Update

Last night, my long-time neighbors invited us for a belated happy birthday and retirement drink.  Nestor had my favorite libation for the occasion: champagne.  They had a couple of gifts waiting for me and I was humbled yet again by the love that surrounds me.

Several months ago when I was visiting with Brenda, she had me wash my hands and put on cream with these products that Nestor had brought back from one of his trips.

I oohed and aahed about them, the smell is divine!  So now, I have my own.  No small feat as Nestor had to buy these in the Napa Valley and bring them back over the border for me.  This lovely soap and hand cream came in a home-made bag and decorative flower made with these fabrics which I had oohed and aahed about also several months ago.  This hand dyed fabric I think is pretty enough to be framed but I think I will use it to make a rectangular lumbar pillow for our apartment in Provence as the colors are just right.

So our new fence is up, the old deck has been dismantled.  At the end of next week, the new deck is being put up.  V. has been very busy spraying for weeds (we rarely do this as I am seriously concerned about its effect on the water table) and destroying the several ant hills in the back yard.  I've been getting a great deal of satisfaction cleaning out borders. We're getting ready to have a pretty back yard again after years of neglect. I look forward to new plantings and laying in interlocking brick next summer for paths and the fire pit.  Then, we'll look to repainting the house as it is made of cedar and hasn't been done in too many years.  I'm experimenting with color and this is the direction we're going. This from the on-line workbook available on the Behr website.

Life is good.

Bonne journée,

Stella