Thursday, November 17, 2016 – Roy and I have been busy working on our property since we got back to Amite, Louisiana.  Digging up weeds, planting flowers (mostly pansies and mexican heather), pruning rose bushes, painting some things, pressure washing the house, storage building, and Dora our motor home. My hands are full of scratches, scrapes and look atrocious but I’ve enjoyed the digging, clipping and cutting and the finished product.

All of the large and medium rocks we brought home with us from each state we visited have found their home in the gardens.

Our fig trees are still small but they have about a dozen figs ripening.  The satsuma trees have about 6 nice satsumas.  Madisyn enjoyed picking and eating one on Sunday! The blueberry bushes finished producing months ago so now we’ve covered them with piles of leaves protecting them till next years crop starts.

Some of last year’s bulbs are beginning to sprout.  They are now covered with pine straw to protect them from winter freezes.  You know that one hour per month overnight when the weather goes below freezing here in Louisiana!

We planted three of these to the right of the house and they got so large Roy separated them and planted one in a cluster of trees near the pond. 

The gardenias are blooming and quite happy with the pine straw added to the beds.

I cut off the tops of the pretties red blooming roses who are also happy with the pine straw bedding.

Our pond water is way way low now.  Way different than the photos our renters sent us after the August flooding when it was 3 feet over the culvert.  It’s been so dry here I’m surprised anything has lived but it’s getting a good daily watering now so things are starting to recover and bloom.  I’m quite thankful to our renters for the watering of our fruit trees and rose bushes that kept them healthy through the drought.

After the flood

This is from on top of the culvert looking out into the pond.  There is approximately 15 of dry land there now.  I think it needs a deck now!

We’re planning to stay home well into the summer next year.  We’ll hopefully have more family time together, more time to enjoy our beautiful property while still getting two to three months of traveling away from the South during the hottest of the summer months.

One day last week I visited one of my doctors and had a wonderful lunch with some of my favorite ladies from work at Southeastern Louisiana University.  We ate at La Caretta in Hammond which is one of my favorite lunch places.  Three of the four of them (Jacqueline, Cindy and Donna) had their homes destroyed in the August flooding.  They shared the progress they are making and while all three have not been able to live in their homes since the flood, they should all be by Christmas!  The fourth lady, is my buddy Sandy.  For years she and I have planned to live together after our husbands are no longer with us.  I had a wonderfully heartwarming experience being with these wonderful ladies again.  I can’t believe I didn’t take any pictures, I know right??!!

Madisyn and Chip came to visit us Sunday which put a major smile on my face and in my heart.  She has always been able to do that and hasn’t lost her touch! The love that flows through that little girls arms as she wraps them around me is the best medicine anyone could get!

First two are she and Roy’s favorite position!  When we lived in our house she use to tuck up under his arm on the sofa recliner.

She created a blog with me about a year ago and Sunday asked if she could create a Silly Sunday with Madisyn blog.  Here she is working on it!

Roy and Chip visited outside by the campfire while Madisyn and I played with crafts inside.

My great nephew Joseph got married to Brooke the first weekend we were home.  The wedding and reception were beautiful and best of all we had a grand ole time visiting with family. When I was a child I grew up having family gatherings with my sister’s husband George’s family.  That included his brother Bobby and his absolutely wonderful top notch wife Marilyn.  We got to visit with them at the wedding!

George and his daughter Dana’s daughter Annie!

My amazing and beautiful sister Harriett, her granddaughter Annie, her husband George and my niece (her daughter) Dana (the groom’s mom!)

Roy and our precious Annie!

Roy wanted a photo of the ladies!  Marilyn, Harriett, Dana, me (Rosalyn) and Annie! I love these ladies!!

Our wonderful great nephew Joseph and his beautiful new wife Brooke!

Our nephew (Harriett’s son) Greg and his simply beautiful daughter Sally!  Greg is wearing the flowers Sally wore in the wedding.  Marilyn’s husband Bobby is on the left!

Can’t get enough photos of Annie, she was a bridesmaid.

The groom Joseph’s little brother John and beautiful cousin Sally!

Chip came to visit us in Amite on Wednesday.  He and Roy installed new headlights on Boots our truck.  Chip and Misty gave them to Roy for his birthday earlier this year.  They make such a big difference to the look of the truck but it will make a huge difference when we’re driving at night.

Our lawn mower needed some maintenance which included Roy and I pushing it up the hill from down by the pond to near the compressor is so Roy could fill the tires and begin some of the maintenance.  We made a pretty good team on the not at all easy project of pushing!  What a picture that would have made.  Roy’s outside working on the maintenance part now.  That man never stops working. 

Things are changing for Roy and I work wise (income producing work) and when it all works itself out I’ll share what I can!

Ya’ll come back now, ya’ hear!

This scripture shouted out at me because of some recent trials.  God loves me and with Him in my life there is always JOY in my heart and life.