the side porch

Today's project: the side porch.

The "side porch" -as it is already affectionately known- is located off the kitchen and the family room.


It faces the river.


It will have removable screen panels. It will be a great place for eating, lounging, playing games, jamming on guitars and fiddle, late-night discussions about the meaning of life, and sleeping.

Back to the jamming on guitar part: this boy can really really play.
I'm telling you.

Why does #1 Son insist on holding his power tools in a threatening manner?
If he didn't know how to really really play the fiddle, we might relocate him.

Not really. Not by a long shot.
Who am I kidding.


We realized the other night as we were watching the Bluegrass Festival firework show that it will be THE prime location for viewing the fireworks over the water.

We have visitors living on our driveway this week. They actually live in their state-of-the-art camper, so it's not as bad as it sounds. Anyway, one of these visitors (the one who can really really play the gee-tar) has been sucked into the vortex of working with the LOTM.

Cookies, along with premier access to the side porch and all its amenities, will be his reward!

the process

The reason why I am inside posting on a blog instead of scraping & wire-brushing is....

because it hurts my arms to do it for more than twenty minutes at a time.

I am really not a baby, just a grown-up prone to tendonitus.

Bit by bit, the front porch will be prepped for a fresh coat of white paint. I don't mind the process; not with a cool summer-like breeze on my shoulders and this view.

around the yard

Can somebody say "a lot of work"?

I have a truckload of vision for this side yard, but can only live one day at a time.

When it gets overwhelming, I turn around to calm myself with this lovely view.

-and this lovely view.

I am so thankful for a friend's generosity. He brought over tubs & tubs of perennials yesterday. I gave him iced tea.
Over on the other side of the house, I putter in the vegetable garden.

Things seem to be growing slowly but surely. I have had to replant the beans, the cukes, and some butternut squash, owning to the clay in the soil and a few torrential rains.

It will take a few seasons for our soil to improve. Hubby already added many loads of sheep manure from behind the barn which was tilled in thoroughly. If we add mulch and manure every fall, I may even grow carrots here in years to come!
Along the stone wall, we transplanted hostas which we found around the yard. Next year they promise to be beautiful! The road crew planted two juneberry bushes along the road, which I hope will be pleasing to the eye.

They also seeded the lawn, but we had to re-do this little strip of lawn as weeds took over. We brought this to their attention and they agreed to weed & seed the front lawn again

This week, I begin the front porch makeover. I hope to enslave a few teens to wash and wire-brush the whole thing. Then we will give it a fresh coat of white paint. Zappy blue (the name of the front porch table) was painted a regal red yesterday, which was the kick-off for a new look!

Stay tuned for the results!

the new driveways

This was the view from our bay window yesterday morning. The lower driveway was positively teeming with construction workers and their lunky equipment.

They started right in with their favorite activity: making noise.

First, they worked on the lower driveway.
Then they lugged everything big up the road apiece to the upper driveway.

Hubby is presently on the runway at JFK, eagerly anticipating a look-see of the final product.

He can't bear to reach the Dominican Republic without a survey of these photos.

And so I oblige him! Have a great trip, dear!

sketching out the plans

The LOTM (Lord of the Manor, for the initiated) stands on his domain. He pounded this turf into meek submission with a roto-tiller last week.

This freshly prepared patch of smelly dirt is our new garden. There was never a garden here before. Actually, in days of yore there was a house here. It was the oldest frame house in Madrid when it was torn down decades ago.

The harvest table is a very appropriate place to sketch out the garden bed, don't you agree?
This is certainly the largest garden I have ever planned. Although the size is a bit daunting,

I AM RARING TO GET A-PLANTING!

catching up

It takes so very little work to download a few pics, it is a wonder that I haven't had the inclination to do so. But it is only fair to keep my house-blog readers up to date, so here we go:

Welcome to my back yard where we had snow last week.

The Lord of the Manor had spent the previous day putting in grass seed and spreading straw. Never you mind that rusted tin barrel that is on the right. It's days are numbered.

See that black thing sticking up over the edge of the hill? It is the tip of a fallen tree. Every time I glance out the kitchen window, I think there's a man down there. An interloper.

I may have to go out there in my apron and chop it down.
-but not while it's snowing, for goodness sake.


Here is a random picture. Our Korean friend, Song, invited 12 of her friends over for dinner at our house. The way it works is this: we provide the kitchen and she provides the food. Korean food, of course!

After dinner, we gathered in the front room for dessert. (American dessert, that is. Chocolate cake, if you simply must know.)

A little night music helps the chocolate go down.

In other news, our sidewalks were poured today.

This one is in front of our house. The public sidewalk is across the street.
This is our "private" sidewalk. You must ask permission to roller-skate here.

I stepped out of the back door to see this scene. It is a real thrill to see a work crew knocking themselves out in our yard. It makes me want to put my feet up & drink iced tea.

Please disregard the porch swing. It has been patiently awaiting its final destination for almost a year now.

Now that the sidewalk from Grandma Jean's door to the driveway is poured, maybe we could hang that swing. I'm hoping!

Remember the new kitchen. I sure as spit-fire do!
I posted about giving the island a zap of color -and as you can see, it got one! I call this shade "Saffron". I think we'll keep it.

From the bay windows, this is the view. I love love love the industrial-style lights!

I also love X3 the hood vent. It is an Italian model that was on clearance at Home Depot.

Can someone tell me why my counter-tops look curved? In real life, they are not so.

bar stools

I just ordered four of these retro-looking bar stools for the kitchen island.

When they arrive, we may drink chocolate malted milkshakes to celebrate.