see from the date on this post it is only October 9th! & it has rained most of the day at my house! If you don't live in So Cal this won't be a big deal to you but here in San Diego County we don't get a lot of rain! Right now as I am typing it is pouring outside! When I got home from work this evening the bird baths were full & I am betting if I went outside now the fountain is full too!
Annie's house is no longer on the edge of the patio - oh no! Doug moved it to the center of the patio!
So let it rain! We don't get free water very often and all the gardens, trees, lawns, creeks & lakes will be happy!
Hugs!
Patty

Baking & Crafting! I love Saturdays!

My day started with baking some banana bread. Yes! the kind where you measure flour, sugar, add eggs & milk! Like most, I have dozens of cookbooks with Banana Bread recipes but I always use the recipe I got from my friend's husband probably 20 years ago! My friend Ann does not like bananas at all! and really hates how they smell! I actually find this funny! So when her husband John wants banana bread he has to make it himself! Ann & John have lived in Pennsylvania for the past 17 years and I miss them a lot but making this bread makes me feel like we are still connected. Then I start remembering other unique things, like John telling me that you should never put milk in a glass beer mug! He seems to think beer in a mug that has been used for milk just doesn't taste right!

When the breads came out of the oven it was time to leave & join my friends for some holiday crafting! I have some very talented, very creative friends! My wonderful friend Heather Plotzke created this pretty Fall medallion. I love the rosette and the burlap ribbon!
Thank you to all my wonderful friends! I had a wonderful Fall day!
Hugs,
Patty

Dogs & training...

I've already posted lots of pics of our dog Annie but I haven't talked about training. Sit, fetch, shake, are all cute but thank goodness one of the commands Annie always follows is "DROP IT". I'll admit sometimes she stands there looking at me before releasing whatever she has in her mouth but she always drops it.
Tonight after dinner we were cleaning up the patio & the barbeque & raking a few more leaves when I saw her grab something out of the patio cabinet & run! I had no idea what she had just taken off with so I shouted "DROP IT". What she had was one of Doug's prized pieces of Mesquite wood. I guess she has good taste! Might have to find a better place for those last pieces of Mesquite!
If you have a dog give her /him a hug and a treat & tell them "good dog"!
Hugs!
Patty

good morning....

Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.
                                                                                  author, Og Mandino

This morning I decided to search Google for a good morning poem to inspire me. It's Friday and it's been a long week. Often when I find a quote or poem on the internet I am curious about the author.Next is what I found about the author, sounds like he was a wise and fascinating soul.

Have a wonderful and joyous day!
Hugs!
Patty

Augustine "Og" Mandino II (December 12, 1923 – September 3, 1996) was an American author. He wrote the bestselling book The Greatest Salesman in the World. His books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. He was the president of Success Unlimited magazine until 1976 and is an inductee of the National Speakers Association's Hall of Fame.

Mandino's main philosophical message is that every person on earth is a miracle and should choose to direct their life with confidence and congruent to the laws that govern abundance. He wrote in Scroll I, "I will not fail as the others, for in my hands I now hold the charts (the Ten Scrolls) which will guide me through perilous waters to shores which only yesterday seemed but a dream." Og was also a proponent of taking action now. In Scroll IX, the phrase I will act now is written 18 times. He recognized that all successful people take on their own lives by "charting" or consciously choosing both the desired destination and the path to reach it. Mandino's philosophical messages have Christian undertones. They are encouragements to build good habits, to live according to the laws that govern abundance and to find a vigor and joy in life as we learn to stand at the helm of our ship charting its course into the safety of the harbor instead of just waiting for someone else to bring it in.

 The Greatest Salesman in the World  contains the "time-tested wisdom of the ancients distilled into ten simple scrolls" which, if followed for the prescribed ten months, will as Og says, "seep into my other mind, that mysterious source which never sleeps, which creates my dreams, and often makes me act in ways I do not comprehend. As the words of these scrolls are consumed by my mysterious mind I will begin to awake, each morning, with a vitality I have never known before. My vigor will increase, my enthusiasm will rise, my desire to meet the world will overcome every fear I once knew at sunrise, and I will be happier than I ever believed it possible to be in this world of strife and sorrow." (Scroll I)
The scrolls each have a principle designed to replace bad habits built up over a lifetime which "threatens to imprison my future" (Scroll I) with good habits developed through a ten month process of studying the scrolls. Each Scroll's principle is life altering. They are:

• Scroll I - Today I begin a new life.
• Scroll II - I will greet this day with love in my heart.
• Scroll III - I will persist until I succeed.
• Scroll IV - I am nature's greatest miracle.
• Scroll V - I will live this day as if it is my last.
• Scroll VI - Today I will be master of my emotions.
• Scroll VII - I will laugh at the world (Keep perspective)
• Scroll VIII - Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
• Scroll IX - I will act now, I will act now, I will act now.
• Scroll X - I will pray for guidance.

something fun!

My friend Dawn & I often do tiny favors for each other & the other day I found out that she could use some empty 12 x 12 plastic zip top bags I've been accumulating. Tomorrow I will be in her neighborhood in the afternoon so I decided that will be the perfect time to take her the bags. She won't be home when I stop by so I've made a tag and attached a string to tie them to her door!

This is certainly not the most impressive tag I've ever made but it is multipurpose! I've had a good time making the tag just from stuff close at hand in my craft room... it's going to make Dawn smile when she see's it.... and it will be easy for her find this bag of bags later when she needs them!
Hope you did something fun today!
Hugs!
Patty

the day begins...

well it is what we refer to as our off Friday - which I guess could sound a little odd to some to refer to a Friday as an off day! but what it really means is that Doug & I are both off work today!
each new day is a chance to look forward & anticipate all the good things that might come your way. here's my list for today.

• the stock in my 401k that has been losing more $ than I'd like might go up today!
• the fedex driver is bring me a customer's locket so I get to make someone happy!
• I'll have the opportunity to meet someone new & share the O2 story with them!
• I discovered a new person I have not met is subscribed to my CTMH newsletter!

so I can tell it's going to be a good day!

I hope as you begin your day it too holds lots of promise of good things!

Hugs,
Patty

9/11 2013 - yes,only the good stuff.....

I do consider this the good stuff. On September 11th, 2001 we all witnessed the attempts to destroy our great nation, it's people and all it stood for. Those attempts while devastating & horrific failed.  Our nation showed it's strength and unity that day and in the days that followed.
This paper flag came folded in our morning newspaper a few days after 9/11. It has been tacked to my wall ever since.

"The world will see that the strength of this nation is found in the character and courage of everyday citzens."President George W. Bush

When you count your blessings today be grateful that you live in America, the greatest nation in the world.

God Bless & Hugs,
Patty

Annie

These pictures were taken a couple weeks ago. Annie does not like having her picture taken! She just won't look at the camera!
But tonight while I have been busy she has been such a good dog I thought I'd post these.
Hugs!
Patty

family

Weddings are always fun - Bryan & Michael - brothers of the Bride!

and Bryan's wild child Jeremy!

Before the ceremony! This child is always happy! Always up to something! A lot like his daddy! But he's a good boy! Thank goodness he has his dad's blue eyes, the smile that can melt your heart & charm! He's going to need them!
Hugs to all!
Patty

dogs....

My friend Lauren seems to find these great postings then adds them to her blog. I think this one is perfect for sharing here.

Thanks Lauren for this great find!

Hugs,

Patty

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY by Janine Allen

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY by Janine Allen

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

- See more at: http://rescuemedog.org/dog-blog/i-rescued-a-human-today-by-janine-allen/#sthash.Ued27LRz.dpuf

Baby Wipes - note to self.....

Buy Huggies! Huggies Simply Clean.......
for household cleaning I've discovered that Huggies brand baby wipes are so much better than Pampers.
So if you are thinking of using baby wipes for household cleaning you'll probably want to get Huggies. The Pampers brand are softer material and come apart too easily.
Have a great day!
Hugs!
Patty

More hot days! It's that time of year!

Getting laundry done during hot weather is a bit of a challenge since we only do it early in the morning or late in the evening and we don't run the washer or dryer if the AC is on. But when it comes to doing laundry I have 2 things I love! the laundry rack in the garage and the clothes line in the back yard! The laundry rack in the garage is especially nice because it also acts as an overflow space for our small closets in the house. And this time of year I really don't mind leaving things hang here because this also serves as part of our fire emergency plan, which is to grab whatever is hanging on the rack & throw it in the car if we have to go!
I love making sun tea too and on a hot day it doesn't take long at all. Years ago I quit using the fancy glass jars created especially for brewing sun tea and now I just use recycled plastic mayo jars. These are easier to store in the fridge & easier to manage for pouring.
And what would life be without a computer! Using the laptop at the kitchen table under the ceiling fan is another way we stay cool on these hot days.

Hope your staying cool!
Hugs!
Patty

air conditioning!

today's blessing is air-conditioning! I think ours has run non-stop for the past 48 hours! it's been 75 degrees at 5:30 am the past few mornings! I was actually glad to stay inside our nice cool house today!

every time I did go outdoors today there were lots of thunderhead type clouds so I pray there isn't any lightning that starts a fire.

it's now 7:48 pm and it's still 85 degrees outside...

so remember to count your blessings everyday!
Hugs!
Patty

6:20 am Santee, California

Hugs!
Patty

Coffee!

This day started out with me sitting here at my desk on the computer while I was drinking my coffee - just like most mornings- but today wasn't most mornings - I bumped my coffee cup and spilled 1/2 a cup of nice hot coffee right into my keyboard -- ughhhhhhh! So I cleaned up the mess, made another cup of coffee & continued with what ever I was doing on the computer.
But tonight when I got home the keyboard will not work! So here I sit using Doug's laptop - on battery power because I'm too lazy to figure out where to plug it in! & I keep hitting a wrong key and deleting stuff I just typed! But it's all good! not one drop of coffee spilled on the carpet we just cleaned a couple days ago!
So among my blessings to be counted tonight? 
Doug's laptop!
No coffee spilled on the clean carpet!
& tomorrow I get a new keyboard!
Be sure you count your blessings everyday! & don't get the enter and shift keys mixed up when you type on a laptop!
Hugs!
Patty

Iceberg Lettuce & Grandma!

Sometimes the simplest things can evoke a memory from long ago and make me laugh! Tonight I was cleaning a fresh head of iceberg lettuce & the outer leaf was quite wilted, but it looked so nice I didn't want to toss it. Then I remembered a long time ago I offered to help my grandmother make the tossed salad for dinner. We didn't get to visit her often so it was always a treat to work in the kitchen with her when I was a young teen. Well when I proudly told Grandma that I knew how to make salad and asked if I could she asked me "are you going to waste as much lettuce as your mother does?" Fortunately for me I knew I better not sugarcoat this so I just said "probably". Well of course that was the wrong answer! So I watched Grandma make the salad that night!

In addition to "making salad" - aka not wasting lettuce! LOL! these are the other things I learned from Grandma in the kitchen:

• how to make pie crust - I always get compliments on how flaky my crust is!
• how to make gravy - no lumps allowed! & there won't be any if you do like Grandma showed me!
• how to make enchiladas - be sure you don't skimp on the cheese & make sure it's sharp cheddar!

I also got my love for cloth tablecloths and napkins from my grandmother & use them everyday!

So even though Grandma has been up in heaven for many years now, her teachings still live on!

Hugs!
Patty

full moon rising!

My camera wouldn't take a picture, but tonight Annie & me had dinner on the patio again, chicken, our favorite! Then I read a book in my Kindle in the dark! Actually hadn't done that before - so cool to read without a light! Then, as we were getting ready to come inside we saw the full moon rising!
Hope you are having a pleasant evening too!
Hugs!
Patty

Easy Buffalo Chicken!

I love Buffalo Chicken Wings - but I hate frying because of the mess, expense & calories.
So a few summers ago I started grilling my wings & love the results.
Lately chicken wings seem a little pricy in the stores where I live so I decided to try something new today.
I took split chicken breasts and removed the nice big meaty portion, took off the skin and cut them in strips. Then I prepared them the same way I do my grilled wings by placing them in a glass dish & sprinkling them with Lawry's Season Salt, black pepper & paprika. Then I sprinkled them with Frank's Red Hot Sauce. I didn't have time tonight to let them sit like I usually do with the wings so I was also a little concerned they might get too dry on the grill. To prevent that I took 1/4 cup of butter & a quarter cup of Franks and heated them together to make a sauce for basting while they cooked. They turned out amazing! We ate them with celery & blue cheese dressing just like Buffalo Chicken Wings in Buffalo New York! And since we could eat them with a knife & fork there was no mess!
Tomorrow for lunch I plan on trying them cold with the blue cheese to see how I like that!
I hope they are as good cold as hot!
Hugs!
Patty

good intentions!

Last night I sat down to post a card for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #15 on my papercrafts blog and had intended to post about my day on this blog too, but somehow I ended up on Pinterest! Who knows how much time I spent there! But I finally decided I'd been there long enough & it was time to turn off the computer.
So now it is today & I am just now creating yesterday's post! Life Happens I guess! But it's all good! So here goes my catch up for yesterday!

Taco Salad to Go! (that was supposed to be the title of this post! LOL!)
Yesterday was our monthly scrapbook crop/workshop @ my friend Dawn's place.I usually try to bring something healthy to share but sometimes you have to bring a fun food!
My taco salad is constructed by layering chopped lettuce, Frito's corn chips chili beans & grated cheese - yes, I know you could add more stuff but I like to keep it simple, remember! 
Transporting the pot of chili can be a little tricky because you don't want it to spill. So a I use a cardboard box as a container. I get the medium paper plates that have a deep bottom & put them in a plastic bag with napkins & forks for serving. In the box the bag of plates serves as my barrier between hot & cold. The bag of salad and grated cheese get packed next to the plates & the Frito's bag goes on top & you're set to go!
Hugs!
Patty

cookies? - No! these are paper!

the day is not yet over but I've decided to catch up with the post I wanted to do yesterday & already decided this is going to be my post for today!
It may look like I was baking but these are paper! I borrowed the Artbooking Cricut cartridge from my friend Candace today to cut these trees & then I applied some glitter glue to them & they needed to dry, so here they sit on the kitchen table!
So why you wonder have I already decided to make this my post today? Well this is one of those one thing leads to another!
I promised Candace I'd bring back her cartridge this afternoon before her workshop was over. I got to meet her clients and see their projects then found out that Candace had already showed them some of my projects I shared with her last week! & they had loved them! The few minutes I spent there were so much fun!
Now if you want to see how this project turns out check back on my papercrafts blog in a few days when I post the finished project!
Hugs!
Patty

the best thing about today...

A co-worker asked me to assist with a task today. I spent about an hour putting together the information I thought she might need and sent it to her in an email.
A little while later I received a reply that I just thought would simply say "thank you".
I was so surprised to see her message that started with "Oh WOW! This is so much more than I was expecting!"
Knowing I had made a useful and valued contribution to the project was a good feeling I got to carry with me the rest of the day. Thank you Lisa!
How often does our best thing about today happen at work?
Hugs!
Patty

Dogs & skunks!

OK! Only the good stuff right! Well here I sit in the garage @ 10:33pm with the doors open and my dog resting in her bed after her encounter a couple hours ago with a skunk! So the good part - she was not real close so the stink could be worse!
We live at the end of the city limits & our quiet neighborhood is bordered by dirt hills. Somehow a lot of small animals find our backyard - usually possums! But not tonight!
This actually is almost funny when you realize how a tiny event can reshape your evening!
I am thankful my dog is safe. I am thankful there isn't a dead skunk in my backyard! I am thankful for the fans inside the house turned on full speed so pretty soon my house won't smell!
So just remember... there are blessing to be counted everyday & life is good!
Hugs!
Patty

It was window day!

After breakfast this morning we got started on the windows!
This project is one that we can do together because Doug does the outside parts & I do he inside parts!
I actually don't mind this project because when it's all finished you have sparkly windows, clean screens, clean blinds and clean curtains!
In the past we have sent the blinds out to be cleaned ultra sonically - the phone estimate I got last week was over $200! That was too much to spend for something I could do myself!
So $6 for 5 packs of Huggies Baby Wipes and a couple hours of work and the blinds are just like new!
Hope your day had some sparkle too!
Hugs!
Patty

the backyard

Today our backyard and patio are a bit of a mess! but I've just finished dinner here on the patio where I really enjoy being so I decided it was time to start this blog that I've thought about for a long time. We've lived in this home just one month short of 9 years. Our dog Annie has been here with us since 2006 & she loves the back yard too! especially if Doug & I are outside with her!
Tonight there is a nice breeze and lots of birds on the back fence. When I took this photo the sun was to my back so it's highlighting our carrot wood tree. I love this tree & lots of birds nest in it but it is a messy tree!
Annie's dog house takes up one corner of the patio. I've never known a dog who loved her house more than Annie does! we have a table that will seat six and of course barbeques! yes, with an s!
The tomato plant did really well with Doug's good care but soon it will be bloomed out. He made salsa a few weeks back & I think there will be just enough ripe tomatoes this weekend for him to make one more batch.
The green pot you can  barley see has a dwarf meyer lemon tree. sorry to say it went without water a bit longer than it should have so it could be doing better. This is when I wish my dad were here. he can make anything grow & grow big! but right now he is residing in Washington state.
Every summer we do a project. The brickwork you see in front of the windows was our project a couple years back.  Our fountain and front garden were last year's project. This summer we mounted a new flag on the front of the house over the driveway with a solar light so we can leave the flag hanging. You can see a picture I took a few weeks ago on my pssmitty favorite things blog.
As I'm finishing this post the sun has set so time to wrap up the day.
Remember to count your blessings everyday...
Hugs!
Patty