From My House To Yours

snipping, chopping, lopping, and pulling.

These OMG-sized junipers are being cut. Then we will pull out the rest of the plant - roots and all.

My dad planted these junipers and I guess when he died, that last year, mom just let them grow out of control. They are waist-high. They basically are a Hotel for Spiders. A couple of years ago, my husband cut them in front, and we had bare branches until this year. I kept wanting to spray paint them green, they looked so bad.

I was patient though.

We have to be careful when we pull the plants out - their roots are wrapped around, our irrigation pipes.

Just a regular gate

Such a beautiful gate.

My husband will be done with the simple gate sometime tomorrow. It will be just a regular picket fence gate.

I looked through Pinterest for different types of wooden gates.

Regular is easier!

That would take some work - plus I would be the one having to paint it. Pretty though...

Maybe in a few years...I could get my husband to make a unique gate. Most likely, he will not want to. Heck, I don't blame him. But they sure are pretty.

Our fence goes across our front in a straight line. We do not have a middle walkway. Our entrance comes in at the side of our driveway. So an arbor over the gate would not have looked right. So no arbor for us.

So pretty and could have worked with some tweaking to the picket fence. Love the color. You can get away with a colored solid wood gate with a white picket fences.

I have a thing for red gates.

I love everything about this red gate. The walkway, the flowers...

It's fun to look through all the beautiful and creative gates - but I will be content with my regular gate. I've ALWAYS wanted a picket fence and a gate. I almost choose a ranch style, simply because it was easier. But my husband knew I always had my heart set on the picket fence and said he would be happy to install it. So why not?

I'm happy!

Perfection is Overrated and a lot of Work

I will add the rest of the black planters across the other two sections, eventually.

I'm in HEAVEN! My picket fence is almost done. Just need the gate.

But it wasn't "heaven" painting it.

Last week, we went to Home Depot to make the purchase. I wanted the pre-painted.

A few dollars more, but worth it.

They didn't have enough so I was forced to buy the unfinished.

The husband had taken a week off from work so we could get this fence up.

I wish now, we had pre-ordered it.

So that meant, I had to purchase the white paint. There goes the little savings, using unfinished. We bought the brackets, cement, and posts.

The deal was, the husband would install the posts - I got to paint. Normally I enjoy painting but this was hard. I had to get in-between the posts, painting dripping.

The wood was rough and the application was messy and time-consuming. After the first 2 sections, my painting skills went downhill. I began to embrace my BFD attitude. I kept saying to myself, that I like the distressed look more and was not into perfection!

Our next project - removing the Junipers

Trust me, my paint job was far from perfection. I even went out and bought a can of white spray paint to fill in the areas that I missed by brush.

Oh and by the way, if you are ever having to do this I recommend, a paint sprayer. We have one - the kind you use with a compressor. The instructions were hard for me to grasp, so I gave up on it, and decided to use a roller. By the end, I was so sick and tired of it, I was using the roller, a brush and a spray can of white paint.

BIG DEAL - it looks fine.

Soon, I do plan to go out and touch up. Especially the outside of the fence that faces the street. You know, for curb appeal. <Barf>

I did think of my dad like I always do when I am painting. I know, he was rolling over in his grave, at the messy, unprofessional way I was painting, but HEY, it got done - it looks fine and I'm happy with it.

White picket fence

26 Cheery White Picket Fence Ideas And Designs

Tomorrow we finally start installing our white picket fence in the front yard. We decided we would only do half the yard - so it will be cozier. I heard there may be some city code, that only allows us to fence half the yard. No biggie. We could have checked it out but I'm good with the new plans. The second half of the lawn will be bushes and flowers under the trees. We'll terrace it since it is on a slight downhill slope.

I know it sounds silly, but I have always wanted a white picket fence. Not the vinyl kind, wood.

Speaking of wood, Home Depot did not have the white sections in stock, so we had to get them unpainted which means, that will be my job; to paint the fence. I bought a paint sprayer and got home and realized we have 2 paint sprayers that are professional - they belonged to my dad who was a contractor. I have to use the compressor (which we have) and read up on how to do this. The other one goes back.

Oh well, the things I will do, for this white picket fence!

Planning our drought resistant yards

SOURCE; PINTEREST

This is what I want to see when I look out my living room window. That's the goal.

Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we will be installing our fence in the front yard - and start our landscaping. I am at the stage, where I am fed up with our yards - victims of our 3-year drought. Everyone is doing some kind of landscaping - from expensive and professional to DIYers and cheap. We are in the latter. We will do it ourselves because let's face it - I have other things I would prefer to spend my money on. Like maybe a vacation, this year?

SOURCE: PINTEREST

I do not want a front lawn - My husband wants a small patch of it. WHY? So when we are sitting out there, it is pretty, green, and comfortable for our dog to lay on. I want rocks and pretty drought-resistant bushes, and stepping stones. If I need more color, I can plant flowers in pots and display them. I also want a yard that is a habitat for the birds.

SOURCE: PINTEREST

Sonoma, Ca

SOURCE: SARAHSCAPEDESIGNS

Nice water-wise gardening in LA

SOURCE: PINTEREST

We have a problem hill in our back yard.

This would work. and that's a blog post for the future.

Renal Disease in Cats

Miss Buster, in her younger days

I thought I would jump on this blog hop today since it was about cats!

My senior cat, Miss Buster will be 18 years old on Oct. Monday she was diagnosed as Renal. (Kidney failure) I knew it was something - she's losing muscle, is lethargic, and seems depressed.

After a $400 blood work-up, we have her on Royal Canin - a prescription renal cat food. We're on the second day and so far she is still eating it. There is no kidney dialysis for cats. Well only if you want to shell out $25,000 for 2-3 weeks - Totally beyond the reach of most people. Duh!

So, us simple people, we'll just have to pray and rely on the best renal diet that is out there. Royal Canin has several - wet food and dry. Hills Prescription Diet Feline K/D, and Eukanuba Cat Veterinary Diet Renal Formula.

Here are some good Renal websites you might want to bookmark, as not to be caught off-guard.

The Truth about Renal Diets for Cats

Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to feline Cronic Kidney Disease

If you notice any of these signs in your cat, contact your vet:

Reduced appetite
Increased thirst
Frequent or no urination
Bloody or cloudy urine
Vomiting
Poor coat appearance
Lethargy and depression
Weight loss
Bad breath
Sore mouth or mouth ulcers
Diarrhea or constipation
Increased sleeping

April - From My House Update

Looks like more rain in the forecast. We've had a week or more of beautiful warm spring weather. The husband mowed the lawns - the ground was so soggy, much like a swamp but without the alligators - it had to be done. We have a snail and slug infestation and with the long grasses, it only encouraged them.

Gads, I detest those slimy creatures.

They eat my plants - and are as gross as it gets. NEVER found them fascinating. I'd rather have snakes in my yard, than slugs and snails. I am probably one of the few Northern Californians who refused to kiss a banana slug when at Outdoor Camp in the '60s. NO WAY!

Anyway, they give me the freakin' willies -

I paid all the bills for the month and now we are trying to finish our taxes. We might have to pay this year, of course, I say this every year. I am a bit disturbed about the proposed hike in the gas tax and the doubling of car registration from Jerry. When Grey Davis tried this, Californians united - both democrats and republicans recalled him. But then we got the Governator. They are saying we will be well over $3. a gallon by summer. Jerry will get this done. He wants that high-speed rail.

Okay, I need to just STOP dwelling on it. California is not the place to retire. Too doggone expensive. No wonder, we can't afford to travel - just living here, paying taxes that keep going up and up, really eats into the budget. I keep telling my husband - that we may have to move once he retires in 5/6 years. He seems to think we will be fine. I can't help but think, how much more extra fun money we would have if we moved to another state. I like Nevada or Arizona. I like the desert landscapes and hot dry temps. It works well for my bones. Plus, I don't do humidity.

We planted 3 redwood trees in the backyard on the hill.

Getting ready for Pesach with my husband's family and Easter with the adult kids. SIMPLE is BETTER or LESS is MORE. That is how I will embrace both of these events graciously.

Closets with Curtains

SOURCE: Pinterest

The beautiful sunshine and warm weather have me, dreaming of decorating, gardening and landscaping. It's frustrating - I just can't physically do as much as I used to. Same with my husband. We plan BIG but our actual productivity is small.

Today has me spray painting a small metal shelf, to place in my closet, for my shoes. We still don't have the closet doors on yet and my husband doesn't want them back on. He wants to hang a curtain! I will humor him for a while since we have other things more important. When we went to IKEA, we saw their bedroom displays with closets with curtains and they looked nice. My deal, is I am trying to eliminate dust.

We do not have spacious walk-in closets. Here are some ideas. Which one do you like the best?

SOURCE: Pinterest

Buttery Hamantaschen

It's that time of year again - when I make this special dessert cookie. So good - I really should try and make it more often -

Here's the recipe I have been using since 2012. -

Buttery Hamantaschen

We make the dough the night before and stewed the apricots.

We'll assemble it the next day...

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature *I used salted butter and omitted the 1/4 tsp of salt.

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp grated orange zest

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1-5 tsp water (if needed) Servings: About 35 hamantaschen

Kosher Key: Dairy

Here are my past posts with pictures on how to make them. Enjoy. They really are good.

Apricot Filling for Hamantaschen

Hamantaschen - The finished product and recipe review

Sofa and Loveseat - cleaning

BEFORE

Tomorrow between 8am and 10 am, I am having my sofa and loveseat professionally cleaned. $178.

I checked around and this seemed to be the comparable price so I just went for it. Afterward, I will keep them covered because it is still raining here and our backyard looks like Lake Shasta.

It's hard to cover these - Anything fitted doesn't fit. So I use these throws I bought online. The problem with sofa throws is they get sloppy looking. I can't stand that look, but I don't want my freshly cleaned sofa and loveseat to get dirty. We always take them off when company comes.

Or when I wash the throws which, having a dog and 2 cats is often. I like them to be clean and smelling nice.

I've been a bit lazy lately - actually I just haven't been doing any work around the house, worth mentioning. What I have been doing, is going to the gym to work out. Then I come home and collapse.

I love the rain so I am not tired of it yet - I just wish I would stay motivated. Maybe that just comes with age - my brain has all these big projects but my body has other ideas; nap, watching a movie...

Our House - is a very very fine house

you can hardly tell, it's contact paper

I wonder why, some of us, are so focused on our homes? I watched my mom, decorate and paint and move furniture around, all the time. Then I started, moving my bedroom around, and placing posters on the wall. Mom let me, paint my furniture, and then after a few years, I covered it all in wood-grained contact paper.

I used to love to go through the Sears Catalog and decorate - and I would also draw plans of different types of houses. I did this all the time and actually wanted to be an Architect but was told, I could never do it because I was not good at Math.

So instead of trying, I didn't try at all. I have to wonder, if I was a young person today who had been encouraged to at least TRY, would I have accomplished that dream? Who knows and who cares, at this point.

There was a time in our life when we lived in our 34-foot motor home -

downsizing. I loved it. But what started to get to me, was it was already decorated and there was only so much I could do.

When we moved into this house - (our last home) it had belonged to my Mom and Dad. I bought out my sister. For quite a while, it had my parent's "style".

I guess for a while, it comforted me. Then I got lazy (depressed) and my adult children moved back home and I was NOT about to redecorate, while they were here. I didn't want to make it THAT comfortable for them. Plus, let's face it - they didn't take care of the house like we wanted. So new sofas and carpets were just going to have to wait.

That is where we are now. They've all been out for a year and we are playing "catch up." It's like we have opened Pandora's Box - we keep wanting to do more and more. The good thing is we are both frugal- and I am downright CHEAP. I love to try and re-use something FIRST before I will go out and buy something new. Of course, you can't do that, with a new roof, windows, carpet, etc.

Yeah, we've spent a lot of money this year - we took out an equity loan for things having to do with the IMPROVEMENT of the house.

My husband retires in 6 years. Our adult children are now on their own. Sometimes, I want to get a fun part-time job. Haven't found one yet, because I am working on our home - to make it more organized and comfortable for us, in our old age.

I was in high school when I first heard, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young sing, OUR HOUSE.

Immediately I was drawn to the lyrics- they sang about the house I wanted one day- a cozy room, two cats in the yard (I had five), and windows that are illuminated - that would be My House, one day.

New Carpet makes HUGE difference

before

We started the day before -moving things out of the master bedroom and living room. The day of, only the furniture was left and we knew the installers help with that.

Just look at the cruddy carpet. You wouldn't know it, by looking at it, that I shampooed my carpet every other month. I tried so hard.

Everything all piled up

The dining room and garage (not shown) were the waiting room, for the furniture.

My cat loved it. So much adventure; places to climb and sniff around.

I love lines on my carpet

Finally, after three hours -they are done.

I feel like I am walking on a cloud, it feels so plush.

everything moved back in

Boy, what a difference it makes - everything is clean - Like I said, it feels so good on our feet and that's with shoes on.

I will LOVE vacuuming once again.

Now on to the NEXT project.