Meatless meals are common at my house. Spinach Couscous has been a favorite quick and easy weeknight meal for many years. This recipe is great for a main dish and it also makes an excellent side dish. It makes a lot, so you may consider halving it if you have a small family or if…
Mr. SP worked very hard this weekend. He played a tennis match, ran, stained the dock, mowed the grass, tilled a flower bed for his dad, and he cleaned the boat for the summer season. Where was I? Well, I helped with the dock, but that was about it. I had more prolotherapy injections in my…
Happy Mother’s Day! I spent a wonderful day with my mom. We started the day at her church located in the beautiful Rockfish Valley. Humpback Rock, found along the Blue Ridge Parkway, can be seen directly to the right of the steeple. It’s a great hike with a pretty view if you are ever in…
Last year we decided to renovate our lawn and it stayed brown from the end of May until early fall when the grass was replanted. My mission was to kill the evil Bermuda, aka Wire Grass. Our house is on a corner and many, many walkers pass by each day. This is what they had…
Cheers to the weekend! It’s been a long week and I’m looking forward to having two days all to myself. My agenda for the weekend is: mulching, dock staining, fixing our broken dryer, and a tennis match. I’ve got my fingers crossed that Mr. SP will be able to fix our dryer and that we won’t have…
I love getting magazines that inspire me to decorate, cook, create, garden, or exercise. Country Living is one of my favorite decorating magazines. This month there is article on a DIY North Carolina Home with an idea that I just can’t get out of my head. I have no place to implement this idea in…
Every year I look forward to my Iris blooming. This year they just aren’t blooming like they used to bloom. They are letting me know that it is past time to divide them. I looked through some old pictures to remind myself of what my Iris should look like when in full bloom. Look at the…
Today I’ll share the final two houses that my mom, aunt, cousin, and I toured on Saturday in Staunton as a part of garden week in Virginia. Be sure to check out part one if you missed my post yesterday. Fourth on our tour was 521 East Beverly Street, Merrillat House, a mid-19th century Gothic…
(Arrangement from 232 East Beverly) On Saturday my mom, aunt, and cousin toured five homes in Staunton’s historic “Gospel Hill”. The homes were open as a part of the Garden Club of Virginia’s annual historic garden week, held each April in Virginia. “Gospel Hill” got its name because a prominent citizen in the area, a…
My favorite cousin lost her grandmother in December. Her family has been working hard to clean out the house so that an uncle can renovate it. This weekend I was able to visit the home and take home a few treasures. I have very fond memories of my cousin’s grandmother as she lived next door…
When I visited my mom at Easter, she surprised me with a gift from her friend, Peggy. Peggy knows that I love vintage planters and picked up this adorable cat planter at a yard sale especially for me. Wasn’t that the sweetest and most thoughtful thing? I am giddy with excitement to have another vintage…
With the unusually warm weather that we’ve had this spring, my tree peony is blooming extra early. I adore regular peonies which bloom a bit later in the season and love having a tree peony to enjoy before the big regular peony show. The deer don’t touch this plant which makes it a must for…