Adventures at The Bunny Manse

We can't make it easy, so while Harris was working on the kitchen I was working on the kitchen garden. I've been making landscape maps, watching the sun, and dreaming about gardens since we bought the house. It never made sense because we were still in the 'disturbing outside paint' phase of projects. yeah, I think we're done there. So!!! We tore off the stairs to the second floor that were about to fall off (that door is bolted shut now) and I started raking and digging and moving earth. We looked and priced all kinds of materials for that patio. Then I remembered that the area gets full sun for at least 8 hours a day in summer. The concrete is not hot to the touch, but bluestone or sandstone would radiate heat. We didn't have money/time/patience for a concrete truck to come pour new cement, tear up half of everything else while they were here and the colors to not match what's been there... so....we used urbanite. Urbanite is recycled sidewalk you

We planned for months to work on the kitchen in March. Welp. We went ahead and did it. Nights, weekends, after I finished my paid work, while the girls were napping, while they watched their 4pm tv, while they played in the yard, stolen hours to create a whole.   For the past 6-7 years of living in the house, this is what our kitchen wall looked like. Not bad, not amazing.  And wait until you open the door to the other side.  March I say WE but Harris did all of this. He took what was a messy and dangerous and dark/cluttered cramped section of the house that used to be a porch and utility room and turned it into our breakfast nook/solarium/kitchen annex/glorybeautiful light filled space. We don't even have to turn the lights on most days. The first part of the project focused on deconstructing the pieces/rooms and salvaging almost all of the wood to be used in portions of the project or in other on-going projects. If I had let him demo it he would have fin

  Get you a man who, when he gets home from rehab and sees the ice cream parlour chairs you bought off an artist downsizing her studio while he was in rehab and says, huh, I guess chairs make you happy.  They DO make me happy. Madeline and I washed and scrubbed and primed and painted them while Harris was away in '16. They...lasted a season before the painted started peeling off in sheets. Harris insisted for all of 2017 that he would have nothing to do with those chairs thankyouverymuch.  Around 2017-2018 I bought vinyl and cushioning when Hancoks was liquidated by vultures. It sat in the closet and the chairs sat outside, still peeling paint for another year. We have a big house and lots of stuff going on.  Until, one day driving back from the thrift store, I saw them. The most beautiful chairs you've ever seen just sitting covered in 40 years of rust and plant life on the side of the road. I told Harris over dinner about them. He counted to ten and sto

We have food for a couple of weeks and girls who are getting used to the idea that they are going to be home and brave and bold.  I'm working remotely, Harris isn't working for pay right now. Margot planted her garden yesterday, carrots, garlic, beets, and other seeds we had left over from last year. I ordered more seeds so we can plant flowers around the house since I won't be able to go to. We're doing home school fun times and planning to do this for several weeks, potentially several months. This morning Madeline did big multiplication and Margot worked her workbook coloring and counting. It's going to be a time... Now for outside time so I can join a conference call. We're all anxious and on edge and second guessing everything. I'm sure at least some of those emotions will pass.

We've been enjoying the spring, not-spring, spring weather and getting our yard in order for the year. We basically create something new each season or so, one day the whole thing will be done and lovely and just what we want.  Today, there are pockets of magic.  Like my roses  From eye level  And from above!  I finally planted blueberries - and forsythia as our yard somehow had none. Harris spent an entire afternoon re-setting these curbstones that had sunk over decades.  Little Pebble Creek is filling in nicely. That's one pretty drainage ditch!  The front yard bench near the roses.  Otherside of the front yard And PLUM TREES to compliment the peach trees! Our Orchard is starting to take shape.  it's all pieces here and there because we do have this whole set of girls who need... quite a lot of our attention. We're happy to oblige most days.  Easter egg hunts are hard!  Marianne at

Before reading this, know I have Bill's full permission to share. Most of my friends know Dollar Bill is my daughters' self-proclaimed godfather. The girls run in delight when they hear him approaching calling their names. For our youngest, he's decided she goes by her middle name, asking for little Hillary. What you might not know is that this summer he's experienced some hardships that require surgery. His remaining upper teeth have suddenly failed, making eating, talking, chewing difficult for him. He also doesn't smile as much anymore. Bill had some dental work done when he joined the Navy in the 80s. They pulled teeth and left him with partials that have now failed. The VA won't fix this for him and he doesn't have dental insurance. While you can't see his teeth, his roots are intact - necessitating surgery before he can get dentures. A reputable local dentist  has examined Bill and come up with a plan of treatment to remove his root