Just Because...Embracing The Weirdness

   I am at that age where I do things that suit me and not others.  Rather, I have come to realize at this late age that this is something we all should be doing.  The world has far too many ideas of what is "proper" or "accepted".  In "my" world, those have been tossed to the wayside.  Don't get me wrong on this as I am not referring to moral rights and wrongs but rather in our personal tastes...how we dress, how we decorate our homes, what we keep, what we discard, who we allow in our lives and who we decide are weighing us down.  It seems as if even those things are being decided for us which is something we should not allow.  How we live is no one else's business and we should keep it that way.  So...I am doing things "my way" and ignoring others opinions.

  Over the years, the Little Bayou House has been decorated in numerous ways to suit everyone but me.  I have taken in consideration how others see the place and how I would be judged if something was deemed odd.  Well, I am odd.  I admit to being a tad eccentric and a lot eclectic.  Let's face it...I am weird.  That said, I am embracing that weirdness as I follow the advice given to me years ago by one of Son's friends back when they were teenagers.  "Embrace your weirdness.  That is why we like you," he told me one time when I was feeling particularly down.  (By "we", he was referring to the others in a group of teenagers that were always at the place.) So, gradually I began to do just that.  The Little Bayou House (and I) have evolved into an anomalous entity full of color, oddities and moonbeams.  It suits me.

  Today, shelves were installed in front of some of the east-facing windows to showcase collections of colored glass pieces that have been stashed in cupboards.  Soon, the same will be done with the west-facing windows so the rising and setting of the sun can throw splashes of color about the room.  Mixed in with the glass will be numerous prisms and crystals so the walls will be of dancing rainbows.  It will be a magical mix of light and darkness and will be a happy place.

  Why?  Just because.  Why?  Just because we each need to express our individualism without worry that others will look down upon us.  That is something that is far too common and it is ridiculous to wait any longer to break free from the stigma of being different.  Let that difference glow...embrace your weirdness.

And Then It Was Gone...

   Since hurricane season, the windows of the Little Bayou House still wear their storm covers.  One thing or another has gotten in the way of removing and storing the panels.  For the past month, it felt sort of like living in a box or greenhouse.  It was hot and I could not see out through the panels.  Light filtered through but the view is blocked.  I shrugged it off and thought it really did not matter if they stayed up all winter. The panels would block a lot of the winter's chill that blows in off of the water.  It was all good.

  Then, today, I realized that I do care!  The old wood-burning cookstove has been chugging away with the cold front that moved in last night.  The fire feels good but keeping it stoked is just an added chore.  Late this afternoon, I made quick dash out for another armload of firewood.  It only takes a moment since the woodpile is nearby so I left the paneled door that covers the french doors open.  I dashed out and then back again.  I was just in time to see the lightshow taking place on the floor.  Throwing the wood in the bin, I grabbed the camera to snap a photo of this beautiful sight!  Then, as quickly as it appeared, the colors faded and were gone.  

  I miss seeing the rainbows filling the room.  With the windows and doors covered, it is blah in here.  Do I dare ask Son to remove and store the panels while he is in the midst of rebuilding the shelves in the dining room just so I can have rainbows dancing every afternoon?   Nah...better wait until he has a free day.   And...just my luck, once they are down we will have a winter storm with hurricane force winds.  Maybe I should just move the prisms and crystals to a new location.  Still, it was exciting to see them today after such a dreary few days.

Pirate Magic

  The months of September and October find the Little Bayou House in a great disarray.  This is all due to the annual clue hunt.  Whatever the theme is for the year dictates what the house looks like.  This year being a pirate and nautical theme, the house has anchors, compasses, telescopes, sails and a actual sized ship's helm.  It is that helm and wheel that is the centerpiece of the hunt.  When Son built it, he created a huge internal combination lock that has to be "cracked" for the teams to proceed to the next step.  It is, also, that helm and wheel that held my attention for a good while this afternoon.

  For the past several days, the weather has been quite stormy.  The clouds blocked out the sun and made the Little Bayou House dark and dreary.  Late this afternoon, the clouds broke and the setting sun peeped through just enough to brighten the windows.  The helm sits in front of the french doors.  The sunshine gleamed through the stained glass on the doors and made the wheel into the perfect silhouette! What a dreamy sight to behold.  So many of my favorite things were all smashed together in one picturesque setting.  So...I dreamt.  Daydreaming is good, right?  I dreamt and it threw me into a faraway place, if only for a few moments.  I was a magical pirate sailing the seas!  Pirates of the Bayou all have stained glass windows on their ships!  Yes! Mystical, magical pirates!

The Beauty Of Hardware Cloth

  Living on the Bayou has its ups and downs.  Some might say there are more troublesome things than positive but it seems that for every woe there is a fix.  Like most homes down here, we have screens covering our windows.  This is meant to keep the hordes of bugs from entering the house.  Sleeping with the windows open is a natural thing as it lets in the cooling night air.  The bad side of this is those mosquitoes (roaches, moths, gnats, midges, etc) which aggravate the stew out of a person trying to sleep.  The window screens work well to guard against the bugs but...what happens when larger critters take a liking to the inside of the house?  We have had times where raccoons, 'possums and even feral cats have tried to rip the screens to get inside.  This is not good so Mark came up with the idea of not only using screening but layering it with hardware cloth.  This has worked fine against the marauding critters!  There have been no more torn screens nor attempted invasions.  While some folks may think it is a tad strange...those same folks don't live amidst the critters.

  It was that hardware cloth that brought a smile this morning.  Our never-ending fog was particularly heavy overnight.  It was so thick, in fact, that it sounded more like rain than fog!  The stuff coated everything including the hardware cloth covering the south-facing windows.  These are the windows that have dozens of crystals that normally catch the morning sunlight and cast rainbows over the entire room.  Since there was no sun, there were no rainbows but that did not stop the beauty.  The fog droplets started running in strings down the wire of the hardware cloth making the entire window appear to be covered with crystals!  Hundreds upon hundreds of the droplets caught any light available to give of the slightest twinkle.  To be honest, it was breath-taking!

  There are those who may think I am a bit daft (and I do not contest this at all) but I figure you should find beauty where you are.  There is absolutely no point in having to search for grand things when they are all around you.  In my case, Mother Nature decided to add her charm to my window crystals by adding a multitude of her own.  It seems the hardware cloth is now a favorite for yet another reason.

Ahhh, That Is Better!

  For over a week now, fog has ruled the Bayou.  Basically, everything was blocked from view.  At times, the stuff was so thick that it felt more like rain than fog.  While the temperatures were warm enough for short sleeve shirts, a jacket was required just to stay dry.  The nighttime jaunts out with the old dog were interesting to say the least.  With the fog hanging densely around you, sounds were muffled.  Nary a footstep could have been heard even at a few feet away.  Mr. PJ was nervous and refused to step foot outside without me by his side.  This fog was not only present at night and early in the morning but lingered throughout the day.  The sun did not shine.  It was covered over so that not even a hint of it could be seen.  It was almost as if we were shut off from the world!

  Then along about 3pm today....a happy miracle occurred!  The sun broke through the dense fog and shone brightly for a little while!  Most of the time, I am fine with fog, rainstorms and gales.  Why even a tropical storm or hurricane does little to ruffle the feathers but seeing that sunshine today made me smile!  I needed it.  Things have been dark around here long enough and this was enough to give me a much needed boost.  Also, after seeing the sun pouring through the french doors, I am glad that I listened to friends and kept the (left over from clue hunt) "stained glass" look intact.  It was just another "happy" added to the day.

Embracing the Weirdness

  For the past couple of days, I have been painting the windows in the living room.  A few years ago, I had a wild idea to paint the things red.  Albeit a barn red, I soon grew tired of having "color" so this time I opted to go with black.  Black is one of those colors that hides a multitude of mistakes such as nicks and scratches in the wood.  Plus, I figured that going with black, I could change the room on a whim without too much trouble.  Great idea, right?  Sure, it would not be too difficult to cover the red since black is a darker color, right?  I should be able to make a neat job with just one coat of paint, right?  Nope.  It did not happen.  By the bright sunshine of day, the windows looked fine but at night with indoor lighting, I was able to see the brush strokes, missing strokes and pure old lack of paint.  I did a horrible paint job.  So, there was nothing to do except apply another coat....and then a third.  Even after the third coat, that red was insistent on being seen.  So....I gave up.  I accepted the streakiness as a bonus!  

  As I finally came to the realization that my paint job would never be "perfect", I also came to the realization that it does not matter.  By most folks' standards, I am far from perfect.  The Little Bayou House is never going to be perfect.  For that matter, the Bayou, itself, is not perfect....nor is the world.  But!  You know what?  I do not care.  So why should I be bothered with streaks in the paint?  If red wishes to shine through the black like some beacon through the fog, so be it!  If I wish to have a bit of quirkiness in the place, so be it!  I have a lovely niece who paints some of the most unique pieces of furniture.  She always seems to go with a "distressed" look.  Her finished pieces are amazingly beautiful so I figured that I, quite by accident, distressed my windows!  

  Getting back to being perfect, that is something that I do not strive to be.  I am me.  I have come to embrace my weirdness even when it seems to spill over into my decorating sense.  (Which, by the way, I never have claimed to have.)  So, the streaky black and red windows shall stay because I am sure not going with a fourth coat of paint!  My house, my windows, my streaks, my weirdness...it is all good.

Twelve Years Later....

  Living on the Bayou, we get our fair share of hurricanes and other bits of squally weather.  Some storms are worse than others but, in recent history, none have been as severe as Hurricane Katrina.  She packed a wallop when she came ashore back in 2005.  While one would think that by this time, those in the path would have regrouped and all would be well again, that is not the case.  Yep, we suffered right along with everyone else and we, to the best of our ability, have recovered....somewhat.  Now, twelve years later, damage done during or shortly after the storm, is starting to show up on the Little Bayou House.  How is this possible?  Well, like any other home, the Little Bayou House was put together with nails and screws.  Guess what??  Those things rust when subjected to saltwater.  Rusty nails soon lose their strength and start to crumble.  Needless to say, my house is falling apart at the seams!  Plus, due to the mass amount of debris, lumber and damaged trees, termites have just about infested every house on the Coast. No one was excluded from that fine mess.  Come April, May and June of each year since the storm, huge swarms of the critters come out of hiding to send us into hiding.  Termites fill houses, crawl about the furniture and floors, get in your hair, make driving hazardous and even stop sporting events. There are just that many of them.  You cannot even breathe without inhaling a few critters! We, like everyone else on the immediate Coast are battling termites.  Ugh! But it is those rusted nails and screws that have created the current problem.

  As Katrina's storm surge sloshed around under our house and huge waves smashed against the sides of the house, even the inner portions of the home were being treated to a salty bath.  That was the least of our worries at the time.  Priorities had to be set and things were done in an orderly fashion.  First and foremost was to get wiring and plumbing reinstalled.  A lot of that was ripped from the house and, well, it was sort of needed.  Floors had to be removed, walls replaced and then there were the huge (ten to twelve foot tall) mountains of debris that had to be removed from yard.  Once those tasks were completed all seemed to be going swimingly.  But, oh no...the termites made their debut.  Nails and screws were pushed right out of thoughts.  

  Well, to make this long story short, things started happening on the Little Bayou House that were not to our liking.  Those rusted nails and screws started rotting boards.  To fix those, we are literally having to "gut" the Little Bayou House and start over again.  Today, two of my windows in the living room were removed.  This will happen each day until all ten windows and the door are removed, framework rebuilt and then new siding is installed.  My whole place is topsy-turvy!  Things are in a huge mess!  Good thing...huge holes (windows removed) allowed for a nice breeze to blast through the house.  Bad thing...huge holes (window screens removed) allowed for about every mosquito in a ten mile radius to invade my living room!  Hopefully, this ordeal will be righted soon and things can get back to normal around here.  Oh...did I mention?  Hurricane season is upon us once again.  Not fun.

Watching the World!

While in Georgia visiting my son, daughter-in-law and new grandbaby, I am still in "Bayou Mode".   This means that I rise with the sun expecting to take a hike to the pier.  Well, that does not happen here.  Although there is a pond behind their house, there is no Bayou!  Still, I enjoy the peaceful sunrises and quiet time.

Someone else enjoys this time of the morning as well.  Both their dog, PJ, and cat, Kiki, rise with the sun. I like these animals!  It seems like they remember me from their visits to the Little Bayou House and consider me as a friend.  While PJ is allowed access to the backyard, Kiki is housebound.  She is strictly an indoor cat.  She does, however, love the sunshine.  The windows in the house have large sills that allow her to have a perfect place to eye all of the wildlife just outside.  She watches the birds, squirrels and lizards when she is not napping.  Early in the morning, the sunlight streams through the windows making her one happy camper.

To me, there is just something intriguing about a cat silhouette against a sunny window.  I watch Kiki as she watches the world outside and wonder just how she would respond to actually being outside.  She acts as if she really wants to chase everything that moves!  Today, a gray squirrel scampered along the deck railing and came withing just a few inches of the window where Kiki sat.  She saw it immediately.  Her tail started swishing excitedly and her ears perked.  She was within reach...but still far, far away.  That old squirrel was oblivious to the nearby danger or perhaps he was "window-savvy" and knew that he could torment the pent-up cat.  Whichever the case, the whole situation was quite comical.  The squirrel stayed a bit just scampering about the railing and nearby fence.  The cat had a great time pretending to stalk the squirrel and I immensely enjoyed the show.

The hardworking man is working hard!

Mark is at it again!  Sometimes things just do not go the way you want them to and then they need to be fixed.  Case in point..our entryway.  This tiny little room is perhaps one of my favorites of the entire house.  It is the first place folks see when they come to visit the Little Bayou House and is always the first room I choose to decorate for any holiday.  It is just a most welcoming little room!

The remains of the old entryway to the Little Bayou House.

Well, our welcoming little entryway had some most unwelcome guests recently.  Things on the Bayou got a tad out of hand with critters invading most everything in the past few years and our entryway was on that list of invaded places.  Mark was doing a bit of usual maintenance on the house when he discovered the problem.  He takes the time to teach Michael the finer points of construction when some project  needs tending so this was the perfect opportunity.   Trust me when I say that the man can work magic when it comes to any carpenter work!  He and Michael ripped out the north side of the room and very patiently even changed the windows for me.  I liked the old windows but wanted a change.  Even though there was a bit of rotted wood, this side was not bad.  It had held up well despite being battered by hurricanes in recent years.   The south side had not fared so well.  Once Mark tore out the wall I heard a loud...Uh oh!  I do not like uh ohs at all!  He had found termites!  Well, Mark was just not satisfied changing a few boards..he ripped out everything!  He was bound and determined that he was to do it right!  The man is a genius when it comes to this sort of thing!

Some of Mark's handiwork!  He built new window casings for old windows from his folk's house!  I so wanted these windows somewhere in my house and now he has built this!  I love it!

\Now, I am happy to say after two days of work, my entryway is looking much better!  I have new..or  rather old windows..that came from Mark's folks' place.  I know it might be a tad strange but I love these windows.  Every time I walk through this room, I will feel that warm feeling that I always had with my wonderful mother-in-law and father-in-law.   I have a part of their home in mine now!  Once again, Mark is making the Little Bayou House secure from the elements..and the critters of the Bayou.

Flying Windows!

Yesterday's storm had me in a tizzy!  The high winds that knocked Mama Dove for a loop and blew her babies to the ground, also did a tad bit of damage to the gardens.  I was extremely proud that so many of the herb seeds that I had planted in the new coldframe were sprouting.  In the past, I have had difficulty getting some of the purchased seeds to ever sprout.  The seeds would just sit there and rot without ever even trying to turn into that nice plant that was on the seed packet front!  Lazy seeds are not for me!  I want flourishing plants to grow from those tiny dots!  This year, with an exception of the Anise Seeds, the herbs were doing well.  Their hotbed seemed to be agreeing with them and they were all growing well.  Then came "THE" storm!  That nasty bunch of winds, torrential rains and then dropping temperatures was just not conducive to a plant growth spurt!

One of the coldframe windows smashed by the high winds.

Actually, as I stood peering out that window watching the treetops bend, I had the unsettling experience of seeing my coldframe being ripped apart by the wind.  All five windows became airborne at the same time!  They twisted and turned in the wind and then crash-landed on top of the squash and radish plants!  Miraculously, only one large pane of glass shattered and then only because of the metal frame of another window came down corner first on it.  But that was enough!  I just knew that my tiny herb plants were goners!  Still, I had no time to even survey the damage as I was in the rescue business!  Those baby birds were of high importance and the garden would just have to wait.

Seeing how the window tossed by the winds gouged out the ground, I am glad I was  safe inside!

This morning, I picked up the pieces of broken glass and gathered together the other four windows.  They seemed intact so I would reuse them.  The hotbed seemed to be in pretty good shape even without its glass top.  The tiny herbs held their own and did not give up the ghost!  They were not washed down into the Bayou!  This morning, the windows were all replaced and a new one added.  Large boards were placed on top of the glass in hopes that the storm predicted for later tonight will not do more damage.

The tiny herb plants are all snug in their revamped coldframe!

All in all, the damage was not as bad as I had first thought.  It seems that plants are pretty resilient.  They can take a pretty rough beating and still survive.  I suppose this just proves that idiom of "What does not kill you will only stand to make you stronger!"  After the storm yesterday...I fully expect to have plants with superhero powers!

Treasures!

I noticed lately that our water pump has been acting a mite goofy. Every time I used the water, the pump would go on and off like a maniac on steroids. It would stay on about five seconds and then be off for about five seconds. So yesterday, I called my brother it see if he would come look at it to make sure it wasn't going to blow sky high or some such thing. I wanted him to tell me what was wrong with the crazy thing, fix it and teach Son just what to do in case it ever happens again. When he came he told me that there was some problem that amounted to the pump being "water-logged". Now, personally, I think this is a tad ridiculous! After all, this is a water pump..you would think that it is supposed to be water-logged. Not so, according to him..the pump needed air. Who knew that a pump needed air..I guess it was drowning and needed to breathe. What next??

But the good news! Before my brother could ever even get into the shed to fix the pump, Son and I had to clear a path..literally! There was so much junk tossed in the shed that it was virtually impossible to even find the pump! So we cleaned! And cleaned! About half way through the job, Son asked "What do you want to do with these chairs?" Chairs? I had to ponder a moment..what chairs? As I was trying to think of what I might have stashed in this little shed, he pulled out two wooden chairs. Ahhh...these folding chairs were on my great-aunt's porch! I remember now! The chairs were stuck in the shed years and years ago during preparations for a hurricane. I had put them in there for safe-keeping and had forgotten them with the confusion of clearing up after the storm. My chairs! Son looked at me as if I had lost my marbles. I am quite sure he was thinking.."How can someone be so excited over lawn chairs?" But I was..and still am excited to see these chairs! Sure the paint is peeling off and one needs a leg repaired but overall they are in good shape. I sat the chairs aside and we finished clearing our path.

Today..after doing the daily chores, I attempted to refurbish these chairs. It seems that this might be a little more time consuming than I originally thought but I am willing to put in the effort. After working for several hours on paint removal, I have made the discovery that there were several coats of paint to be removed. The last few coats were white. Underneath all of those, it seems that the chair was left natural except the seat..it was red. I really like the looks of this so I am considering going back to the original paint choice! Someone was creative! (Besides..I really like the color red!) A few more days and the chairs should be ready for paint and finish coats.

All the while I am working on the chairs, I am also working on windows! I am stripping the paint off of some donated windows that will go in my Bayou Shack aka art studio! Hubby and Son are building a really neat little room just for my creative side! When asked what I wanted, I told Hubby..a Bayou Shack! I am not sure he knows exactly how to build a Bayou Shack but he does know how to build rooms..it will be up to me to turn it into the interesting, unique little art room that I have envisioned. The windows are a start! They are all different types and sizes of windows. Hubby will have his hands full just trying to install these since none have the same measurements! Some are the type that open up and down and some are the type that slide side to side! Yep, that should make for an interesting room! Poor Hubby..I can never give him a standard thing to build! It always has to be an odd shape, unusual material or an off-the-wall design! He should know by now not to ask what I want! I keep this poor man so confused but he always manages to pull together something similar to what I have in mind! Besides..look at these windows! Tell me that these are not wonderful!....ok.....At least tell me that they are nice..or interesting..or something! To me..both the chairs and the windows are treasures! (Point...they were free! That should count for something!)

Method in My Madness

By nature, I am not one that likes to try new methods of doing things. I like the old tried and true ways that I am familiar with and have done all these many years. But then, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. I am trying to spruce up the little House on the Bayou. I am still in the midst of clearing the sewing room but grew tired of looking through boxes. So...I moved outside! Now don't get me wrong..this was not an underhanded move just to be outside enjoying the sunshine, birds singing and flowers blooming..I really did intend to work! I started with the back deck. This little deck is one that my oldest son built years ago before he was married. I love this tiny deck! It is only about four feet wide by eight feet long but for some reason it just makes me happy! The door to this deck leads into the laundry room so I use the deck everyday on my way to the clothesline. As I said, I started with the back deck..I cleared all of the accumulated junk and then stared at the windows of the laundry room. My goodness! They needed painting! And caulking! I guess that should be the other way around..caulk then paint but the need for paint was more obvious. After new trim boards were nailed in place, I tried my hand at caulking. Before, I have always used a putty knife and a can of pasty stuff, but Hubby came home with tubes of caulking and a gun! He had always done the caulking before except in a few minor places. I looked at it and thought "I can do this!" I mean..just how hard can it be to squeeze a trigger and aim a gun? I loaded a tube into the gun and climbed on the ladder. I figured that I better start on the top window and work my way down. Yep..easy as pie! I aimed my gun and squeezed. Out came the biggest blob of caulking I had ever seen...Splat! It hit the side of the glass and slid down three panes of glass coming to a halt on the muntin below. It sat there like some slowly melting snowman that was disfigured horribly by the cruel Sunman! Hmm, this was not good! Oh and by the way..a muntin, for those who do not know their window parts, is the name for the little strip thingy between panes of glass in a window. Most new windows do not have these but I have antique windows so I have muntins! Lots of muntins when you have to paint them! Anyway, my first attempt at using a caulking gun was a total flop..or splat. Not daunted by this small setback, I tried a different approach. I aimed the gun sideways at the muntin..slid the gun down the length of glass and turned the corner. With the exception a blobby mess in the corner..not too bad! I think I was getting the hang of this..and after only two tries! I set the gun on the ladder to clean up the pile in the corner of the window. Careful to wipe any smears off the pane, I smoothed the corner with my putty knife. (Yes, I did bring it out with me!) When I reached for the gun to continue on the next pane of glass, it felt noticeably lighter than before. Oh no!!! I had forgotten to release the trigger! A snowman of caulking was mounded below the ladder! OOOPS! Needless to say, I did not have enough left to finish my windows. Yes, there were a few more tubes in the bag but when Son saw my predicament, he just merely said, "Mom, how about I finish that and you start painting the windows on the other side." Now there is a novel idea! I really did not intend to relegate this job to anyone else but, hey, if the opportunity arises that someone wants to take over a bit of work... Perhaps there is a bit of reverse "Tom Sawyer" in me..I mean..my method ....just "act" confused and someone will come to the rescue! (I really could have done this, you know..just how hard can it be to use a caulking gun??) Tomorrow..painting! And perhaps staining the deck....and maybe a new light fixture..and........!

Painting the Roses Red!

Painting the roses red..something from "Alice in Wonderland" a most unusual tale written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known in the literary world as Lewis Carroll. No..I was not painting my roses red, but rather painting the masses of windows in my livingroom. And it is red! To be certain, it is a dark red..so-called "Barn Red" but red nonetheless. In my minds eye last night, it was gorgeous! I was right! This is one of those times when something so off the wall..so weird..so eccentric..turned out well. Admittedly, this is not for everyone. Not many would want red in their livingroom..I did. The only thing that was not correct in my imagination last night (before I started painting) was the amount of time and effort it would involve to paint said windows. I lounged on the sofa staring at the windows with their newly installed casing boards..thinking of the possibilities. In that vast imaginary world of my mind, I was going to complete the painting in about two hours..HA!!! I awoke early this morning and pumped myself full of coffee..two huge mugs and I was ready to paint! I popped Christmas albums in the CD player and turned it up loud..my neighbors across the Bayou would surely enjoy waking to the lovely sounds of Christmas! Several of the windows were flung open and I, armed with a multitude of paint brushes and rags started right in painting the first window. I sang as I worked..I was happy! My red windows were awe inspiring! Nothing would stop me until I finished! I painted! ...... I painted...... I painted some more. Oh my..this was taking longer than I thought. I painted. Why did I talk my husband into putting ten large windows in this room? Who in their right mind needs ten windows in one room?? I painted. For seven hours, I listened to Christmas carols and slapped paint. At the end of seven hours, I collapsed onto the sofa. I stared at the windows..the half-painted windows sat there staring back. I think they were smirking at me..the windows knew! They knew that I would never be able to complete this task in one day! I am not quite sure just how windows think but after seven hours with a paintbrush in hand, anything is possible. Just a thought.. how come my house is a meeting place for everyone and their brother until I start a major project? Nary a sole stopped in to offer a helping paintbrush-wielding hand. So tomorrow..I start again..paintbrush, rags, Christmas music..I WILL complete this task! I WILL have my red windows! I WILL collapse in a heap on the sofa again tomorrow evening and vow never to change paint colors again on these windows!

Speaking of roses, I am not sure what is happening in my rose garden. Three of my largest bushes have bit the dust. Almost overnight, they went from healthy blooming bushes to dried crispy brambles. It makes me sad to think that I could not save them. There did not seem to be any dire disease that caused them to wither as it was not a slow process. They literally went from healthy to DEAD in two days, almost as if they were burned. The strangest part is that the neighboring bushes are still fine. I did notice a tunnel under the mulch causing me to wonder if some critter chewed the roots. After the painting is finished, I will rake back the mulch and see if the cat, Ms. Put is not doing her job of keeping the garden rodent free. There was one beautiful yellow rose trying to cheer me..I hope whatever has attacked the others does not take a notion to besiege this one, too.