Almost Done!

I am coming into the home stretch on my Autumn Sampler.  This has been a super fun project.  I still have to go back through for touch ups that require confetti stitches.  I really love the colors and know that it will look fabulous in my living room.  We will see how long it takes me to frame it...

 

We had a good, albeit busy weekend.  We have been working hard lately on the yard and garden.  We live in drought ridden California.  (We have been through this a few times.)  Our area of the Central Coast is known for being pretty water conscious, but we got our letter last week talking about what we have to do to conserve more.  Bill looked at me and said, "Well, we either have to get rid of the garden or we have to recycle water."  He went down to Home Depot and came home with several large buckets.  So we are now capturing shower water and dishwashing water.  I thought we would save a couple of gallons a day, but it is more like 8-10 gallons a day.  We use the water on all of the flowering plants in the yard.

 

So here is the irony in this situation.  Because the water is recycled, we are actually watering the plants more, because we have to empty our buckets daily.  The flowers are thriving.  The other byproduct of this, is that we come home after work and play in the yard after we water the flowers.  We have been eating almost all of our dinners out there.  Afterwards, we play with Liesl and throw her ball.  We are spending a lot more time in the yard than we used to and enjoying all of the work we have done.

 

I just knew that we could not let the garden die.  While it is just a small cottage garden, we both love gardening. But I know it is really important to Bill.  When we first met, he was living in his condo, and said that he so missed a garden.  I can always see how happy he is when he is outside working in the yard, wearing his big floppy hat.  What makes it an even more beautiful scene is that he always has Liesl right there with him while he works.  Liesl and her daddy have such a special connection, and the sight of the two of them walking around the yard, makes my heart happy.

 

I have been feeling very blessed lately.  After Bills bout with Melanoma earlier this year, I went to the dermatologist for the first time ever.  I found an amazing doctor.  He found a few spots that he felt we pre-cancerous.  So a few weeks ago, I had a little surgery to have a large mole removed and a couple more spots frozen off.  I was not prepared for how much freezing would hurt.  Holy Smokes!  However, it could have been so much worse, so I consider myself so lucky.  My doctor shared his journey and said he would not be alive himself if he had not had a colonoscopy earlier than necessary.  He said no matter how scared you are, go do it.  It might save your life!

 

So I am counting my blessings and walking in gratitude.  May you be blessed!