Moved In and Loving it All......

I'm still in a dream. Thanks to Hannah, Kim, Karl and Chris I am moved into my new/old home in the country. I love the peace and quiet...soft breezes through the trees, happy birds singing, and lots of soft quiet. The move was engineered by Hannah and went so well I could not believe it. Since we already had the kitchen stocked and ready to go, the bathrooms stocked and ready, everything was put in the room it belonged to and then Karl and Chris put together my bed and Hannah made it up...all was ready to live in. Thank you all more than I can ever say in words.

Oh, I cannot forget Mia. She did very well even though her arthritis caused her to be very stiff after spending over an hour in her carrier. But with a full week living in the new place she now has full control and has made it her domain. Yesterday, she came running to great me at the door when I arrived from work. All is well.

I still have boxes and bags to go through. Karl is coming out Monday to cut the yard and will do so for a little while. When he has to stop, I'll check with Carrie to see if she will recommend a person. I have to add the hand tools necessary for caring for the yard along with a little rolling stool I found that permits me to sit at just the right angle to weed and still be able to get up and down. Thank Heavens for this little invention. I've decided I can trim my own hedges after testing for light weight electric trimmers. Come fall a few friends will help take some of the split and thinned Cannas, Callas, Peonies, Elephant Ears, Day Lillies, Iris and Gladiolli. That will be fun. It has been years since I tended to and made grape jam/jelly so with the wonderfully loaded grape arbor, I want to get back to that. Will be learning, asking questions, and researching history, care, and what to do with all the plantings in the yard. It is wonderful!!! The big Hydrangea bush at the back of the house has beautiful blue blooms and makes the most wonderful bouquet. There are two Bradford Pear trees near the front deck that I may eventually want to take down and replace with Dogwood trees. I will also want to put one or two Magnolia trees in the back...cannot be a Southern Home without at least one Magnolia. Ever since coming to Tennessee in December 1959, I learned to love placing one Magnolia bloom in a cut crystal bowl of water and enjoying the intoxicating lemony scent throughout the house. Beats the little plug-ins bar none.

Joy and Paige came over on Monday after the move-in bring gifts. Joy had brought a bread maker....looking foward to learning the technique and the smells of fresh baked bread in the oven. Paige painted and brought a beautiful blue lamp that is perfect for the front window table, with its lovely wide-spread shade. She also came with fresh out of the garden tomatoes and cucumbers. I enjoyed delicious sliced tomato and mayo sandwiches and seeded and chopped cucumber side dish. Also make some thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches....very good! Thank you both ever so much.

It will take several months to really get into the groove of it all but, I am going to enjoy every minute and hope to have friends and family to enjoy it with me. Since I love to cook and see people enjoy the results, maybe I can entice a few to come over. Guess I best get to practicing in the kitchen again and brush up on a few old recipes. We have some very good restaurants (old and new) in the Dickson area so whenever I tire of cooking there is an easy fix nearby. Joy, Paige and I have talked about getting together for games, talking, and wine. Hope that begins to happen soon....and that Tina will be in on it also.

Now, I'll have to come up with a name for home.