MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS: January 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

{RARE Icicles in Our Garden}

For Central Georgia it is quite rare to see Icicles but today, January 29, we did have lots of them. Our trees were hanging down under the heavy weight. So please come with me on a tour to see the Icicles in Our Garden...

This photo is showing our iced gazebo roof through the icicles that hang from our Drake Elm - Ulmus parvifolia.

To the left you see the Rose Stepping Stones...

Two new Rose Stepping Stones in weathered bronze are still waiting to be placed.

The table and chairs in front of our Rose Suite, on the little patio, are covered with ice as well...

The fronds of our Palm Tree are full of ice too.

Icicles hanging down from our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold'

Our Fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno' with iced leaves...

Icicles on our Castanopsis cuspidata--Japanese Chinquapin

Our Cedrus Deodara or Cedar Rose Tree with big frozen teardrops hanging down on it.

Buds of our Our Japanese Somei Yoshino Cherry with icicles hanging down...

Our Sky Pencils - Ilex crenata Japanese holly with ice on the red polished beach pebbles...

Closeup of the red polished beach pebbles on ice on top of an Eco Friendly Tree Ring from recycled rubber.

So much for the 2014 Ice Storm in the South...

Stay warm and safe wherever you are!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

{Retainer Wall Extension for Water Control}

Before, I already did show you that we did cut our 65 Year Old Pine Tree so Pieter could dig a trench for putting concrete blocks to divert the water from our neighborhood. Below this post you find the link to the New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence as well as Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control. We do live in Holly Hills, and water runs down hill but that can cause major problems at times. So here I show you another part of our Water Control by building a Retainer Wall Extension.

While scanning our old slides I did come across this lovely Spring picture from April 2, 2000.

You can see the retainer wall here and the Post Lantern is placed on the corner.

The Magnolia tree is still a baby and so is the blooming Indian Hawthorn; both are to the right of the lantern.

Of course, we never can stop heavy rains or tropical thunderstorms but we can do as much as we possibly can for diverting the water + mud stream.

Like here seen at the end of the retainer wall where it always came across our driveway in a muddy stream...

So husband Pieter opted for building a Retainer Wall Extension for Water (and mud) Control...

Those tiles in front of the retainer wall are to be used in the final Water Control Project. You will see that soon in another post!

Would you believe that to the left you see the very same Indian Hawthorn from the 1st picture?

Meanwhile it is huge.

So here is the newly built concrete block retainer wall extension.

That will keep the water from running down again, together with the final plan that will work.

This is January 12 and the extension is up. What do you think?

Here it is January 20 and the extension has been painted.

Did you notice that we had to replace that Post Lantern (see 1st picture) to the end of the retainer wall because the baby Magnolia and Hawtorn grew into big ones.

Here you get the idea about the different heights and water runs down, towards the creek which is further to the left. But I guess this will prevent the water + mud from soiling our driveway again.

You see the wooden plank here?

That will be the Final Stage of our Water Control Project and you will see it soon.

So much about the battle against water...

Do you, or did you have to fight water too?

Related links:
{Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control} | previous post by me
{Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post showing you part I of Water Control
{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previouis post showing you preparation of Water Control

Monday, January 27, 2014

{SOULFUL RELATIONSHIPS - Celia M. High Heeled Life's Contribution}

What a joy to receive this excellent short stories book: ADVENTURES IN MANIFESTING about SOULFUL RELATIONSHIPS! Even more so since dear blogger friend Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista wrote her story in it as well. She sure is and remains a Blogger I Admire! So glad I took advantage of the pre-ordering in September before it got published...

Indeed; Featuring Celia M.

You can read about her fatal accident and her story in my post: {"A Blogger I Admire" - Celia from High Heeled Life}

Celia knows a thing or two about wrapping things in a very special and meaningful way.

Peace and Joy it did bring to our home!

Thank you again dear Friend!

Here it is on page 137...

Had to put a rose birdie paperweight on top for making the page lay 'still'...

Love her enclosure card too!

Very stylish, the way she is; a true Fashionista.

For anyone wanting to obtain this lovely book, you can still order it!

Just go to the link: Resilientista

Saturday, January 25, 2014

{Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control}

On December 9, husband Pieter did start with the next Water Control project under supervision of our felines. You will see cute pictures below. This time he managed to place a Pipe under the Brick Walkway & digging a Trench. That way we for sure manage to get rid of the water that runs down the street and now into the trench and downhill into the creek instead of towards our front porch...

December 9, 2013, preparations for getting through the soil, under the concrete and brick walkway.

Tiggy–Tiger is sitting in the planter; studying HOW TO... she will soon find a solution!

Barty joins his adopted sisterTiggy–Tiger so they together can supervise their Papi as he's doing his back breaking job.

The trench got dug, now trying to get through to the other end by running the hose inside a pvc pipe and making the soil soft for bumping it through.

A rather muddy job...

Well, here comes the team! Barty the eldest cat–man with the youngest cat–girl Speckie following with her tail up and tiny Tiggy–Tiger also follows her adopted sister. They soon will tell their Papi what and HOW to do this!

All three of them inspect and THINK hard. How to get through there...

Luckily the concrete below was not that thick, only a foot wider than the walkway on this side.

Takes patience for softening it all the way to the center.

Speckie is trying to use the plastic bag like her Papi does; to sit on your knees on it for not getting all muddy... Barty on the brick walkway.

Tiggy–Tiger is contemplating that probably not today we can get through. It needs time to soak and soften...

Speckie is now getting into the trench to look underneath and see if the water is coming through already...

It looks like it's kind of blocked somewhere.

Tiggy–Tiger thinks it is better to go now inside the house, nice and warm for enjoying a snack...

We just wait another day!

Waiting for four days... as it rained heavily the first day and than some more and next we got frost.

See, this ice had to be removed from the water hose before starting the same game all over again.

On December 14 of 2013 it got DONE!

One more part of the Water Control managed.

Neatly done with large tiles alongside beginning of trench.

Still two more projects to be completed... stay tuned!

Do your kitties also love to supervise projects?

It seems to have been a good idea for several others...

Related links:
{Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post showing you part I of Water Control
{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previouis post showing you preparation of Water Control

Thursday, January 23, 2014

{Sunshine Walk & Deer Tracks}

On Sunday, January 12, it was very sunny so both of us enjoyed a Sunshine Walk. Below this post you find the link where I already did show husband Pieter... We were quite surprised for spotting so many Deer Tracks on the still muddy road from all the rain we had. In our neighborhood we regularly can spot deer, even in our garden we did find deer tracks.

Perfect for wearing our French Le Chameau rubber boots on the muddy road...

Together with my German Elkont ribcord pants and Escada cardigan over a silk turtleneck sweater.

You see the deer track?

They visit our garden as well!

Very fresh in the mud!

The Sunshine was so strong that it kind of 'faded' my right sleeve of this red Escada cardigan...

But the sun's winter power already feels so good on our body!

Such a walk outdoors in the sunshine is good for making our vitamin D level rise.

Of course, far better even with bare legs and arms but this is a good beginning.

Of course you already know I love roses... this is the back of my cardigan.

Very hard to capture red in the bright sunlight!

These pine trees at least add some 'green' to the dreary look of winter.

Standing next to a tree that got toppled by a storm.

That too is nature.

Do you enjoy your walks?

Related link:
{My Hand Knitted Irish Aran Men's Vest} | previous post by me showing husband Pieter at same walk
{ROSES} | previous post showing the same vest...

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

{HEART from L'Atelier de Marie-Anne}

From Blogger Friend Marie-Anne in Greece, I did receive this beatiful HEART! Marie-Anne writes the fabulous blog: L'Atelier de Marie-Anne (just click) and she is quite an artist in making all kinds of crackle effect découpage on different mediums like glass, tin or wood. With Roses and Angels, also Hearts are very special to me!

Here is the Wooden Découpage Heart from Marie-Anne.

Lovely roses with sweet satin ribbons...
THANK you so much dear FRIEND!

A spontaneous Gift, all the way from Greece!

Lovely handwriting by this French born and well traveled blogger friend Marie-Anne...

The backside of this lovely wooden heart shows the crackle effect découpage very well with some more lovely roses and butterflies.

Do you like Anne-Marie's découpage artwork?

Sunday, January 19, 2014

{My Hand Knitted Irish Aran Men's Vest}

At the time that husband Pieter still needed to travel frequently to Portage La Prairie in Manitoba, Canada for Campbell Soup, I did hand knit this Irish Aran Mens's Vest for him from a Burda magazine. That kept him nicely warm. Here in Georgia, it hardly ever is being worn but on Sunday, January 12, we went for a walk and Pieter wore it.

Knitted in Phildar wool in Rustique Naturelle... with wooden buttons.

Knitted from the Dutch Burda Breien en Haken 365 patroon 101

Did knit this from a German description however, since the enclosed pattern got lost...

Here you see husband Pieter, wearing my hand knitted Irish Aran Vest and also his Bailey Trilby Tweed - Wool Fedora Hat from Hatcountry's Italian collection.