Friday Five

Happy Friday friends.  It's been a busy few weeks and since I am falling behind on the blog I thought I would hop right in for a Friday five.  It's been a weird time around here.  

Also..  blogger is acting funky,  so please pardon any mistakes here.  : )


#1.   A Goodbye.
 

 

I'm sad to tell you that we lost a furry family member a few days ago.

Stymie,  our 13 year old black lab has been declining for a while now.   You would think that we would be ready .. but who is ever ready to give up on something that you love so dearly.

 

 Dogs are such special creatures,  even as his hips and legs were so bad that we had to carry him around, his tail still wagged and his tongue still licked my face.   I knew it was time to end his suffering,  but selfishly I kept saying..

"but his tail is still wagging."  

Finally,  his body had had enough..
 

We couldn't say goodbye before sharing one last beer.

 

 

(The vet made us the sweet paw print memorial and I used a strip from Stymie's blue bandana to hang it.)

 

 

#2.  Road trip.

 

Sally and I had recently taken our first trip to the Luray Caverns in Shenandoah Valley Va.

Have you'll ever been there?   It's pretty cool.   The drive from Baltimore is almost 4 hours, which was great because 8 hours of driving equals a lot of mother daughter time.  Those days are so few anymore..  It was nice to get so much laughing in.

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

I found this old picture of us taken at the Baltimore Aquarium about 6 years ago..

Sally is all grown up,  still with a style all her own.  : )

 

 

 

#3.  This Swiss girl.

 

My oldest daughter has been living in Switzerland for the past few months.  This time next week,  she will be on her way home!!!  : )    This has been an amazing journey for her..  She's traveled all over Switzerland, Germany and she jokes and says that she rode her bike through France.  Since France is on the border it's just a matter of crossing back and forth.  

Before she left on this trip she also joked that she would find love.   Oh boy..  and she has.

I am so grateful for this wonderful man she has met.  As she struggles with chronic Lyme's disease,  her flare up has been unusually painful and difficult.  Her new friend has helped her immensely and taken such good care of my girl.   We haven't even met him yet and we love him.   

 

 

 

 

Please keep my girl in your prayers for healing and safe travels.

Not only do we miss her...  but her little bird can't wait to see his mom!!

 

 

 

 

#4.  Bewitched.

 

As I wanted a distraction from the heartache and guilt that I was feeling after having to put stymie down,  I closed myself in my work room for a few days,  turned on my Halloween music playlist (yes.. I do have one)  and I went to work trying to recreate something I saw on pinterest. 

 

I wasn't really sure that I could pull it off...

 

But the farther I got,  the more beautiful she became.

 



And before I knew it...  there were 3 of them.

 

 



I've already got her booked for 3 paint parties .

 

 



 

#5.  The Patio 

 

At the end of last summer Paul and I decided to take down the swimming pool.  After 15 years of good splashing fun...  it was hardly getting used anymore.   We were putting a lot of time and money into keeping it clean and nobody was getting in.  

I thought we would miss it this year..   but oddly enough we don't miss it at all. 

It's so nice not having to worry about chemicals, and cleaning, and covering it.

 

I built ...

Yes,  I. 

I built us some steps where the pool once sat against the deck.  

I love saying that.  

Trust me,  even though I used the precut step stringers,  it was exhausting!   

After countless mistakes and trips back and forth to lowes,  I finally got them done.

(Ok.. Paul helped me with the math a little lot.) 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now we have been enjoying a great little patio where the pool once stood.

 Just wait to you see the outdoor chandelier!

 

 I actually started out with a smaller chandelier but then I found this beauty at the thrift shop.  A coat of my favorite color paint and some dollar store solar lights and it is perfect.

 

 
 

 

Its been a good - crazy - sad time around here,   It's been great spending the evenings outside on the new patio with Paul.    However,  I do admit..   The whole time I am sitting there I am thinking about fall.  Pumpkins and plaids..  oh my gosh..  I can't wait to decorate out there!!!!  : )

 

Have a wonderful weekend.   I am going to spend my weekend catching up on the house and on the blogs.  See you soon.