September 13, 2012

Sometimes You Need a Swift Kick in the Rear


The next time I decide to paint any room larger than 6' x 6' go ahead and give me a swift kick.  And the next time my sweet husband looks at me with complete sincerity and asks if I'm sure I don't want to hire someone to paint and I say no, just kick me.  Hard. 

And, the next time I take on this project the day after we get home from vacation the week of school starting for my son and my daughter readying herself to leave for college.  Yes, you know.  Just give me a kick.  And, my parents and extended family are coming to town the following week for a birthday celebration...Yes.  Really.  I did this.  Knowingly.  

Three rooms and two hallways painted a gorgeous warm gray.  Thankfully I love the color and the work was worth it!

So this lunacy explains my blogging absence and I've missed you sorely.   There has been so much happening.  We've gotten cooler temperatures, a little rain with more on the way and there are so many signs that fall is coming!


The oxblood lilies gifted to me in March by my neighbor Leroy are blooming!  They are delightfully charming and old fashioned and have lived up to the expectation of JOY I anticipated.  I adore them.


This group of mushrooms appeared in the yard yesterday.  Amazing, really because the lawn in the back is parched.  Wonderful these little miracles out there just waiting for the perfect conditions.


Spider lilies are eagerly pushing up the earth with one in bloom all the sudden.  The others aren't far behind. 

But my favorite fall story is this little fall aster...

This was planted three years ago with the excitement that every gardener has when she plants a flowering perennial.  I could just imagine how it would spill over the slope, loaded down with sweet lilac hued flowers each fall.  But a rabbit ate it down to nearly nothing only for it to come up again the following year to suffer horribly through drought and heat.  This year it was nibbled again but fortunately the bunny found the nearby black-eyed Susan more palatable and the aster finally grew.  It's still tiny but it is a survivor and it is proclaiming the start of fall loud and proud. 

This little aster gives me hope and makes me smile every time I see it.  I want to be like that little aster.








24 comments:

  1. yuck! painting! :)

    we have the little wild asters - about the only thing growing in the yard.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey...glad you're back :-) I've been looking for you. I learned that painting lesson several years ago. Painters earn every penny!!!! We had some repairs done on the exterior of our house recently and I volunteered to paint the new wood on the repaired area. After trying to maneuver up a ladder without getting tangled in the yaupon holly tree and not spilling the paint all during 100-degree heat -- what was I thinking???? Apparently I wasn't! Nice to see the blooms of fall gracing your garden :-) We are hoping for rain right now, but it seems to be skirting all around us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, no! I hope the rain finds you. It's falling here right now and that gray sky is glorious! Thanks for missing me ;) I missed y'all too.

      Delete
  3. After reading your post, I now know the reason I have been procrastinating on painting the kitchen ceiling and the bathroom, as well as the house... it's because I don't like getting kicked in the rear! Larry

    ReplyDelete
  4. I feel your pain about painting... I told my husband that we would be moving before I had to paint again or hope that we could hire a painter. Love your flower pictures... So graceful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love the aster! That is what I love about gardening...the smallest things can fill us with such joy! Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I will probably be in the minority but I don't mind painting. I am not sure if it is the satisfaction of the end result or that it gives me a mindless break from my business. You accomplished quite a feat during your busy time. A warm gray sounds stunning! Looks like your garden was making itself over with new fall colors while you were preoccupied with indoor decorating. Asters are one of my favorites!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! I know who to call on the next time I have a painting project. It was nice nesting through the last bit of heat...now to enjoy the beauty and magic of fall!

      Delete
  7. Oh, I love reading about other people painting!

    I too have had aster dreams tempered by rabbits. Thanks for the reminder, as I was thinking about getting another one or two this weekend -- it's been a few years. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've tried that too with the outside walls, and i also engaged my other 2 sisters to help and we climbed the roof of the kitchen to reach one area. My 4th sister's role is prepare snacks which she gave us through the windows while we are still on the job, and we enjoyed the bonding. However, our hairs get paints, our shirts and shorts too. And there's a lot of body aches after that. OMG, i dont want to repeat that! On the other hand, your post processing on these photos are great!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good to know you are back and bad that I wasnt there to kick you in the rear ;-) I would have known the perfect person to save you all the trouble ;-)
    Glad you like the color, though. Was it one of the choices we were looking at during x-mas?
    A lot of going on over here, too. Do you know the latest developments already? If not, I'll write you an email.
    xxo Sana

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yay you are back! I almost missed this post because I was luxuriating away from the computer in the quiet gray of a cool morning listening to the sound of gently falling rain. Such a wonderful start to a day.

    Here's to painting completion joy. I believe that is how many of us keep getting tricked into painting. As with planting in the garden, the work is typically harder than anticipated but the rewards - oh the rewards... Thanks for sharing your schoolyard lilies - mine seem to have gone on sympathy strike. Have a lovely weekend and enjoy your company in your newly painted rooms.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yuk on painting! You have to give me a kick in the rear to get me to do it. Great end of year flower shots

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love to paint, and usually paint a room or two each year, but I make sure it's in the winter so it doesn't interfere with my gardening! Glad you love the grey paint - it sounds beautiful. I love your little aster. So glad the bunny left it alone this year so it could bloom for you.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Las imágenes son preciosas , me encanta la textura delicada que le has puesto! Feliz fin de semana!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh Cat I do the same thing...take on too much with all intentions of feeling I can do it...I am learning my limits....I am not a painter so I have to hire one but not so with other projects...the paint color sounds divine and I too love the blooming asters....they make me smile as they continue through fall and into late fall as I have a few microclimates they love around the garden...you were definitely missed and glad to hear you have fall weather...ours started last night with a bit of rain and cooler temps on the way finally...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Grey is the new "in" color isn't it. I have one little half wall in my loft painted a deep grey. I would do more as there are so many lovely shades but my other walls are 16' tall and it would mean getting scaffolding. I am certain you were glad when you had a "new" room to show. Lovely flowers you have in the garden. It is so nice to get a breath of cooler air.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love grey. I bet it looks great. I am the same though- I would have said- no, I got it. HA. Seems so easy until you get into it.... Rewarding though. I love the photo on your next post- great capture!!!! Happy GBBD!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I missed you, Cat! I was wondering if Blotanical wasn't working--I seem to be having trouble accessing some blogs there. In any case, I'm glad to know you've simply been very busy...and it sounds like very productive! Your flowers are beautiful and the shrooms are fascinating. I wish I could identify fungi--I think I need to get a guidebook, since we have a lot of them here. Enjoy your newly painted rooms!

    ReplyDelete
  18. You are that aster, with a paintbrush in your hand! SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK!! I always jump into the deep end with projects but love almost every minute. Usually! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Cat... yeap, it is quite a task to balance between blogging and doing other stuff... I myself tend to spend my time more on the gardening... anyway, pretty, pretty pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Gorgeous photos as always.
    I'm so glad you are happy with your new wall colour. We painted this house grey once and got it very wrong, it turned out bluish mauvish weird! Warm grey sounds lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yay-that little aster has been through a lot! I can understand why you're so excited to see it this year. :) Your spider lilies are gorgeous-I love the red color.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi – Will you please post a link to your Blog at The Gardening Community at vorts.com? Our members will love it.
    Members include: Gardeners, Gardening Enthusiasts, Experts and Horticulturists.
    It's easy to do, just cut and paste the link and it automatically links back to your website...
    You can also add Photos, Videos, Articles and Classifieds if you like.
    Email me if you need any help or would like me to do it for you.
    The Gardening Community: http://www.vorts.com/gardening/
    Thanks,
    James Kaufman, Editor
    Share something to get us through the winter!

    ReplyDelete