I had a great weekend. It was a great balance of some work and some fun…and some food. Isn’t that the best weekend combo? It sure is for me.
It was a bit of a whirlwind and to be honest, I can’t remember what happened on which days so I’ll just jump in and tell out it all but it might not be in the exact order it all happened.
I knew that I had to get some stuff done outside. You might remember a couple of weeks ago, with Craig’s (my son-in-law’s) help, I power washed a lot of things around my house. One of them was this bench. I just love this bench that’s out on my front porch. I like the chippy wood look but it needed to get some type of wood preserver on it so one morning I was up and out after the dew and got it painted. I put two coats on it. I was happy to have that done.
Next, I started painting… the porch posts. I had power washed them too and they needed attention.
Kalissa and Gannon came over when I was doing that.
Gannon was entertaining us with his new scooter tricks.
Everything was going fine until I got to this post. The trim piece was rotten.
Kalissa said, “I’ll have to have Craig come over and fix that.” I said, “Nope. I think I can fix it myself.”
I rummaged around the garage and found the right width…went to the chop saw and cut it.
Kalissa was impressed with me. Truth be told, I was impressed with myself. It all happened because I started cutting down picture frames for cross stitch pieces!!
I told Kalissa to find a couple of nails. This is what she brought me. Oh well, they will work.
Here is my trim replacement. WHOOT! WHOOT! I was so happy it worked. Kalissa was really impressed with me!!
Later after Kalissa left I went back outside and started working on some of the jobs that needed to be done at the back of the house.
First on the list was this bench. Like the bench at the front of the house, this one needed some type of wood preserver on it.
Another day Kalissa and the boys biked over to my house. We live about five blocks apart. It’s the perfect amount for an easy bike ride with the boys.
Carver arrived first. I was in the garden and just happened to be picking a bouquet of flowers for my kitchen. I told Carver to hide the flower behind his back and then when Kalissa came to pull them out and surprise her.
He did. He was so proud of himself…
…and she was so surprised.
It was a cute moment and I’m so glad I caught it on camera.
On Friday night Karl kidnapped me. We ended up going to Luna Valley Pizza Farm for pizza.
I’ve told you all about it before. It’s a fun place to go. The pizza is served from a working farm. You park in a hayfield and walk a path to the barn to get your pizza.
It’s a super friendly atmosphere.
Here’s where you get the pizza. They do a reservation only thing with is perfect.
Karl and I both agreed our pizza was fabulous.
We checked out some of the animals while we were there.
The sheep off grazing in the distance were so neat.
The next day it was more outside work. This is the back of the garage that is attached to my house. I used to keep three trellises across the back of the house with morning glories on them. I’ve had a bad experience with that. In previous years we have not gotten Japanese Beetles but apparently, now they have started coming this far north. Blah. They LOVE morning glories. Last year my plants were covered. This year I planted morning glories again but after I realized they were what was attracting the Japanese Beetles, I pulled all of the morning glories out. I’ve been living with blank trellises.
I went to the nursery looking for clematis but they were out.
I ended up buying three pink hydrangeas. They are so pretty. They got planted and the trellises are going to have to wait for clematis in the spring.
I’m very pleased with the update so far. I love morning glories and will miss them but…I hate the Japanese Beetles.
I did some other cleaning up outside but I didn’t get to the big playset. I’m hoping to get some time later this week. I’m going to need some help from someone to paint the upper part roof area. Maybe Craig or Karl or Buck can help. We’ll see. For now, I’m happy with the work I got done. Little by little it will all be done before the snow flies.
That’s my report on my great balance of some work and some fun…and some food. I did some sewing, blog writing, and cross stitching too. It was a great weekend!!
Wow, you sure stay busy! Love all your pretty flowers, do they face north? ❤️
Pamela. My house faces to the east. I get the perfect amount of shade for the impatiens to grow between the porch overhang and the trees in front of the house.
So proud of you for using the chop saw. I volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and always try to get the ladies to use the power tools so they won’t be so afraid of them.
Wow! You are talented. I don’t really think morning glories draw Japanese beetles…soybeans are the culprit. They (?) brought them over to fight some kind of bug in the soybeans. Some people are totally covered with them. We have not had trouble the past few years. But if they are around, I spray home defense around the house and the door entrance and no beetles in my house. Hate them! Hubby goes crazy when they land on him . He hates them! Your house looks so nice!
Jo, I’m amazed at the work Buck is doing on his new house.
Can you do a blog post about the work Karl has been doing on his house?
It’s so fun to read your blog.
You are quite the “Jill of all trades”. Grampa Johnson would be so proud to see how handy you are!!
Thanks Ann!! That’s the best compliment.
Thanks Ann. That’s a great compliment!!
I too am very impressed with your chop saw skills and git er done attitude! You are an inspiration!
Sounds like a good weekend, for sure, Jo!!
We live near you and have fought Japanese beetles for years. They’ve never bothered my morning glories but they love my Knockout roses. Before we discontinued our garden four years ago, they also liked the green beans.
Hi Jo, I just want to thank you for all the excellent cross stitch advice! I’m stitching the Redbird (in blue) and your recommendation of th Sullivan needles is the Best. It makes cross So much easier and more precise. The other thing I am thrilled about is stitching with silk!!! It is a dream. I told my husband that I would sell him my body if I could stitch with silk always. He said “Whatever makes you happy”, but I don’t know if he realizes how expensive that Silk is.
I loved ♥ your post about LDW and congratulate you on getting all that outside work done. Your family are all so endearing and wonderful.
Thanks so much for all your efforts! Patricia Kendel
Ooh Jo, you’ve made me want a chop saw! Seeing what you do with it makes me think I need one in my life haha Good on you for fixing your post! And what a great place – a farm that makes pizzas!
Wow Jo!!! Your skills are never ending! You amaze me! A woman of many talents! I definitely need one of those chop saws. It is about time for us to get out and do fall cleanup around here.
Our place gets attacked every year with the Japanese beetles. The grubs are in the ground and come up as beetles every year around May here in SC and destroy so much. They destroyed all our roses, crepe myrtles trees, vitex trees, canna lillys and a few others and we ended up having to completely get rid of them completely from our yard as we were afraid it was drawing them and keeping them in our yard.
Every year in the Fall we put out Milky Spore granuals, but you have to do it for several years in a row to compltely iradicate them. What is funny is our neighbors dont have a problem with them. Just us. All I know is, never use one of those Japanese bettle traps, it lures them to your yard.
Well, hope you have a great week and weekend.
you go chop saw queen! I know w clematis they like to have something growing at their roots don’t know why but you might have the perfect combo
amazing, !! arent the Japanese beetles also a hazard to the farm crops ?? I seem to recall a lot of buzz among family members about them and how unhappy they were that this was the year for them.
Your can do spirit is inspiring.
Have you ever tried Mandeville plants on your trellises? Hummingbirds & butterflies love it. I have never seen the June Bug beetles on mine & I live in an area where they are very common!! Pink, red & white are the only colors I’ve seen them in – of course the hummingbirds love the RED ones the most.
Jo, you’re amazing and I love how you handle the saw and get it done. Your yard is truly lovely.
The flowers around your home are so beautiful. In spite of the heat and lack of rain here in NE Nebr. mine have done pretty well too. Went with a mix of pinks and lavender petunias this year. I really hate the thought of frost finishing them off and winter descending on us.