Good morning ya'll

On birdwatch ~ these 3 have discovered the new bird feeder they can't wait to get out the door in the mornings to sit and watch .


So how about that wall color ... lol
Oh Miss Cameron ~ can this be called Persimmon ? lol

A few of the Star Magnolias did make it through the freeze but a bunch of stuff didn't guess we will see in the coming weeks if it was a total lost for the more tender plants. This is the first winter in many years that we have had freezing temps for several nights & days so I know there will be some losses .. The sun just doesn't want to shine around here, it tried late yesterday afternoon for a few moments but for the most part it has been damp, foggy, cloudy and I hate it.
I don't know how those of you that live in the north do this all winter give me sunshine ... PLEASE !!!

It is always fun to see who stops by welcome to Miss Alisa from Carolina Panache that chicken salad sounds awesome and the table looks beautiful ... ya'll go on over and check it out.

Miss Maureen from Allotment Heaven I am using an Olympus sp570uz I see you are using a Fuji my brother has the S5000 and I had the s7000 which was wonderful the sensor went out on it and I am still mourning the loss it was an awesome camera .

Hubby has been working hard trying to get the back porch ready for my niece's baby shower that we are hosting next weekend and it really is looking good the wall color is bold but it's growing on me as we add the other colors and as ya'll have said when I start adding in the pillows and other pretties it will all come together.

Time to get moving have a wonderful day everyone
hugs, Cherry

back porch update

As some of you may remember back during the summer we took out a wall on the back porch and extended the porch all the way across the back of the house. We wanted an area off of the bedroom to put the hot tub with an entry way to the pool area so we wouldn't have to run though the house wet and yes to the Ohio girls Necked ... We stopped working on it when it became to hot and yucky outside.
Hubby has been hard at it for a couple of weeks and all that is left is laying the floor, a few nit picking things and painting. It is looking so good I can't wait to see it finished. He also added a few new things to the old part of the room, by ripping out a closet that was more like a black hole... things went in but never came out. He was able to make me these great benches that I have put plastic tubs in for storage and he also made me a giant litter box .. lol
Ok this isn't a box for the kitty's it is for storing nice clean litter we buy several of those big yellow bags at a time and they would sit right at the back door..
I HATED THEM .. so now I don't have to see them at all.

Over the weekend we started working on choosing paint colors. The only for sure color was the floor which we had decided is going to be a local color called Charleston green it is so green it looks black then the walls a soft yellow with a sea green ceiling, but after much debating
lots of lemon cake , beer ~ him... wine ~ me later in the day : )
The wall colors changed to a very bright & bold coral color ..
oh yeah I'm struggling with this and he is hell bent on having it !!!

So I started walking around the house looking at things to see if it could work.
And there on the back porch in the pillows was all the colors we were looking at ..hummmm
then in the laundry room that coral color again in the rug & on my pretty little switch plate cover. Well dang who knew .. I like coral ????

So now I'm off to purchase paint .. and I can't wait to see these walls maybe Sunday afternoon if old man winter would get out of here !!!!!
Burrrrrrrr it is cold in dixie !!!

Wow it's large !

Thank you Robin at Robin's nesting place for teaching us how to enlarge pictures now if I can remember it all in the morning...

sweet dreams ya'll

can you see me now ? lol

Here my Star Magnolias are just about ready to burst into all their glory after all that beautiful 70 & 80 degree weather and old man winter decides to come to Georgia. We are expecting the coldest weather that we have had in like 4 or 5 years. I tried to tuck every body in real tight but only time will tell.

Remembering our dear friend

This weekend our dear friend granny Dot passed away she was a very special lady and not scared of anything as you can see.
Every time I look at this picture I giggle there were 5 men trying to get this bull and goat back to their yard. Those men stood back and let the bull go where ever it wanted but not granny, she was raking pine straw and didn't have time to mess with this guy .. lol
Thank the Lord it's owner showed up with a bucket of feed.

She loved being in the yard and sharing not only the fruits and veggies she grew but also her flowers. She almost never came across the street empty handed every year she would bring me bowls of blueberries, blackberries and figs. She made wonderful strawberry fig preserves and she loved to share it along with her Lemon tea bread .

She shared her recipe for the bread years ago but only after I spent the day helping her bake about 10 loaves, so she could make sure I knew what I was doing.. lol I have only made it a couple of times since and it was good but hers were so much better .

It is a rainy day here in Savannah I think a little Lemon tea bread is just what I need to bring some sunshine into my day.

Sunshine wishes to each of you , Cherry


Granny Dot's Lemon Tea Bread



1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon rind, divided
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar


Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add in the cup of sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternating with the buttermilk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon rind.
Spoon batter into a greased and floured 8x4 loaf pan.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan for a few minutes.
Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spoon over the top of bread, letting it drip down sides.
Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon lemon rind and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; sprinkle on top of bread.
makes one loaf
enjoy!

Make today wonderful

If we are ever to enjoy life, now is the time..

not tomorrow, nor next year, nor in some future life after we have died.
The best preparation for a better life next year is a full, complete, harmonious, joyous life this year.
Our beliefs in a rich future life are of little importance unless we coin them into a rich present life.

Today should always be our most wonderful day.

Author ~Thomas Dreier
From the book ~ Light from many lamps
by Lillian Eichler Watson



How many of us live in our present life?
What did you do yesterday ?
Did you make plans for today or next week or next year even?

As gardeners we are always talking about the next season waiting on spring or fall, hurrying up winter so we can see, smell and touch the first blooms of the new season, to plant the first pack of seeds, to put all of our new plans into action, anticipating whats ahead.
What about the present ?
When was the last time you just stopped, sat quietly and let your mind be clear of all thoughts of the future, of all the things to come, of all the things that need to be done.

When was the last time you sat still long enough to hear leaves fall, water drip the chirp of a bird or had a silent conversation with a squirrel ? This little fellow and I watched over each other for over an hour yesterday. I told him all of my troubles and he listen closely he reminded me that living for the present takes practice that even though it's good to make plans for the future it's better to live for right now, to enjoy each and every second, every breath, every sound, every smell.


Make today wonderful ...
your present life is waiting on you .