Owner Building a Home - Day 42 - {More} Sheeting & Shingling

Though the day started out fine for me, it quickly went downhill.  There was a very simple task I was supposed to accomplish and it just. wasn't. happening.  I think I had to redo attaching that one piece of wood about 4 times.  For some reason it felt a zillion times hotter today and I couldn't think and all I wanted to do was go home.  I kept telling myself to just buck up and do it but pep talking didn't work.  I eventually left it all where it lay and went to weed.  Weeding is my therapy.  It works to calm me down and allow me to see reason yet again.  I have been transplanting perennials from my flower beds here at home and moving them to the country for the past couple of years.  They grow superbly well at the country thanks to the talented gardener that inhabited the yard previously (well, he at least knew how to make really good dirt!).  However, with all the work on the house, I have not been weeding the plants.  Except for the flowers sticking out here and there, you wouldn't know there was anything of value to see.  So, I had at it and weeded most of the plants and then set up a sprinkler.  Once the weeding was done and I had downed a can of Pepsi I was ready to get back to work. 

However, I still moved sluggishly and was easily distracted.  I was trying to sheet a 12/12 pitch roof and only slid off it once (unintentionally) so I am mighty glad it is on the ground.  I didn't accomplish much today and I didn't really care.  I am sure Monday will be much better!

Once again, the kids were at grandma/pa's house.  It is not safe for them to be outside so long in such heat and humidity so they usually spend the morning with us and then lunch and the afternoon at grandma's.  And since grandma has 5 of these:

there is no competition for where they want to be, as it evident on this animal-lover's face.

Proof of their activity around the site still exists and they have discovered that sawdust works just as well as sand!

Through it all, Jay was steady, unwavering and determined to continue shingling.  And he is doing a fantastic job!  Even though it looks like he missed a spot or two, remember, that is where the two sections of roof will be separated in order to be lifted.  The shingles will be filled in later.

Orchid Madness!

I adore orchids.  I mean, I really, really ADORE orchids!  They are so beautiful and super easy to grow!  I am fascinated with their blooms - each flower is so unique and the color selection is huge.  I also love that the blooms last a very long time.  True, there is a while after it stops blooming where it is just these long green thick waxy leaves but if you take care of them well, soon you will have new blooms and lots of them.  There is this thrill that works its way inside of me when I see the beginning of a bloom scape starting to grow and then the buds appear and finally the flowers burst forth.  Worth every minute!

Yesterday when I was shopping, I found orchids at WalMart for $14.88.  That is a great price so I had a look.  Turns out the person who was watering didn't know the first thing about orchids.  Each and every one was drowning in a pot of water.  I dumped out each pot and squeezed the orchids as dry as I could so they wouldn't all die.  Then I picked out 3 gorgeous plants to add to my collection which has now risen to 5!  This morning I took a few pictures and here they are.  Such loveliness!  Such intricacies!  Such a generous Creator to fill my day with beauty in hopes I would remember Him!  How could I not think on Him when I gaze upon these . . .

  

It has become my tradition, if you want to call it that, to bring an orchid plant to a friend upon the passing of a loved one or while they are in the hospital, rather than a bouquet.  Lasts longer and the beauty surpasses any cut flower.  Have you ever tried growing orchids?  Do you have a favorite flowering houseplant?  Do tell!

Bloomin' Daylilies

During the summer, I tend to take a quick daily walk around the house to see what flowers decided to bloom.  I have numerous perennials planted all around the house but my very favorite flower to photograph has to be the daylily or hemerocallis.  There is just something about the way the stamens protrude, the petals curl back and the ruffles bunch up on the edges that draws me.  They are SO easy to grow, requiring next to no assistance, and though each individual flower only lasts one day, giving them their name, there are so many blooms bursting forth each day that the blooming season lives on.  They come in a huge variety of color and their green grass-like leaves add great texture to the perennial bed.  Daylilies are a must-have for the flower garden, especially when you see flowers like this:

"Canadian Border Patrol" daylily

"Canadian Border Patrol" daylily

"Daring Deception" daylily

"Daring Deception" daylily

"Edge of Darkness" daylily

"Strawberry Candy" daylily

"Strawberry Candy" daylily

"Blackeyed Stella" daylily

"Blackeyed Stella" daylily

"Moonlit Madness" daylily

The very best part is that each of these plants has grown large enough to divide into 5 or 6 more plants giving me plenty of plants to move to the country while still leaving one to grow here.  Now I just have to wait until they stop blooming.  Do you have a favorite flower growing in your garden?  Do tell!

What I Did Today . . .

This heat (35.5C/95.9F on my thermometer) just saps my energy, I tell you!  I just want to curl up in bed with a good book.  However, that is not likely to happen anytime soon!  So, instead, I headed out to the country property to meet the gas line guy that marked the locations of the gas line on our yard.  We plan to move our driveway in the next couple of weeks and make a new wider one in another location.  Important to know where the gas main is, wouldn't you say?  While there, I hilled our potatoes and felt like someone was watching me.  Well, not really, but these guys had their eyes on me the whole time!

They are so CUTE!  In case you don't recognize them, they are young merlins, a type of falcon.  Their parents made their home in an old crow's nest at the top of one of our evergreen trees right next to the garden.  These babes watch our every move.  I am not completely thrilled that they are making their home on our yard as they are birds of prey and do eat other birds I would rather have on our yard so we will see.  Maybe we will take down the nest in the future or maybe they will be less prone to making a home on that yard once there is more activity.  Right now, it is fairly quiet there.

I came home to see one of my new daylilies blooming - such. a. beauty!  This one is called "Jamaican Me Crazy"!  I love the name and the flower is gorgeous!

Finally, I abandoned all things creative in favor of all things boring and necessary - I was cleaning the house.  I purged -- get this -- 19 pairs of shoes!  19 PAIRS!  WOW!  That is a tonne!  Some went in the garbage, some are going to a friend and a whole pile are going to the thrift store.  It took a bit of time trying on the shoes on the various kids to see if they actually fit anyone, if they were in good shape, and if they were just too cute to part with (those ones are going to a friend).  Yes, a couple pairs were mine.  Yes, I do have a shoe fetish.  Yes, contrary to one of my tank tops, you can have too many shoes!  Hopefully my entrance will be a little easier to maintain now.

Now, I will whip up some to. die. for. hot fudge sauce and lay low with some icecream and that book I mentioned earlier!  I earned it.  Well, maybe not, but the cleaning can always continue tomorrow.  It promises to be even hotter then!  YIKES!

My Favorite Things - February 2010

1. Orchids.

I bought this orchid around Christmas and it still continues to bloom today. I have never had an orchid before but I am really loving it! So easy to care for and such a long-blooming beautiful flower.

2. Makeup.

I love to wear makeup. I love to experiment with it. I especially love playing with my eyes. I bought a few new colors of eyeshadow trios from BeautiControl and I LOVE them! Passion, Sandstone and Au Natural have now been added to my collection. Soon I will need a vanity table to contain all these wonders (can you say summer DIY project??!!)

3. Quo smudge brush.

A necessity for well-smudged eye makeup!

4. AG Infrastructure Structurizing Paste.

I have used this hair product for years and I LOVE it. It is fantastic for adding texture and volume to my hair, enhancing the shattered ends! I used it a lot when my hair was shorter and full of edges and now again I am using it with my chunky hair! It may be a bit heavy for some people but with my head of thick hair, it is perfect!

5. Stash Decaf Chai Tea.

This may possibly be my favorite tea. I steep it good and strong, add a hearty dose of milk and a scoop of honey (tea is the only place I will add "sugar" but it is almost always honey!). It has become my comfort drink at the end of the day! So, so good!

Once again, these are just a few of my favorite things!

My Favorite Things - January 2010

I have decided to do a little series called "My Favorite Things". I intend to post this on the last day of each month but, as you can see, that may vary by a few days.

So, in no particular order, here are my favorite things for January, 2010.

1. Winter Blooms

Around here, nothing is blooming. The only thing that even looks alive are the evergreen trees. I take great pleasure in forcing amaryllis bulbs to produce showy blossoms just so winter doesn't seem so dreary. Aren't they gorgeous? And, if you time it right and buy a few different varieties, you could have weeks of blooms!

2. Hoar frost

I don't understand the science of it - something to do with fog freezing on the trees but the effect is stunning. I absolutely love waking up to a morning of hoar frost. It makes the whole world seem a little unreal. And if you examine it up closely, it almost looks like coral. White coral everywhere. It really is breathtaking!

3. My Sunbeam electric blanket

There is nothing that compares to climbing into a bed covered with flannel sheets and prewarmed by an electric blanket, especially when it is -35C outside and seemingly only a tad warmer inside. I LOVE my blankie!! Rarely a night goes by that Jay does not hit the PreHeat button for me so my bed is nice and toasty upon my arrival. Funny story about it. A long time ago I wanted an electric blanket. Hubs insisted I just get a twin size, he didn't really need it. A twin size blanket covers exactly the top of a queen-sized bed. After a while, I started hearing comments like, "Do you think you could turn the blanket a little warmer?" and other such nonsense from the guy who didn't really need it. Once that blanket fell apart, I bought a queen-sized one, which has dual controls. Now I can keep my side as hot as I want and so can he!

4. Protect-A-Bed Mattress Protector

This is hands-down the best mattress protector out there. No matter how much the kid pees the bed, the bed stays dry! We have one on every bed in this house and so should you! Do you have any idea the kinds of things that make their way into your mattress each and every night? The amount of liquid in the form of drool or sweat or any other bodily secretions? What about dead skin cells? All in your mattress! The thought just about makes me sick! No wonder old mattresses weigh about a tonne! That is just disgusting! Protect-A-Bed mattress protectors are hospital grade and work wonderfully! We have had a few kids pee the bed or dump water on the bed and no wet mattresses. True, they are a bit spendy - about $100 for a twin-sized one, but worth every penny!

5. Simmons BeautyRest Imperial Royale Pillowtop Mattress

Apparently, this mattress was designed for Queen Elizabeth when she came to Canada or Winnipeg to visit. Seriously, this mattress is amazing. I mean, it is high-end stuff filled with bamboo and cashmere. But the sleep! Oh, the blissful sleep! We bought a new mattress when I was pregnant with #4 and if a mattress can make a 7-month pregnant woman feel good, it can make anyone feel good!

Those are just a few of my favorite things for January!

A Father's Gift

I cannot remember when it started. I think it was only when we were out of the apartment but I could be wrong. Whatever the case, one evening, my father-in-law showed up at the door with a gift. For me. As I opened it, I found a beautiful red poinsettia. I was so touched. A gift from my FIL for me. And it has happened almost every year since. Sometime in the weeks leading up to Christmas, he shows up, by himself, with a beautiful red poinsettia. One year I waited and waited and waited. He never came. I didn't want to act like it was expected but I was so disappointed. I told him later on after the holidays that I really missed getting that gift from him. He laughed. He said he didn't think I really cared. Oh, how wrong he was. I absolutely love it. I always give him a really big hug. It is a big deal to me. Maybe because I don't remember getting flowers from my dad. Whatever the reason, I was thrilled and touched all over again when he showed up two nights ago with that beautiful simple gift. A father's gift.

DIY Autumn Wreath

As I mentioned in my previous post, I created an autumn wreath for my front door. I had looked around at ready-made wreaths but was either unimpressed with the wreath itself or the price. I decided to make my own. Now, I am generally not a fan of artificial . . . come on, let's call it what it is - fake. I am not a fan of fake, man-made, plastic-y flowers, fruit, greenery, plants, etc. I stretched myself with this creation as I used exactly those things I have always shunned! I decided to stop and browse in the fake greenery aisle at Dollarama. Not something I have ever done. And I was slightly surprised at the various items I found. I gathered a few and thought I could probably come up with some sort of wreath that looked good - or at least better than the ones I had seen in other stores.

Here is what I bought (please excuse the "technical" words - that's why there are pictures!!):

• 3 bunches of fall colored maple leaves with small berries
• 3 bunches of longish leaves with larger berries
• 1 bunch of white "bull rushes" (they are not soft, but stiff and scratchy and oh, so interesting!)

• 2 bunches of long white rods (I have no idea what these are but they looked cool)
• 2 bunches of white flowers
• 1 bunch of red flowers

Keep in mind different textures when buying your flowers. The more textures you have the more interest your wreath will have. I also bought 2 rolls of some 3/4" wide goldish ribbon which was not completely smooth but a little rough and jagged-like. I thought it looked less polished which is exactly what I wanted.

Next, you need a grapevine wreath. I had this one kicking around the house, probably bought at Michaels on sale.

You will also need some thin wire, a pair of wire cutters and a glue gun. Gather these things and you should be set to go. Total cost (minus the grapevine wreath): $14.

1. Determine where you want your foliage to go on your wreath. I only covered about half the wreath, keeping the grapevine exposed on the other half.
2. Cut each maple leaf bunch into 3 pieces, cutting where it makes sense to cut. You want to be sure there are adequate leaves on each section. Cut off the extra stems, leaving about 2-3 inches. Stick the now separated and shortened leaf bunches into the wreath, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Continue until all your maple leaf bunches are on the wreath. They should all be facing the same direction.
3. Cut apart your "longish leaves with berries" into 2 sections each, making sure each section has sufficient leaves. You may end up with one larger section and one smaller section. Put one larger section at each end of the maple leaves and use the smaller sections to fill inbetween the maple leaves. TIP: All of your leaves should be facing in the same direction. So, the stems should all be facing the same way. However, on the bottom of your wreath, face that longish leaf the opposite way. Does that make sense? This just makes it look a little nicer. You can adjust the maple leaves to cover the "gap" that exists between these two sections and voila! It looks great!
4. Cut off each of the "white bullrushes", leaving about 2-3" of wire on each. Tuck into the maple leaves where you think it looks good.
5. Take your stems of white flowers and gently pull off each flower in a downward direction. This should cause the flower to come off with a small piece of wire. Once you have all the flowers off, stick them throughout the wreath, filling in holes or gaps and placing them where it looks nice. Try not to bunch them all in one spot, unless that is what you want.
6. Do the same thing with the red flowers.
7. Strip the leaves off the "long white rods". Cut them so they have a 3" stem. Stick them in at the very bottom of the wreath. I only used three of these rods.
8. Create a bow using the ribbon and wire you bought. Since my rolls of ribbon were only 3m long, I used 2 rolls and made 2 bows that I stacked on top of each other and wired them together to make one bow. Hot glue that bow in your desired location. I put mine towards the top of the wreath, in about a 10 o'clock position.
9. Fluff and play with all the leaves and flowers and berries until everything is exactly where you want it. Make sure there are no holes or gaps.
10. Hang your wreath with pride! You did it and it looks beautiful!

Absolutely intoxicating!

Some of my favorite flowers can be found blooming in the garden at this time of year! Lilies! Absolutely gorgeous flowers!

This one is called Citronella and it is a type of tiger lily. It has small downward facing blooms (imagine me lying flat on my back attempting to photograph this little cutie) that are bright yellow cheerfully dotted with black. It grows and blooms reliably each year and I always look forward to its sunny disposition.

This Asiatic lily is one of the darkest you will find, even darker than this photo shows. It is called Landini and is a real beauty. I imagine a large quantity of these dark babies growing alongside white lilies for a black and white treat. Throw in some hot pink and you've got a knockout combination!

Asiatic lilies are the most reliable lilies - hardy in our zone 3 climate, they grow and bloom well each year with little attention from me. This speckled beauty is called DotCom and is currently growing alongside the Landini pictured above. They really do look great together.

But my absolutely favorite lilies would have to be the Orientals. Their intoxicating fragrance is absolutely divine! When I worked at a greenhouse a few years back, my favorite days were when all the Stargazer oriental lilies would bloom at the same time (imagine 50+ blooms!) - I was in pure heaven (while others would suffer migraines!). Oriental lilies are not the easiest to grow in zone 3 - I have mine nestled against my house on the south side to help ease the shock of our frigidly cold winters. Now, in a stroke of pure genius, someone decided to cross Oriental lilies with Trumpet lilies. Orientals smell fantastic and Trumpets are large (picture the large blooms of an Easter lily) - now you have something called OT lilies or Orienpets - really large, heavenly scented lilies. This is mine! Its name is Altari and it is magnificent! It wintered over really well and currently has 5 blooms open and 4 large buds waiting to burst. I HAD to cut this lily and bring it in - it is perfuming our entire upper level with its heavenly scent. If only I could download the fragrance as well as the photos! Guess you will just have to imagine!

Aren't they magnificent?

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." Luke 12:27 NIV