This & That

It's hard to believe the summer has come and gone, isn't it? 

For many, that means the kiddos are heading back to school. 

I kind of miss those days.

The trees are starting to change in my neck of the woods, and the leaves starting to fall. 

The light is changing - have you noticed?

I tried to capture it this morning, but I'm afraid my camera just didn't do it justice. 

The cooler days have prompted me to tackle a couple of projects around the house, before the winter settles upon us. 

The weather was absolutely perfect yesterday to tackle this mess, which I've been putting off since the spring. 

This was the damage that was left behind from the snow shovels this past winter. We had a heck of a winter, and the ice would build up right outside the kitchen door. We had to break it apart with an ice shovel, and then scrape it off the deck. 

What a mess it left behind!

I scooted around on my little mechanic's stool, which is on wheels and close to the ground, and touched up all the spots that needed some TLC on the deck. 

So much better, don't you think?

The Monkey couldn't understand why I wouldn't let her outside with me while I was painting. 

Silly little Monkey. 

Speaking of the Monkey, this is the nightly routine in my house. 

Monkey goes over to the toy box and barks at it, until we take every single toy out to find out which one she's obsessing over at this particular second. 

And Tubs just sits there looking at her, as if to ask us why the Monkey is so weird. 

Yup, that's life in our house. 

Monkey rules the roost. 

We had the family over for dinner yesterday, which was wonderful. Sweetie provided the flowers for the table, out of his garden. Black Eyed Susans, Knockout Roses, and Sedum Autumn Joy. 

A bouquet of happiness and love!

Speaking of happiness, a few more sunflowers have bloomed on the deck, all planted by the critters. 

Thanks, critters!

I just love sunflowers, don't you?

I also love the flowers and the leaves on the Castor Bean plant. This is my first time growing Castor Beans, but it won't be my last! There are no edible beans on this plant, as a matter of fact the plant is toxic, but the plant is worth growing just for the foliage alone. 

I just love how cozy my little house looks in the evenings. 

Now that we are spending more time indoors, I tackled another small project that I've been meaning to do. 

I swapped out nearly every single light bulb in my house with LED bulbs. That's no easy task, as I am a huge fan of ambient lighting, and I have many, many lamps throughout my house. The only ones I haven't swapped yet are the 5 high hats in my master bath and closet. I need to find bulbs that are large enough for those spots. 

Other than that, every single light in my house now has a new LED bulb. Do you know how much money that will save on my electric bill? Not to mention, the bulbs are supposed to last anywhere from 13 - 22 years - that's terrific!

Philips LED Bulb 16 Pack on Amazon

I originally ordered a bunch of LED bulbs through our local electric company, with rebates they were offering for a limited time. When I ran out of those, I went on Amazon to see what they had, and ordered this 16 pack of Philips LED bulbs for just $25.69 - that's a fantastic price, only $1.60 per bulb! Amazing considering how much they will save me!

Oh, I did forget one other bulb....the one in the ceiling fixture on the staircase leading down to the lower level. But, there's no way I'm getting on a ladder ON THE STAIRS to get to that one, so I guess it's staying as is for now. 

You do remember how terrified I am of ladders, don't you? 

Yeah, that's not happening. 

Any volunteers?