Cottage life

Time flew this week. It started with clearing out the old garden beds form the house front. It was overgrown with burdock being the most abundant. I am putting in a pink & black flower theme in the one front side bed. Black hollyhocks and pink multi petal Rugosa roses. I must find some more black flowers and add Pink Foxglove & larkspur. It was not on purpose, this garden has that theme. I wanted a proper "English cottage garden" appropriate flowers. I found a lovely woman on Craigslist who was selling Black hollyhock. She happened to also have the Pink Rugosa's. Once I thought about it and brought up the subject to The Captain, he got a good laugh that the color theme is matching to my Pink tiller and garden tools. So we decided to just go with it.

Then, as we were weeding between the sidewalk cracks, Panda discovered this along the cement curves:

As we investigated more, we found it is a brick border going most of the length of our cement pathway. Going from the driveway to the landing area just before the front steps:

This old cottage has so many secrets to tell. I feel as though it has been waiting for just the right person to listen. It reveals them slowly but makes one feel as though, they have found a great treasure.

I am bringing this beautiful cottage back to life. These old brick accents are being tended to by my own hands. Being given their due. Sneak peek of their makeover:

Giving it the love it deserves and in return it has given me such great happiness. Everyday I wake up to the sounds of birds singing just outside my bedroom window. The chorus of crickets and frogs keeping the melody as the sun rises. I wake with a smile forming on my face before my eyes are even open.

The Apple trees are so abundant and looking to burst their limbs from such weight:

Thankfully the Apple press and "Chomper" will be finished before the next weekend. I found a fantastic "apple picker" from the Hartville Hardware store. It only set me back $25. The handle is a metal/durable plastic pole which expands to 12 ft long. Well made and looks to last many decades. Hopefully I can get Chris over here with his "climbing gear" to pick these pears. I found online that you must pick pears BEFORE they ripen. You let them ripen in a cool room which can take almost a week or so. This prevent that horrible gritty texture and prevents them from ripening on the inside quicker then the outside. That press will be working it's arse off this month.

The children have been enjoying these weeping cherry trees along the driveway. They make such cool "hangouts". We placed the outdoor living room furniture in the side yard next to one of the weeping trees. They give such an amazing feel to this place.

I truly am in paradise. I never want to leave this place. Every want. Every desire. Every wish of a home. I have found it here. Not a day goes by I am not thankful for what we have received. Going through the past has produced the present. I would not go back and change a thing since all of it has led us to the path of our beloved cottage farm. To the love & happiness as a family. The renewed love & bond as Husband & Wife.

Now I best get more Blackberries picked. Already we have harvested around 40 pounds. Made into jam, wine & frozen whole. Between the garden harvest of pickling cucumbers, yellow wax beans, Okra & the few tomatoes, the water bath canner has yet to be off the stove. I must have 15 jars of Blackberry jam put up for lil Miss Frog. Not to mention the many I will need for the holiday baskets. Thankfully it looks to be at least 1 1/2 more weeks of blackberry heaven from our "backyard" canes.

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie