A WEEKEND IN MAY

We finally made it up to the lake after being stuck at home with a zillion weekend obligations. We had gloomy weather on Saturday and I sat in the Summerhouse most of the time eating peanuts and surveying the lake with my binoculars. I can be industrious like that. But Sunday was warm and sunny and we (The Husband) cleaned up the patio and we had just the best day. This is a picture looking out at the bay from my seat on the patio. Our trees have become monsters but we really enjoy the shade in the dead of summer.
I'm taking you on a little tour inside before we go back out. This is the upstairs bath. If you remember when we were renovating, we decided The husband would remodel this bathroom, Emily had the powder room downstairs and the laundry room and I did the kitchen. So this is the bath that The Husband did. It was completely gutted to make room for a free standing tub by removing the linen closet...I'm not good with materials but he used some type of stone and trim for the walls and the floor is Travertine.
I think the whole thing turned out very European looking and so The Husband shopped the house for vases and flowers and candles and it turned out very nice. We aren't crazy about the wall color so he is going to paint it a cream color on the next rainy day. (I thought I staged things pretty nicely but I left my contact lens stuff out). I think he did a pretty good job. The bathtub is a lot of fun to play in.
This is a corner of the Great room that I am working on. Problem number one is that we have a Victorian settee and then two country style glider rockers. We are really comfortable sitting here and looking out at the bay, and I know the furniture styles clash, but it's going to be awhile until we change it. I am going to paint the end table but my problem is the table in the center that I picked up for pennies at a fleatique shop. It looks Early American or Colonial. It fits the spot perfectly though...to set a drink or a book down, but I want to paint it. Should I keep it? Should I paint it white, blue, green, black? The weather is getting warm so I can start painting things I've been collecting all winter long and this is first on my list. I also measured the rug wrong and so I am looking for a round one to fit the space better. Nice round rugs are difficult to come by...everything is braided and I don't want that.
This picture was taken off the balcony of our master bedroom. Here you can see a small portion of the lake. Did I tell you this lake is huge? It has an island that I will take you on a tour of this summer. We live on the far west corner of the lake. It was only about 70 degrees out there and there were already some crazy boaters. Brrrr...
Can you spot the little dove nesting on one of the beams on the balcony. The copper top must have blown off during the winter and this little guy found the perfect place to make a nest. I am going to have to wait awhile to put my furniture out. He did allow for a few pictures.
This is on the covered patio, a nest of baby robins. We are gone a few weeks and all the birds moved in. There is an old saying that birds that build a nest attached to your house mean that there is love inside. I agree. ;-D
This little guy looks mean. I tried to get a picture of the mom and dad feeding them but they would fly away. There are four in the nest and thankfully none have fallen out. I have nursed many a bird in my lifetime and I swore I would never do it again.
We had an early supper of grilled chicken sandwiches with potatoes cooked with onions on the grill. Afterward, we sat on the patio and had a drink. I of course could not choose between wine or Pepsi. The summerhouse is in the background.
This is a view of my English garden. The boxwood needs a good crew cut. A lot of plants are coming up but not blooming. I also have some plants that I bought last fall on sale that made it through the winter that I have to plant. I love how the sun sets over the trees. That is our shed there, it matches the house and the Summerhouse so it looks like one big compound!
We had to leave Sunday night as The Husband has client meetings early in the morning {usually we stay until Monday morning} so that accounts for the grim look on Milo's face.


Before I go, I want to pass this recipe down to all of you. It is from the lake newspaper. It will be perfect for your Memorial Day cookout. Let me know if you try it.



Margarita Dip

Mix 1 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese, 1/3 cup thawed margarita mix, 2 T orange juice and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in a blender or with a mixer until smooth. Fold in 1/4 whipped cream and chill for 1 hour. Serve with fruit or pour over angel or pound cake for a dessert. Yum!!!


Have a great week! :-)