Another Ordinary Nana Day

Oh, am I the luckiest Nana, or what? Look who spent the day with me? My Baby Kai is the dearest, easiest, most enchanting grandchild... if I do say so myself. And I do.

He really is quite easy. This was a last-minute babysit, as his parents suddenly took notice of their anniversary and all. So I was going to quick like a bunny clean the leaves and little berries out of the sandbox (it has a slatted lid, yet little things sneak in) but Kai seemed happy as all get out with a bucket and pea gravel. And who can blame him. He sat there in the gravel and filled the whole bucket. It's a painstaking task when, with great concentration, one drops in the rocks only a dozen of so at a time.



Once the bucket was full there was artwork to attend to... I think he's in his blue phase, with an assymetrical overtone.



After so much concetrated effort the artful little rock-n-roller was famished. He seems to enjoys Nana's signature brand of grilled cheese on those tiny little party breads.



And what about that "high chair"? In this position it's more of a low chair. It comes in two pieces -- the other piece being a table. It configures into a regular high chair, a junior chair, a low height as seen here and by removing the tray it can be drawn up to it's table for some surface work, like coloring or doing long division. this was Adrian's high chair, refurbished by me.

We had a real good time -- I hope you enjoyed visiting with us too.

The Happy Nana

I Love Paris When It Sizzles...

Never in my adult life have I taken a vacation for no reason other than "I wanna GO!" Till now. The Boyfriend and I are going to Paris!!!! See, I have my planner all tricked out. Hiding under that orderly cover is just another ugly composition book. Making the cover made my planner that much extra special. It would make a nice journal, though I am not the journaling sort. My composition book, all spiffed up, is being used for planning our trip to London, Paris and Germany.



We have our Eurail pass and our museum pass. We've reserved our hotels and we've sketched out an itinerary.



I'm so excited I could scream. My idea of a swell time is to be neither scheduled down to the last milisecond of the day, but to not fly entirely by the seat of my pants. Toward this end I have studied up on our destinations to the best of my patience anfd focus level, so we get to see and do what for us is the most important things to see and do... Then, worked into these plans, is a little wiggle room. I'm a big fan of wiggle room.



The grand plan is to fly into London, stay one night, have quick peek about, take the chunnel from London to Paris. We'll be in Paris for five days. For me the big drawing card are the flea markets. Every European city has art and fabulous food... but they don't all have flea markets. I can't wait.

After Paris we are taking the train to Germany. The Boyfriend has been to Germany a number of times and I lived there for three years when I was in the Air Force. We're taking a Rhine River cruise, we're staying in castles. There will be wine and festivals and... and shopping for baby clothes. Oh, and eating. There will be loads and loads of eating.

Our Departure Date is 23 September -- two weeks!!!! Every couple of days till I leave I'll bring about various aspects of our plans. For now, au revoir!

A New Attitude

More than you can know, I HATED this counter... which is funny because upon first viewing this house it is the counter that called to me. I spied it through a window before ever setting foot into the house when and the first thought that popped into my head was, "It's blue -- they knew I was coming.

And like a bad boyfriend, ever after it was hard to work with. It never looked clean and certainly never looked stylish. Never once did I walk past or set something upon it and heave that satisfied sigh. Instead I grumbled, rolled my eyes and grimmaced. Till finaly... finally... I'd had enough. "Begone ugly counter--I'm done."

The sink was the worst: shallow, clumsy, not even a little bit sexy.

And so I ripped that man -- I mean counter right outta my house.

It was a mess for a while -- the heart of my home spilled out, tossed around...

But really soon there was a new counter. (The counter installer is Steve who is brilliant for not only showing up on time with the correct product, but he laughs at my jokes.I've promised to fix up Steve with my best single girlfriends. He didn't laugh at that... wonder why?)

But now the old cat dish looks a little dowdy, though doesn't my new counter look dazzling. It isn't granite -- in this 100-year-old house, in this down-at-the-heels neighborhood granite would be like tying a silk ribbon on a junkyard dog. Which isn't to say the old dog couldn't delight in some sprucing up a bit. I just love this new counter -- it makes me heave that certain sigh.

I'm thinking this shimmery cat dish is just the jewelry required.

And check out the sink! Even Bailey approves. Let me tell you, this is the sink to end all sinks. From this angle you can't tell, but it's huge HUGE. I could bathe my grandson AND the Little White Dog in here simultaneously. It's wide and it's deep and it is NOT stainless steel. Hoo-HAW.

However, as with many projects I have learned, there is a glitch to the finishing. The backsplash can't go up just yet(it's waiting in the wings) because of a freak of plumbing. There's a plumber coming soon. Then there will be walls to paint and all those curtains to rethink.

There may be no rest for the wicked -- but she gets a pretty slick counter and sink for her digs all the same!

Ruthless

Where, oh where, has Jenny been? Trust me -- you would not have wanted to come along. I've been cleaning out closets, dismantling messes and rooting through the art room. Eek! And OH MY!

I am more of an autumn cleaner than a spring cleaner and of late there has been that "bite" in the air... the kids go back to school earlier and earlier and autumn is sure to follow. So I have begun. And it occurs to me that this house isn't big enough for me and all my nonsense. Oh My Heaven -- when you are a premiere bargain shopper it can sometimes be hard to pass up a really good deal... but if in the end it all gets bagged up and hauled off to thrift... where was the bargain?
And why, oh why, is it way more fun to buy stuff than it is to bag it up and haul it out. I don't get that same little thrill when I am randomly grabbing stuff up and shoving it in a black plastic trash bag as when the clerk at the store placed it in a shopping bag.

So now, when I am out shopping and a great, fabulous, spectacular bargain leaps upon me, I am prepared with a brand new shopping mantra: "Oh, Look, someone is going to be thrilled to find this deal... I will leave it for someone who will love it."

To be fair I have held onto quite a few things for a very long time. See those sweet Teddy bears -- I've had them for some 15 years. When you're as old as me stuff has had time to accumulate. Now it is time for stuff to disappear.

Bye-bye Teddy Bears. Bye-bye stuff.

Baileykins and the Fishies

From the beginning Bailey has loved the fishies -- like they are best friends or something. She liked to watch them in the tank.



She likes to chat with them pond-side.



And oh my, what's this?


Fishy babies?


"Hello Fishies!!!" Bailey would especially like her some Fishy Babies!

Tah-DA!

Remember this wretched wreck of a deck. It was piles of rotted lumber, falling down fencing and whatever that mess was in the corner, who knew!?!


But looky here! In place of the wretched wreck is the New Children's Garden. A fishy pond, a sandbox, lots of plantings, cozy seats. Oh My.

Let's take a tour: First stop is the herb garden -- this is a far cry from last years weed thatch. Intermingled among the rosemary and bail, the lavender and thyme are cheery salmon geranium and several tall hollyhocks.

Side by side are the oeach tree espalier and a very new pear tree. The peach tree is standing at attention with one lone peach not yet ripe for picking.


The sandbox is the living end. It is a slat covered trapzoid filled with fine grained sand, perfect for wee GRANDbabykins to play for hours and hours. And he does!

The seats nearby are for me to watch from afar -- a bit too far. I like to get on my knees and join in the fun.



Ah, the Children's Garden -- it's good to be done.

Goosey Goosey Gander

The Goosies are Blooming, The Goosies are Blooming!!!!!

Don't they look like little goosey heads? This is Gooseneck Loosestrife and it is my favorite thing in my garden. Many flowers make me smile -- but this one makes me laugh out loud.

They are fun and fancy and happy. A whole gaggle of geese marching with purpose across the lawn. Admittedly this corner of my garden is sadly neglected, due in no small part to the goosies.



Beside them is a rose bush that needs to be yanked down, which is no small thing, so that we can get to the fence which needs to be yanked down, which is no small thing... but to get to the rose and to the fence we would have to tromp through the goosies... And I can't bare to trample them. Maybe over winter when they've sunk back to the earth. But right now the rose and the fence can wait a while... while the goosies are blooming. Next year I will move a few to the Children's Garden