Spring Changes

Spring -- and heat and humidity -- have arrived in Florida.  While the warm weather is welcome, we could do without the high humidity.  However, we are enjoying the spring flowers and the beautiful walks we have each day in our neighborhood.

Of course, a part of spring includes taking care of the weeds that have started to bloom in the gardens.  While the sun is too intense on the south side of the house for many weeds to bloom, the same was not true for my west, front-of-the-house flower beds.  I spent a bit of time on my hands and knees, ridding the gardens of a full bucketful of weeds.  While the rocks all should be removed, washed, and put back into the beds, that is a job that will have to wait until next season.  For now, the flower beds look better as the bushes in front begin to bloom.

The gardenia tree in our back yard is filled with blooms.  Although the branches themselves seem a bit scrawny, the tips of each branch are loaded with buds or blossoms.

White gardenias adorn the back corner tree.

 My hibiscus also is treating us each day to new flowers, although I noticed today that something is starting to snack on the leaves.  In Florida, the flora seems to come with hungry creatures each season.  I have sprayed the leaves with soapy water in the hopes that what is getting the plant is aphids.  If so, the bugs will be gone in a couple of days, and the plant will be no worse for wear.

I love the color of this hibiscus plant.

Inside the house, we have made a small change to the guest room.  We had a headboard and footboard on the bed, but the foot board was really tight to the mattress, and that made for a miserable time changing the sheets.  We decided to remove the footboard, which helped.  We thought of just modifying the headboard, but to do so in order for it to fit the bed frame, we would have had to spend quite a bit of money for the proper materials.  And then there was Rick's time and labor to modify the headboard.

This photo shows just the corner of the heavy
footboard on the guest bed.

The room seemed larger with the footboard
removed from the bed.

So instead of rebuilding everything, we decided to scrap the old and to buy a new, lighter-looking headboard.  It arrived today, and Rick spent just a few minutes assembling it and attaching it to the bed.

The new metal headboard is lighter still and
allows more light to come through the back window.

He likes the looks of the old one, but we both agree that the new one is a nice change for a while.  I like the new one because it will make chasing the linens on the bed much easier, and the lighter look makes the room look larger.

We are happy with the way the house looks now, and we are encouraged that as new people move into the neighborhood, they are fixing the run-down houses and bringing new life to the whole area.  We are glad that Gladys is a part of the neighborhood, too.

Basket-Case

For supposedly "doing nothing," we seem to be awfully busy.  Most mornings are swept up with necessary daily chores like laundry, cleaning, gardening, home maintenance, and shopping.  For two people, we go to the grocery store quite often; perhaps that is because I do not plan meals well, or perhaps that is because what we DO have to eat around the house, neither of us feel like eating when the actual meal time arrives.

Walking each day also takes up part of our morning and time after dinner.  For some reason, we never seem to get around to pumping up the bike tires or riding the bikes.  They are there and readily available, but we choose to walk instead.  Our walks give us time to talk without interruption or distraction.  We get our exercise, walk off tensions so we can relax, and find time to enjoy the fresh albeit pollen-filled air.  With biking, we get our exercise, but talking is impossible, and the tensions of being on the road on low-slung bikes never leaves us.

When we finally do get to the point of each day to relax, though, that is my favorite time of day.  I can weave, sew, read a good book, or work on my Ancestry research.  I have just finished editing my cousin's non-fiction book, so I once again I can get into a good fiction book.

Rick spends his time reading or working on a set of nesting Nantucket baskets.  The history of Nantucket baskets is a fascinating study all by itself, and nesting baskets are a part of that tradition.  I would suppose one of the reasons nesting baskets became popular is because houses in the 1700 - 1800s in small, coastal towns were not large.  Families needed baskets, but when one was not in use going to market or holding yarn, the woman of the house needed a place to store them.  Having them fit one inside of the other was the perfect solution.  She could choose the size she needed to complete the task at hand, and the others would still only take up the floor space that was needed for the largest basket.

Rick just finished the first, largest basket in the set of nesting baskets he is making.  His hard work is pictured below:

The basket dries in the garage after Rick sealed it
with a clear finish.

The wooden bottom makes the basket sturdy and beautiful.

The rim also adds rigidity to the basket.

The handle finishes the basket.

The second basket sets on the mold as Rick
starts to weave it from the base up.

The last picture shows the start of the second basket, so stay tuned as the set continues to grow.