A LAKE GETAWAY

I really have to apologize (again) about this lack of blogging business.  It's been a week since my last post and I think I was able to visit blogs for a total of 3 hours total this week.  That's not a lot when you consider I follow over 300 blogs.  Please, please understand.  I hurt myself mainly because my personal goal is to blog 2~3 times a week.  And most of all it's depressing because I miss out on visiting your blogs and finding out what all of you are up to.  I'm working on it.  Truly. 

I had a bit of time to post on Friday but I thought I would bore you silly.  The week consisted of a little grocery shopping, a little shopping spree with Emily for her birthday, and a lot of puttering in the garden.  The battle continues with the squirrels.  They now know they cannot reach the bird feeder so they scramble around the patio eating seeds that my sloppy little birds drop.  Then, and I don't think they are trying to tuck away the seeds for later, but they have been digging in my pots and popping flowers out left and right.  This morning after being at the lake for several days, I found dead little flowers all over, they had just dried up.  The feeder was empty and I thought maybe I just wouldn't fill it again.  Seriously, I may have to move it and then I'll never hear them or watch their little antics.  I did have a tray of flowers I brought home with me so I potted them up in the poor old pots and I have them spread around, just not on the patio where I like the pop of colors.  Sigh.

As per usual, The Husband worked on everything and anything outdoors at the lake and I was shut in with the housework.  We arrived late Friday night and were up with the birds.  This sort of work usually takes place in late April or early May but with the cold weather and vacation in May, we are finally getting to it.  And it's a lot of work.  I got the kitchen clean which is a huge job.  If you think open shelving is beautiful, remember, you have to take everything off them periodically, wash all the dishes, etc., as well as the shelves.  Grrrrr...I also cleaned both baths and washed sheets and comforters for two bedrooms.  

A funny thing sort of happened...serendipity~like.  Every year we get a truckload of sand delivered.  It's a long and back breaking job for The Husband to shovel and wheel barrow it into the lake, going out about ten feet so we have a sandy bottom rather then muck.  It takes an entire day if he does it alone, a half day if he has another guy to help.  And this year we actually had it delivered when we weren't there so instead of the guys dumping the truckload on the beach, they dumped it in the driveway, not close to the beach at all.  About 4:00 Saturday afternoon, The Husband laid down for a little nap.  He was tired and sunburned and hadn't made a dent in the sand.  I worked on the patio cleaning the table and chairs, sweeping and arranging everything...just trying to make it livable, when a stranger appeared.  He said he was working on a beach a few houses down and it looked like we needed help.  I was like, "Sure!  When can you start?"  And he replied that his crew was in between jobs and they could start that minute and be done in an hour or less.  I nearly fell over.  Within 5 minutes I had eight guys there with 8 wheel barrows making the trip from driveway to water and back and forth and each time one went by me I was beaming!  The Husband came downstairs and outside after hearing the commotion and I thought he was going to keel over. And you want to hear what's funny?  These guys call themselves The Beach Boys!  And the Husband made sure he got their card!   Darn, I should have gotten pictures of the whole thing.  I hope I didn't bore you, but this whole weekend ritual of getting this place in shape is just something else.

Late Saturday night daughter Emily and husband Mike arrived.  Not only was it Father's Day on Sunday, but also Emily's birthday on Monday.  She turned 27.  Funny, I had her when I was 27!  We woke up Sunday morning and she was like a woman on a mission...she was going to help me whip the house in shape.  She organized, rearranged, scrubbed, polished.  She moved things that haven't been moved in over twenty years!!  And I'm sure she was mumbling under her breath what a slug I am.  Finally she came to me and said in a very business~like manner, "Mom.  This is crazy.  Next spring you have to hire a service, get this done in one afternoon.  This house is too big."  Hurray! Welcome to my world!  And it's like a B&B sometimes.  I'm cleaning before people come and then cleaning and washing bedding when they leave.  Sigh.  But don't get me wrong, the wonderful times, the peace and quiet, the memories...it's all worth it.

Last week I treated Em to a little shopping trip for her birthday to let her pick out her gift(s).  She's tough to buy for...she loves everything and anything :)  I wanted to stop at Homegoods and pick up a few beachy things for the lakehouse as I do every year.  I had really been agonizing over this empty wall on the patio.  it didn't take long before Emily met me halfway through the store, her cart filled with really neat things.  Here she is putting everything together.

 It's sort of a nautical theme which I've always hesitated in doing because obviously we do not have whales or crabs in the lake.  But I like it and half of it was stuff I already had.  Isn't it cool?

Here's The Husband on Father's Day.  See how sunburned his legs are?  His chest is worse.  Part of the reason he took that nap Saturday afternoon was because he decided to pull up a chair in the middle of the garden for an hour or so.  I found him out there with a Blue Moon, just languishing.  "This is what it's all about, Blondie."  

I promise to get back soon.  

XO,

Jane