Just 3 Things | #31

When I went to physical therapy this week, both days I left with my leg/ankle feeling better than when I arrived and that was a first for me. In the past, I went in feeling sore and left feeling sore as well. Now, that is not saying that I wasn't a little gimpy later in the day but I can truly say that I believe we have been making some progress. Finally.

- What I've Been Watching -

The Mister and I haven't been watching so much lately. I did notice that the television at the physical therapy facility is always on, however. Both days this week it was tuned to a food show. I don't know the name of the program but I noticed that it was some sort of competition and the competing chefs were provided with a couple of ingredients and were expected to whip up some sort of delicacy using those ingredients. I didn't get to see much of the program because, well, therapy. However, what I did notice, is that it seemed much like being in my kitchen at home. 

One time I heard the commentator reveal the required ingredients: Soy Sauce and Prawns. Then, the chefs had a matter of minutes to create a dish. They could go to a central pantry and get other ingredients to add to their required items but it certainly wasn't like going shopping for groceries with a recipe and gathering everything to make a gourmet dish. I thought about that show again when I went to the kitchen to prepare dinner last night. I saw: Pork Loin and Potatoes. Then, I could go to the fridge or the pantry and find a few meager additions but I needed to whip up something delicious for our own gourmet meal. It sort of feels like that every night. What two ingredients do I have to get things started and what sort of additives do I have to pull everything together? Sometimes the offerings are plentiful and sometimes they are a bit sketchy. Sometimes the ideas are well inspired and sometimes they are a bit lackluster. 

- What I've Been Loving -

I am continuing to practice with my new sewing machine and it has been turning out some fun projects. Bonnie has a birthday coming up and they recently added a small backyard pool. So, I took that idea and ran with it. I found some colorful beach towels and added some colorful stitching. They turned out to make for a fun gift!

This time I tried out different built-in fonts and added names in contrasting and funky colors. I'm still struggling with hooping heavier fabrics like those towels. I've used my new magnetic hoops but I find that I have to watch it closely or the magnets will cause the machine to jump around and not stitch in the correct spot. I have come to the conclusion that hooping is the most difficult part of machine embroidery. 

- What I've Been Working On -

I spent a couple of afternoons filling flower pots. We have a deck that runs the length of the house along the back side. We have it broken up into different sections or rooms, if you will. 

One area has a cushioned sofa, a chaise lounge, a couple of chairs, and a rocking settee with a few tables and a ceramic garden stool forming a sitting area.

Another couple of areas serve as a space for grilling and dining. In the middle is an oval table near the smoker and the grill and in the most southern end is a round table and chairs.

I like to add some life to the area by having flowers in containers. Last summer I bought some matching pots to give everything some cohesiveness. There are twelve-inch pots on the two dining tables and four sixteen-inch pots in the sitting area. 

I also have a plant stand in the seating area and a couple of pottery pots. and there are a couple of concrete pots holding succulents and a couple of blue and white ceramic pots flanking the door. That makes for a lot of pots to fill on the back porch. 

Typically, I am kind of a pink and blue flower gal. The Mister brought home my requested rosemary plants and a beautiful Verbena hanging basket that needed repotting. He said, "I thought this looked like something you might pick for the porch!" So, I put it in a larger pot and placed it in the plant stand. When I left home to go to the garden center, my plan was to build off of that for the back porch. However, there were these beautiful geraniums in smaller pots that were a real bargain. So, I gravitated to a red/white/blue theme instead of my usual. 

The larger pots have a red geranium, blue salvia, white lantana, and blue bacopa in them. The Mister also brought home a cilantro plant. So, a glazed blue clay pot on the table became its home.

On the oval dining table, I planted part of the rosemary and some sort of trailing blue plant that looks a bit like bacopa. 

The front porch got dressed up with plants as well. 

On the milk can placed to the left of the front door, I set the beautiful petunias from Levi, Easton, and Abby Lee and their parents. The gift from Luci, Lydia, Lillie and their parents, a red geranium in the terra cotta pot, set on the milk can to the right of the door.

I filled the terra cotta pots on the steps with a red geranium, blue salvia, and white verbena. I also picked up a couple of bird nest ferns and put them into a couple of blue pots and set them right beside the milk cans on the edge of the rug.

I just love the spring plantings and how cheerful it looks after filling all the containers on our porches!

Now that my planting has added a touch of the patriotic mood around here, I guess I need to pull out the bunting and tie it to the fence and porch for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Do you have any plans for remembering and honoring our fallen soldiers?