Amazement & Appreciation

Cannot speak for anyone else, but the older I get the more amazed I am by Mother Nature.

Certainly more appreciative, too.

The gardens of Maxwell House continue to amaze me because the flowers have been fooled.  South Australia is having a relatively slight beginning to winter.  The roses are blooming, the birds are singing, the sun continues to shine, so I AM a bit confused ~ yet AMAZED.

Tinto is lighting fires in the spruced up fire place AND the groovy pot bellied stove has been returned to his former glory, too.  We only need him lit at night.  The birds are so LOUD outside at the moment that I'm having trouble concentrating and it's completely DARK outside now.

Each day the house looks better.  Maxwell House is smiling and acting like a dog...wagging its tail and waiting for more attention.  It IS sheer fun to renovate.  It IS magic what a little sanding, painting, and cleaning with sugar soap can achieve.

I can't sleep at night; I can't wait to get up in the morning to work on the project that wouldn't allow me to sleep the night before.

Everyone should take care of the things we love, shouldn't we?  We get busy, life gets in the way, but looking after you car, your house...taking care of your key investments shouldn't be a chore; I'm thinking it's a downright privilege!   To say the least we should be looking after our bodies, our minds, and our souls FIRST ~ then, move on to the other things that we want to keep around for a long time...

Walking out into the garden I see taller succulents and they make me smile.  The really good carpet installer rolled over a few of the stalks when he was leaving in his ute and I thought I was going to cry or get sick.  Can you imagine?   But, when the succulents break...it's as if they bleed.  Yes, they DO grow again...like a mad dog...all you have to do is dig a tiny hole and stick a broken stalk in and it will grow faster than you can imagine in only a week.  Still, I hate it when they get broken.  I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off sticking sad, broken plants in the ground.  Henry watches in wonder and he IS doing a super job guarding the garden.  The delivery guys just shake their head now and tell him 'Hello, Henry!'  The more people visiting the happier Henry is.

 Aren't these simply wonderful?????

 I wish I could draw...

Firewood delivered and DUMPED under the old

Peppercorn tree.

 

 

 OUT with the OLD...OR was that GOLD?????  Heeee! ~ in with the new, funky,

eclectic, eccentric, MORE than fabulous divine fabric which just happened to

belong to my sister, Constance.  I AM IN HEAVEN...and a little bit of Constanza is with ME.

 New knobs, baby...did NOT want them.  I want drawers to be nice, smooth, and glowing with nothing but wood, but I relented...

 Tinto saying, 'ENOUGH' with the pics!  But, see...all I had to do was say I really think we need a banquette for our long, hand-made dining room table and within 48 hours MY MAN WAS ON IT.  I AM HOPPING UP and DOWN AND CANNOT WAIT FOR FINAL PRODUCT.  I have it ALL in my head!  You'll see...within a couple of weeks!  xoxx

 White roses in the BEST VASE ever from one of my BEST MEMPHIS MATES!

Cheers!  TA!  Looking pretty special, DK!

 My husband.  What can I say?  :-)

 Final 2 chairs covered at midnight.

 POT-BELLIED STOVE (hand-made wedding gift) brought back to his glory AND, MAN, DOES HE PUT OUT THE HEAT!  Yahoooooooooooo!  There is a 'before' chair in that pic; you just wait!!!

 This table will be filled with good food, heaps of laughter, and love.

Ya'll Come.

 Okay...so there IS a story about this bed.  THE BEST PART of the story was watching Tinto's face as he explained it.  I was away all morning and, apparently, some goodies I ordered were delivered.  But...the reason I'm posting this pic, BARBARA KING, is because it took me WEEKS to find my Green Apple paint.  We found it...only it's called Guacamole or Avocado...or something...I don't know, but I love it.  This is THE tiniest room you'll ever see.

I digress...back to the bed:  I walked in the door and Tinto grabbed my hand and led me to the back guest bedroom and when I entered I clapped my hands and squealed!  The small, grey linen bed had arrived and Tinto had it all ready for me to dress and decorate.  He said, 'My love, you ordered doll furniture.  I said, 'Excuse me?'  He replied, 'The boxes the bed and the frame and the mattress were delivered in came up to my waist and were so small that I thought to myself you had ordered furniture that belonged in a child's cubby house!'  He said that when he went to open the mattress there was a small tool and so, he followed instructions, cut here, sliced a little there and, WHAAAALA~...THE MATTRESS POPPED OUT, UNFOLDED AND BECAME A PROPER, DOUBLE BED MATTRESS.  Unbelieeeeeeevable and comfy, too. 

PS:  Don't know about you, but I have found a piece of furniture I admire before and when I looked closer the ad stated the piece was designed for a DOLL HOUSE, so, don't ever be in a huge hurry and make that mistake.  (I truly thought I had by the look on Tinto's face!)

The magic moments are when a dear mate shows up with a beautiful bottle in her hand and 'Oooooohs and Aaaaaaaagggghhhhhs' about the changes made with the house.  SEE?  This brilliant wine is from premium vineyards in Central Victoria and made by Fowles Wine - the name:  LADIES WHO SHOOT THEIR LUNCH.  Haaaaa!  Yummy, rich, vibrant Shiraz - Thanks, Joanne.  I'm glad (very) that we don't ever have to shoot our lunch!  xxo

Maxwell House beginning to take shape - BUT SOOOOO much more to do.  It is with sheer joy and AMAZEMENT that I see Tinto take on a new portion of the house everyday.  He appears to be as excited as I am because he's putting in some really, unbelievably, long hours in his day.

Signing Off:  The Exhilarated and a bit Exhausted Half of The Roaming Stevens.
Tinto building fires as I type; smells terrific and I'm OFF now to make a couple of G&T's.

Have an interesting weekend - BE SAFE.  BE KIND WHEN YOU ROAM.  And...tell those you love how much they truly mean to you.  It's easy to love.  It takes a lot of work to hate.

Cheers.
Blanco.
PS:  Please excuse any typos...