Last painting project of the summer

Another week comes to an end, It's hard to believe that we are past mid September and heading quickly into Autumn.

This is my last painting project for the summer. I have never had a dressing table before, so when I spotted this at a yard sale about 3 weeks ago, my eyes lit up. It was a shiny dark wood with quite a few scuff marks and scratches. I liked the shape of the legs and the fact that it is not very deep, perfect for our bedroom. Some sanding, washing, three coats of paint and voila! A doddle after painting two whole rooms. The Lloyd loom laundry box/stool is also a thrift find all the way from Hampshire in England a few years ago

Little Archie, with Amber.

I came home from the post office on Monday to find Archie, our cat in a bit of a bedraggled state. He emerged from under the front veranda looking sad and very dirty, having had a bit of a scuffle I suspect. After washing him with warm soapy water and an old towel it seemed that the only visible injuries were a few scratches on his ears and one on his nose. He looked pretty sorry for himself and quite ashamed for a few hours until he had cleaned himself up properly in the laundry room. At least it wasn't as bad as previous encounters he has had with raccoons and even a skunk! No trip to the vet was required this time and he is now as right as rain.

Jemma is really enjoying her days at school so far this year. Especially as our next door neighbour Laura is now at the same school and in the same grade. They travel together on the bus, have their lunch and recess time with some other friends and take 3 of the same classes over the two semesters in Grade 11. On Friday they were both over at Laura's house, where Jemma got a fun 'make over'. She came home looking very glamorous indeed. She doesn't wear much make up, just a little mascara and lip gloss, so it was quite a dramatic change for her. She also got her first pair of heels this week, I have been hunting high and low to find a small pair of size 5's (UK 3) and found some peep toe 2.5" wedges in black. She loves them and is looking forward to wearing them soon.

It's that time of year again when we collect the wood for our winter heating. Craig and I have been up the the wood pile with the trailer several times, stacking it in the garage ready for the first cold snap. The girls even got involved over the weekend forming a chain from trailer to wood pile, which meant things moved along at a rapid pace.

The apples in the orchards are ripening up nicely. The pickers' caravans are in place at the apple warehouse next to our property and soon there will be a hive of activity. I did pick some myself last year, but only 'drops' from under the trees, which are used to feed the deer, I think this year I will leave it to the experts with strong backs and plenty of experience!

We have a whole forest of cherry tomato plants that have appeared late this summer, having re-seeded themselves, we didn't have to lift a finger! They are tiny, sweet and very tasty, perfect for salads. I have been experimenting with drying trays of them in the oven at a low temp for a few hours. They are now safely stored in the freezer to be eaten during the winter months when they are not available in the shops. There are pumpkins everywhere at the moment too, leading up to halloween they can be seen on doorsteps, in gardens and even 'pumpkin people' which stand at the side of the road really funny and a little strange. Quite different to anything I have ever seen in England.
Thank you for your comments and I hope you have a great week.

Hazel xx