Comments

You will undoubtedly notice that we have had to set the comments to where we have to accept them before they will publish. Unfortunately there is freedom to post comments to bloggers' sites, even if you don't know someone and are intruding on a blog site. SO, to obliterate the comments from those who don't belong, we've had to set the choice to accept them first.

Please feel free to comment if you are our friends or family ... or if you are a new interested friend to-be. We will of course always welcome and accept those comments.

However, if you are a hacker, a spammer or an otherwise unwelcome participant, you are not invited here. Please go away!

It makes me (us) sad to realize this is necessary. We like our world uncomplicated and innocent.

Blessings to all,

Paul & Cheri

Grandfather Mountain Day

We took the boys to Grandfather Mountain while they were here. It was a FABULOUS day and filled with fun and adventure. The weather was beautiful, albeit WINDY!!
AMAZING ... you can see about 3 states from the top. It's so spectacular.

3 monkeys on a hike ... a pretty long hike actually. They were awesome!

Interesting how each of them have their hat situated a different way. They are all so different from each other, unique and precious in their own ways.
They were all great hikers and really great climbers!

Hiking with their canteens. Such entertainment!

Paul and Austin "on the edge".

Paul & Cade "on the edge"

Paul & Christian "on the edge".

This is the very top of the mountain. You have to cross a swinging bridge, which is truly a mile high to get to this side of the mountain. The boys were fabulous climbers and very brave about the whole thing.

A very nice lady took our photo with the bridge in the background. THAT is the bridge we crossed as you'll see below.

Had to hold on to this one because the wind was blowing so hard! But at least this time we weren't frozen like we were in December!

All the boys crossing the mile high swinging bridge.

On the top! The views are just gorgeous. Unbelievably so.

Three amigos - posers!

Watching the otters ... or the deer ... or something!

Checking out EVERYTHING ...

A brown (kodiak) bear looking for food ... they only let them have so much food in a given time so they aren't unhealthy and over fed.

A black bear ... also looking for food. Unfortunately while we were there they weren't allowed to eat. Drat!

Boys with Mildred in the Museum

Such a wonderful day had by all. We were tired when we got home, but it was so worth it! Thanks to Mother Nature for such a lovely day. There are no words for how much we enjoy having these guys here with us. It's the highlight of our summer every year.

Happy Trails to all of you!

Paul & Cheri, Austin, Cade & Christian

No words required

Happy Thursday

with love

Just stuff

Dr. Keith got all the way to Idaho with his moving truck and realized while unpacking that some of our loom pieces were with his loom pieces ... so ... being a nice guy he sent us all the missing stuff and viola' ... we have a WHOLE LOOM. So now I can truly learn to weave!!

I am super excited about this !!! :-)

This was our annual UNBIRTHDAY party that we throw every summer for the boys. Since their birthdays are all over the calendar, we always just have one big party, the unbirthday party so cleverly named by sesame street years ago. They all get party bags, lunchables and treats of their choice and they don't even have to sit in their chairs! This is their most fun privilege as Paul Paul is a stickler for sitting in your chair while you eat!

This year they got sponge bullets in guns and they very enthusiastically took great pride in target practice on Paul Paul. However, they're all really lousy shots, so Paul Paul is unbruised. ;-)

Austin - (SNUG)

Cade - as a bug (doodlebug)

Christian - in a rug

SNUG AS A BUG IN A RUG -- great boys

AND our yearly feet photo! As you can see, this was PREwashed feet, at their request this year! They are so much fun.

In other stuff:

It was Nina's birthday last week (16th) and I'm not sure if I blogged that fact or not. SO, Happy Birthday, Nina! And she landed a great job on top of that! Whoo hoo!

Tomorrow is my brother-in-law, Paul's birthday ... Happy Birthday, Paul! Hope you have a wonderfully relaxing and happy day!

We have had a lot of opportunity to entertain our friends lately. It has been lovely to see folks and be able to feast and be festive!

The dirt was delivered on the side yard. The craters were filled up by Otis ... but the weather and the schedules of all involved have been crazy, so the big pile of dirt is still a big pile of dirt. It'll get all flattened out ... and we'll probably need another load before it's all said and done. It's interesting to watch the process.

Paul painted the kitchen floor black last week. It looks FABULOUS! We painted it flat black at the advice of the hardware store owner and after we "weather it" a bit, we'll seal it. I'm very impressed at how really impressive it is turning out to be. Still waiting for the dirty dishes fairies to come and clean up though. Man, they're slow.

Weather has been "alternative". Hasn't really been warm. I'm not sure if it even got in the 70's today. It's chilly for sure, rainy ... flash flood stuff ... hail storms. YUK! I'm in fleece jogging pants, sweatshirt, wool socks, slippers and a blanket! Spartacus is curled up in a ball and Artemis has gone upstairs to the bunk beds because it's warmer. GEEZ!!

I have the chance to overcome pneumonia again ... oh boy! Wish things would dry up a bit. I'm tired of gurgling. ugh!

Paul is mentoring at Crossnore. He is also playing soft ball. Fun to watch. We're keeping advil in business. He's so funny. A goalie sliding in to 2nd base head first ... belly flopping. He gets ovations every time. Then he limps for the next several days. So cute.

Paul has been getting some "odd jobs" to keep busy. He's doing all kinds of handyman type stuff. It comes in handy for the people who he helps, and of course, for us. We are very grateful for all the "odd jobs" that he can find!

There have been a lot of lookers at the Club, but very cautious buyers and no one brave enough to write the check quite yet. Our fingers are crossed tight though in hopes that we'll have some contract(s) soon! We have some sellers that hope that too. (and some agents)

We've had a lot going on. It's a small window of weather permitting time and it seems to be even smaller this year due to all the water coming out of the sky. We're managing to work through it though, and the garden is growing in spite of our rainy state. Hopefully we'll get the shutters refinished and back up on the house, and the floors finished before frost sets in. It's 57 degrees right now. Too cold to paint ... if you're coming to visit us make sure to bring jackets and long johns! Fleece is your friend here...for real.

Beth's kitties have their eyes open now. They are ADORABLE. So are the fawns she has visiting in her backyard. She has a family that comes yearly ... her place is truly magical.

There are lots of bears out and about this year. They are crossing major roads a lot, and scaring the tar out of drivers. Be careful driving around up here! Even the baby bears put BIG dents in cars, and you don't even want me to tell you what cars do to baby bears!

Time for bed. Sweet dreams to all.

Paul & Cheri

Avant Garden July 2009

Greetings from the Avant Garden. Seems like it has been an age since we've updated on this subject! Here we have day lilies galore. They've just started dropping off of their blooming. They were simply a sea of orange magnificence a week and two ago. Now they're tiring and the black eyed susans are just beginning to show signs of opening! The begonias and petunias are absolutely thriving. There are dalias that are just ready to bloom like crazy. The big pot on the ledge (right side) is a "dinner plate" dalia and truly opens up the size of a dinner plate. She has a bloom right on the top today ... I can't wait to see what color she is. There are several smaller dalias down in the bed ... red ones. They're blooming on and off. There is also a sedum (which is a big hit around here for those of you who have never even heard of that --- which would be me until last year) and there is a Lily in that pot that volunteered to live there. She's got a bloom just ready to open also. The hanging basket was put together by one of the genius ladies at the Club. She is magic with flowers and a very sweet and special woman as well, Shelby is her name. She does all the flowers at the Club. All kinds of action around here FINALLY!!!!!

And here, amongst the blooms is my very own Garden Geezer ... albeit leaning a tad, he's definitely the pillar of strength around here. This bed has hostas, which are in BIG purple blooms right now, some more dalia blooms, iris, begonias (which are hidden by the car) and a beautiful butterfly bush just beginning to bloom.

A closer view of one side.

And then the other side.

token tomato plant in a chair

Mountain Mint ... YUM!!!! Great tea ...

Strawberry plant ... third strawberry of the year

The food garden ... up front are the boy's squares for this year. In the distance is some other stuff .....

A volunteer marigold from last year's seed. Isn't that nice!?!

There are 3 of these mounds containing cantaloupes ... compliments of each boy, of course

And their tomato plant in the center of that cantaloupe patch

And Cade & Austin's strawberry plants

Cade's square (I think/hope)

Christian's square in front, Austin's in back (I think/hope)

If you double click on this you'll see carrots beginning and whatever else he planted which might have been beets or radishes (Cade's)

and TONS of lettuce (Cade's)

This is Christian's corn and strawberry

and Christian's carrots (l) and sunflowers (r)

Austin's 2 squash plants (r)

and go-zillion beets (I think?) I knew I should've written this down! Dang!

Here are our cucumbers (pickles for Paul) and onions

Bell peppers

Cucumbers on the other side of the garden!

Red Cabbage and tomatoes every where ... we have 50 tomatoes on the vines! WOW!

Tomatoes .....

Red Cabbage ... the lady at the nursery gave them to Paul free because they looked so pitiful! They're doing GREAT!!! I think we have 4 of them.

Lettuce --- we used some for our dinner party with Caitalin & Tahja last night. It tasted GREAT ! It was lovely seeing them again!

Zucchini plants -- 3 of them

Zucchini on the vine! :-)

The beans were planted by the boys while they were here.. The background is potatoes first, then corn ... then sunflowers are on the far side, but you can't seem them in this view. They haven't bloomed ...

And that's it so far.

AVANT GARDEN bidding everyone a great week ahead!

P & C