{What is THIS?}

Have you ever had something that went completely WRONG? No...? Well, I had something in June. Look at this; can you guess what it is? Or better; what it WAS...!

• After the painters had completed our home and gazebo, husband Pieter did buy a new storage box for the seat and back cushions that we always used in the chairs. 


• Looking at those cushions, I decided to have them laundered at our local Coin Laundry. Their huge washing machines and dryers can handle them far better than my mini Miele, in comparison. 


• So off they went and when Pieter did pick them up they looked like this...

Oh my! 

• At first I wanted to trash them, but I left them sitting there for a couple of days, till the rain stopped and I had light enough to look at them and THINK.

• The fabric looked like new but obviously they had put them in the dryer too long or too hot as the fabric had shrunk. 


• Also the foam had gotten out of shape. 


• No zipper...

• Out came my BIG seam ripper.


• I do have a small one too, but this meant serious business!


• Also my SUPER POWER READERS got retrieved...


• Now I was all ready for the fight!

• Yes, I pulled the foam out, cut it off a bit on the sides and bottom and put it back in again.


• Now I did recognize them as the nice cushions we bought ourselves on July 10 of 1998 at the Atlanta Home Depot Expo. 


• First we got ourselves four seat cushions and we went back on July 12, for four more to use for the back. 


• Perfect choice and we did enjoyed them for 14 years now. 


• Sadly all Home Depot Expo closed in the spring of 2009.


• Okay, I had to rip some more...

• DONE - all 8 were now opened up.


• Would I be able to sew them back up?


• I don't have an industrial sewing machine.


• Let's try, I do have spare needles so what's the risk?

• It certainly was not easy to sew them shut, with that thick foam inside.


• Why did they not come with an easy zipper?

• Ready for use!


• If only the sun would come out so we can have our tea in the gazebo.


• I promise to make a photo once we have the good fortune of a sunny day for putting them out.


• What do you think? 


• They are good to go once more for a couple of years or not?

On July 12, they will have their 15th Birthday; we better SIT on them to celebrate with some tea...

Related link:

{TIP for Fine Needlework SUPER POWER READERS} | previous post by me

{Our Home on March 24 of 2013}

It is about time to show you the before and after of our home. First today the 'before' pictures of how our home looked on March 24, and even a little longer than that, till early May. But with our vacation on the island of Curaçao from April 19 (when we flew to Miami) till April 30, we had lots of things to do. Also because of the fact that the trees were not yet loaded with lush leaves was another reason for this date. At the moment it is so green and so lush from the daily tropical thunderstorms. It feels like we're back in the wet monsoon of Indonesia...

You can see that the house needed to be pressure washed as it had mildew all over...

The roof looked really ugly and we decided to replace it with a 'GREEN' roof. NO, not green in color but meaning Eco Friendly! And saving us money on our monthly utility bill.

The shape of our home is like a T, with the bottom of its T ending at the driveway...

In November this home will be 23 years old...

This March 24-view even looks strange to me now, compared to the lush green view of today!

Our winter went away rather late this year. Not that it was bad but late frost did kill our Japanese magnolia blossoms and lots more that got browned.

Here you also can see the little roof area above the bay window in our kitchen.

Now walking towards the driveway where you also can see the balcony with its wooden balusters.

Two of our once 3 Italian cypress... We lost one to the heat and drought of last years.

Now we almost drown!

The balcony on the corner above that vine rack (the huge clematis also succumbed to the drought...) was literally rotting away. So much maintenance and husband Pieter did patch it up many times with the Wood Epox from Abatron. We no longer wanted to support that company...

Now we've come full circle.

It was a major decision for:

•  Adding a new roof
• Taking down the rails and balusters
• Pressure washing the entire house
• Having the entire exterior repainted
• Taking off the loose tiles on the balcony and putting new ones
• Replacing the balcony's rails and balusters with polyurethane ones that never will rot again!

Quite a task did lie ahead of us... mainly for husband Pieter.

All the window boxes had to come off for thorough cleaning with pressure wash behind them.

Gutters needed to be updated... Because of the aging shingles on the roof, the sand that washed down did clog up our gutters when we had heavy rains. Roof water just spilling over, did cause some flooding in our basement area. Shingles are made of fiberglass-based asphalt and there are some sand-sized minerals in it. Over the years this wears off.

But after all has been done, it will look nice again!

The gazebo looked even worse... the roof almost black!

Ugly...

So we did take out lots of our saving money. Interest is not high nowadays; less than 1% so we guessed by going GREEN, we would have more return on investment by lowering our monthly utility bill for the rest of our life...

What do you think?

Related link:

{Our Home of almost 20 years} | previous post by me showing our home in 1994 still beautiful

{237th Independence Day for the United States of America - GOD BLESS AMERICA}

Wishing all readers in the United States of America a very happy 4th of July as we celebrate our nation's 237th Independence Day! Sharing some photos with you, taken on the 4th of July of 2012. Our home looks different this year but you will get to see that later. Don't forget to watch the 1940 video below with Kate Smith singing: GOD BLESS AMERICA

Flying the Georgia State flag and the United States flag in front of our home.

Happy 4th of July!

The link below will take you to a video showing the very first public singing of 'GOD BLESS AMERICA'. But before you watch, you should also know the story of the song.

The song was originally written by Irving Berlin in 1918 while he served in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York. It was later rewritten in 1938 as a peace song with 'some alterations to reflect the different state of the world' during a time when Nazi Germany was threatening war with Europe.

'God Bless America' was originally introduced and performed live on Armistice Day, November 11, 1938 by Kate Smith on her radio program. It became an immediate hit resulting in popular demand for the sheet music. Afterwards, Berlin established the God Bless America Fund where proceeds from royalties were donated to the Boy and Girl Scouts of America. Read more about it: Kate Smith and her God Bless America, Land That I Love and also about her Awards received as she was honored by every President. Read more here: Kate Smith, just scroll down...

NOW HERE IS HOW 'GOD BLESS AMERICA' SHOULD BE SUNG!

Related links:

{4th of July Speech given by my husband Pieter} | previous post by me
{Happy 236th Birthday USA!} | previous post by me
{The Dutch 1st to Salute to the Flag of The United States in 1776} | previous post by me
{Dutch - American Heritage Day: November 16 since 1991} | previous post by me about official Proclamation by President George Bush