Bits & Bobs...And An Update

We are still waiting for spring to arrive to the mountain top...as a matter of fact just a few minutes ago it was snowing. 

Of course it was....that's because Mother Nature knows I wanted to get out in the garden tomorrow and get some spring cleanup done! 

I was able to spend a few hours outside last Saturday, beginning the arduous and overwhelming task of getting the gardens cleaned up for spring.

The first two hours or so, my trusty helper Bee and I picked up about a billion sticks from all around the property.

They will make for a lovely bonfire some summer evening. 

This was the first time Bee has been out of the Garden Cottage since the end of gardening season last year....the ground was pretty wet, so we made a lot of tracks, but her help is invaluable and worth any tracks in the grass. 

I managed to get the beds around the veggie garden cleaned out for the most part....until Sunday, when the winds kicked up and blew all the leaves right back in. 

So frustrating - grrrrrrrrrr!

There are spring bulbs popping up in this little garden next to the garden path, and I see my perennials coming back to life as well. Exciting times for a gardener!

I have been able to hang out laundry a couple of times recently, which thrills me to no end. There's just something so peaceful about the act of hanging laundry in the sunshine, with the sound of the birds all around me.

Yes, I know, you don't have to tell me....I'm completely lame, what can I say. 

I'm trying to identify this seed pod, in a pot up in Papa's Garden. I can't remember for the life of me what I had planted in that pot, but the seedpod sure is cool! 

Could it have been a Zinnia? Looking at this photo, it seems I may have had a Zinnia growing in that corner (to the right of the Arborvitae.) I don't even remember planting any Zinnias in there! 

I cannot wait until Papa's Garden looks like this again - wasn't it simply gorgeous? 

Little Miss Molly was not one bit impressed to be trapped inside while I was outside, as you can tell by her little blinkety-eye face. 

She was thrilled later in the day when all the work was done and I let her out to sit with Mommy on the deck swing. 

The second she sees my butt aiming for the swing, she flies across the deck like a complete lunatic and leaps onto the swing before me. 

Wow, that little cutie can really jump!!  We call her the Flying Fluff! 

Meanwhile, as we wait for spring to finally arrive, the seedlings are taking over the house. These are Pansies and Sweet Peas in my dining room.

Happy Snapdragons, also in my dining room. These dining room seedlings got to spend one whole day outside on the deck so far....I can't wait until Sweetie finishes up my cold frame so they can move outside permanently. 

There's a grow light in my downstairs laundry area, on what I like to use as my wrapping paper station. 

The Geraniums I overwintered are making quite the comeback, as you can see. They don't all come back, sadly, but any that do are a bonus, since it costs me nothing to overwinter them. I think about 10 are coming back so far, but I'm not giving up on the others just yet! Every one that comes back saves me $4 at the garden center. Yes, please!

I have a folding table set up near the sliding doors with another grow light where I have Peppers, Celery, Leeks, Herbs, Alpine Strawberries, Salvia, and more Geraniums. 

The final grow light is in the utility room, where's it's warm and toasty. That's where I start the seeds, and then move them out here when they get a bit stronger. 

Everything is a bit of a mess right now, as my daughter is still in the process of moving out. Once she's done, I can get things organized in the anal way I like them once again.  

My Fig tree has been rescued from the closet under the stairs, where it overwinters. I re-potted it, and put it in the guest room window. It's happy looking out at the horses, I guess - look at this wonderful new growth!

Perhaps this will be the year I actually get figs? Fingers crossed! 

Meanwhile, despite my best efforts, the insurance company and the well company are both refusing to cough up as much as a dime for the damages to my lower level. The bills have all come in, and it cost me about $7000 in repairs, which completely wiped out my emergency fund. It's so disheartening to pay for homeowner's insurance when they refuse to help when you need them! 

The well company refuses to accept any responsibility, which is completely unfair. If any of you live in the Upstate NY area, stay away from Titan Drilling if you have any well issues, that's for sure! 

And I wouldn't recommend New York Central Mutual for your homeowner's insurance either! 

The Attorney General's office was no help, The Better Business Bureau didn't pan out, and so far I haven't even heard back from the Department of Financial Services. 

It's a shame that we can't get help when we need it, isn't it? 

I've been stressing out big time about this, and I am trying to take a step back and live in the moment. I really enjoy my cozy house, and instead of worrying about what may happen next, I'm trying to focus on the blessings all around me. 

I also downloaded an app onto my phone called Calm... I can't even describe to you how much this app is helping me sleep! They have what they call 'sleep stories' which are basically adult bedtime stories, told in a soothing tone, with a focus on settling in, getting cozy, slowing your breathing...within 5 minutes of starting a sleep story I'm fast asleep!!  If I wake up in the middle of the night, I'll start the story again....and BOOM five minutes later I'm asleep again! Talk about a blessing!

If any of you out there are having any difficulty sleeping, I would highly suggest you give it a try. This is NOT a sponsored post, I just love sharing tidbits like this with my amazing readers. 

Happy Weekend Everyone!!  

xo