Living and gardening in an older Hudson Valley home
Posts about decorating and design in the house and outside
Our home was constructed in 1935. We know this because the date is carved in one of the slate shingles on the roof. By all accounts it was not a great time in the United States. Unemployment remained at 20% and the Great Depression would not begin to end for five more years. Despite the […]
Over the past few weeks, I have been working on a restoration of the picnic area. This is a stone patio area surrounded by a low stone wall. We call it the picnic area, as this is how it was described to us by the Parisers, the prior long-time homeowners. They have told us there […]
It was a busy summer, and I chose not to write any blogs over the summer. While I made quick posts on Facebook and Instagram, I did not take the time to write more information. Sometimes, it is better to just live in the moment rather than document the moment. Concerts and other events are […]
The end of winter is fast approaching, both from a calendar perspective and an ecological perspective. Winter is a time for many indoor activities, chief among these is having fun with various hobbies. This year I tried a new hobby. I have long admired artists who paint with oils. I dabble occasionally with watercolor but […]
The internet, or more precisely Instagram, will probably be my undoing. Posts by influencers and bloggers demonstrate many clever and interesting things. I waste hours looking at posts of the seeming ease of renovating French Chateaus and English manor houses, cake decorating, gardening and countless other worthwhile, but challenging occupations. For unknown reasons, I get […]
In warmer months, I get to indulge my creative passions by working in the garden. In colder months, I invent projects that are fun and creative, especially gifts to give away. I will probably never stop making things, because I derive a lot of pleasure in the planning, sourcing, execution and giving of personal gifts […]
In Winter my projects are usually focused indoors. Once Spring starts my attention shifts to the outdoors and indoor activities are given second place. This past Winter, I embarked on a project that spilled into my Spring schedule. The wall space on either side of the fireplace was empty. Over the past several years, I […]
After watching the Netflix series Sky Castle and The Glory, I was in an Asian appreciation mood. Korean drama, also known as KDrama, is exceptionally well acted and written. Some people binge watch television programs. I savor them and spread them out, watching one episode per evening. Thus the 20 episodes of Sky Castle and […]
This may look like any other tree decorated with Christmas lights, but it represents much more. A few months ago, my neighbor approached me about decorating a 4o foot Canadian Hemlock tree in my yard with Christmas lights. She would buy the lights and have them installed, if she could use my tree. I immediately […]
Last year, I had my old garage doors replaced. They were wooden and had seen better days. A ground hog had decided to visit one evening and thought it would be a comfortable place for an overnight stay. Unfortunately, his check out time did not coincide with when I would next be opening the garage […]
