{HEARTFELT THANK YOU to ALL NEW FOLLOWERS!}

For sure you sometimes have the feeling that writing for a reason does not come easy... At the moment we are scanning old photographs from husband Pieter's family. He lost his eldest brother, only a good month ago. It is never easy for getting on with the emotional part. This week we received the album with old family photos, sent in the mail by his brother's adopted daughter. In a way, she did hand down all what was left from his parents, grandparents... Many memories, all sentimental and at times emotional. I try hard to digitalize everything and help sorting it out. Pieter did start writing his life's story for daughter Liz, in the end of June. She gave him a special book that is published for that purpose. That is in a way great therapy but it also 'owns' you as it takes so much time! Both of us are looking forward to finishing it. No more scanning of old photos and slides. Back to normal life...  Given, a normal life does exist.
For this time in our lives, the header with the blue Toile de Jouy Angels, Cherubs, is quite appropriate...

Meanwhile I just want to give a HEARTFELT THANK YOU to ALL NEW FOLLOWERS! It is much appreciated that you follow along on this hasty life's journey that we are all in together. Also a warm welcome to Barbados as country # 181; see below. 

Summer is over now officially and days start to be more pleasant here. 

Our roses will fluff back from the summer's heat.

THANK YOU!

This creamy, fragrant 2007 AARS winner Moondance rose is for you!

Grown in our garden for you...

Is this Moondance not a beauty?

Welcome Barbados; you are # 181 since I've installed this flag counter on July 10, 2011.

{Bye-Bye Confederate Jasmine...}

After decades of having our Confederate Jasmine climb up to the balcony and forming a canopy around our bedroom's French doors; husband Pieter took it down. It got very bare in spots and no longer was pretty. So I like to show you the last blossoms of this year and say Bye-Bye Confederate Jasmine.

Beautiful in April, for the very last time...

With our bi-fold shutters inside, we don't actually need this shade canopy as much as in years past. You can read below about {Going Green for our Bedroom} in a previous post, about Pieter's clever Masonite bi-fold doors, that he transformed into shutters for a fraction of the cost of ready made ones.

On the left of the Italian cypress, you still can see the Confederate Jasmine where it did climb up on a rack. 

The one on the other side of the balcony had died several years ago so we only had half of it...

You also see to the right our 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' or Golden Live Oak.

Bye-Bye Confederate Jasmine...

GONE already, this morning. The huge fig tree to the right is also cut off partly and that one needs to go.

For being able to have the house pressure washed again and painted, this is also needed.

Do you take down things like that too after decades?

It always gives us a sentimental feeling... 

Sorry for the birds that used to nest there and sleep at night but we do have enough trees for providing nesting and sleeping spots.

Related link:
{Going Green for our Bedroom + Confederate Jasmine in bloom} | previous post by me

{Smelling the Verbenas}

Yes, our felines often do teach us how we ought to enjoy our lives... They eat, play, groom and relax more than their human parents. Our Spicy even likes 'Smelling the Verbenas'. On their favorite spot, up high on the retainer wall adjacent to our driveway where the fiberglass window boxes are hung with Verbenas. Don't you envy your cats at times, when they enjoy their luxury Resort & Spa lifestyle? While we have to clean, cook and do laundry... But we don't mind serving them, do we? Let me know, what is your take on that.

Smelling the Verbenas...

Below this post you find a link to my blogpost about: OUR FIBERGLAS WINDOW BOXES.

FLOWER FRAMERS of CINCINNATI, OHIO

(see link below)

Those are the best flower boxes on the market. 

The only draw back is that ours are very heavy for lifting them off the wall...

We better would have chosen four lengths instead of three! 

Another planter with Verbenas, near our bay window area.

No wonder they use Verbena for French milled soaps, hand wash, hand cream and such...

Probably a nosy feline did point them into the right direction!

Related links:

{OUR FIBERGLASS WINDOW BOXES} | previous post by me
Flower Framers of Cincinnati | Source for Fiberglass Window Boxes