Are hawthorn trees all that bad?

Hiding in the thorny branches were two surprises, one sweet and the other sweeter.

A mummy robin sitting still as can be atop her eggs ... hawthorn branches are fabulous protection!

And a jumble of raspberries hidden in the hawthorn leaves. Delicious!

Maybe I should reconsider my wanting to annihilate the dread things from our property. Maybe they're not all that bad ...

Exhausted Pup

Undeniably, Scooby has some puppy tendancies like ripping apart his empty Scooby snack bag that was in the recycling bin. There were bits of chewed-up wrapper everywhere.

Exhausted by efforts, he cuddled up with Laa Laa and fell asleep.

Last Day of School!

In keeping with our family tradition, on the last day of school we have a BACKWARDS DINNER and eat dessert first. The kids had DIY ice cream sundaes with an assortment of sprinkles and toppings and whipped cream. For the first time ever, S's last day happens a few days before J's ... J has to go for 4 days yet. Healthy? I think not.

Fun? You betcha.

Daddy's Day

Happy Dad's Day to the father of my children! He was rewarded with a well-deserved gift of rest. Hammock, pillows, sunshine, kettle chips, ice cold tall boys and a trashy magazine ... and an uninterrupted hour to himself.

Now get back to work!!

You can rest again next year.

Happy Father's Day!

Here's a photographic trip down memory lane, to a time when the two fathers in my life were at the beginning of their parental journey. As a parent now, I appreciate how rewarding that journey is. Thanks for being the greatest dads and grandpas ever!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Jammin' with Grandma

It's strawberry season! It's a gorgeous day! GM and I picked a bunch of strawberries (two 4 quart baskets full) this morning and the kids helped her mash and stir and pour ... and voila! Jam! Of course since I wasn't directly involved it looked complicated and sticky, but it'll sure be worth it when we're enjoying a PB & J on fresh bread in the morning.

Evolution of a Window

A house doesn't really require trim, not the way a fridge or a toilet is required. But trim is definitely nice and it does finish a room quite well. Our house does not have any trim. Well, just a little bit in the upstairs bathroom (and it looks fantastic!) So P got to work to get me some trim around the front living room window.

Some admirers stopped to compliment and to offer suggestions. Still, P toiled on, oblivious to distractions.

The trim was pre-painted (thanks GT!) in the basement so that it just needed to be measured and cut and nailed in place.

I had mentioned a while ago that I'd like a sill at the bottom, and P remembered! He sanded a chuck of wood up and built a gorgeous sill. It's my job to paint it ... which I haven't done yet.

But meanwhile the window evolution keeps on rolling. S grabbed a screw gun to install the curtain rod. Under close supervision of course.

Once the curtain rod was installed, level and centred, we hung the new drapes! The colour is "mushroom" and surprisingly they look amazing with the colour of the wall.

Et VOILA! Some pictures hung above the blue wash stand and plants artfully arranged and we have a (mostly) finished living room window. I love it.

The Finishing Touch

We have a new-ish garden which is surprisingly weed-free (or weed-reduced) so we quickly added some mulch around the plants and it looks pretty darn good if I say so myself. Thanks to GT and her green thumb(s)! Let's hope it discourages Scooby and any visiting pups (not naming any names, Mr. W ... you know who you are) from lifting a leg on the plants!

The Hanging

The boys' rooms have been painted for ages now and all their furniture is in and being used, but nothing's on the walls: no photos, no shelves, no posters. The reason, primarily, is that the trim isn't done yet so it's difficult to see exactly where these items should be put. The real reason (I've deduced) is that the To-Do list is simply to long. So a few days ago, S pointed out the place and up they went! And ... there's even new outlets and covers. They look FANTASTIC!