Pallet for Home

 With the few sunny days over the last week, we have accomplished clearing out the South side strip of our woods.Lots of overgrowth, debris and brush. The bad part of it...I gave my son Poison Ivy...

So as I'm chopping vines, pulling dead tree logs & raking the mini forest floor~ I unknowingly threw Poison ivy vine into the brush pile they were picking up. Poor guy has it all over his neck & face, arms & leg. He's mending well but we did end up seeing the doc for some medicine.

I have some kind of immunity to poison ivy & oak.{I call it one of my "secret super powers" when the kids wanted to know why I've never had it}. I hear all the time, rather smugly "there will be a day you get it after all these years of immunity. It does not last forever". When it happens then so be it, in the mean time...I'll keep playing Jane of the Jungle.

In the beginning of the week we traveled out to Massillon for a truck load of freebie {intact} cement blocks. The guy had used them for a raised garden bed & we are now using it for the future planned Compost pile. The cement block is mortared together, a felt sheet applied to all of it's surfaces & then a cement like plaster is applied. Giving it an almost stucco smooth appearance.

 I found the how to in the book " Easy Concrete:43 DIY projects for Home & Garden by Malena Skote" . I was very happy to find it on the new release shelf of our library. Lots of inspiration & really cool projects in there.

AND speaking of projects, I am ALMOST complete with my farmhouse table. I had a little issue with the flat top slats...as in I bought them a few at a time and all 3 trips produced 3 different lengths. Yeah. Not a surprise but at least it is something I can fix with the saw. It's almost done minus the above & some little touches. I have a few other projects like removing the paint from Bike of Sunshine now that it is all disassembled and more clean up before we begin the Grape Arbor on the south side of the Garden by the Bonfire area.

The Captain lost all his Hops with our move last summer and is excited his new order came in. I had to share with you how their simple packaging held such charm compared to many such things we have ordered.

Simple burlap but far more charming then newspaper and a plastic bag. {and a welcome surprise of an extra Rhizome in one of the bundles}.

I truly can not wait for it all of this to be done.Not because of the work. No, it's final product I desire. I keep picturing it in my head. Trying to hold on to the image.  Many a sore back, freezing body & numb finger moment, melted away knowing all this work will be worth it. Summer evenings spent by the Bonfire. Meals under the Grape arbor and on my 8 ft long Farm house table. Views of cleaned and tended mini forests and wildlife habitats.And a garden that is not only fruitful of edibles but bountiful of pleasure.

 Instant smile and plenty of work to get the body heat pumping.