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| Back side of deck |
These words belong not to me but to Ralph Waldo Emerson. I use them because I think of them when I walk out my patio door on to my bright, cheery, deck.
As you can tell, our lot is small. We own what is referred to as a zero lot line home. We have maybe 20 feet between our home and our neighbors. Our front and back lawn are cared for by our neighborhood association, but the small, long and narrow area between our home and our neighbor is cared for by us. Not only is it long and narrow, it is dipped to help drain rain waters.
Now, do you see what Ralph and I are getting to in the above quote? In order to get the bedrooms we needed, we had to give up the whole yard idea! Well, after we sulked for 30 seconds we started making plans for a huge deck with herb and flower gardens and a play area for the dog! My what big eyes you have Grandma!
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| The Herb Garden |
Needless to say, our plans were somewhat interrupted when my parents became ill. We had little time for gardening and less for deck building so what you see is pretty much where we are now. This photo was taken last spring so the herbs have multiplied and there are a few fun changes to the deck. I'll grab some new photos in the next several days and show you all what a hot Dallas summer does to plants!
How fitting and joyful it is! As I sit to welcome all of you to my blog, Madame Beliveau’s Home and Garden, my ITunes is playing Johann Pachelbel’s “Cannon D Major” from my new album, The Most Relaxing Music in the Universe! Oh, how I love this gentle yet stately song. It brings me to a place where my soul is quietly content; a place where I can enjoy my triumphs as a parent and as a person. It is this feeling I would like to tell you about in my blog. I want to share with you all of the wonderful things about my life. You see, Madame Beliveau is my new name and I am celebrating all of the successes and joys of the continuing courtship I receive from my dear husband, Guy, and from life itself.
Guy and I chose our home together. We found ourselves in what we now understand was not such an unusual situation; my parents were moving in with us and we needed a house with two roomy master bedrooms. If any of you have tried to find such a house, you can perhaps appreciate our struggle. Our search ended in Lewisville, Texas where we finally found just the perfect home.
Misfortune came to us soon after we had lived in the house only one year. Both my Mother and Father took ill. Little did I realize how grateful I would later be for the precious year spent with my dear parents. My Father’s health declined rapidly and my Mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. We lost my dear Father last Thanksgiving morning. It was a sad day. He was a great man and you shall meet him later in my posts. My Mother resides in a memory care facility where we visit her regularly. You will get to know her well!
I lost my job during my parent’s illnesses and have yet to find another. I spend some time on the job search but there is little out there. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome limit my work abilities, so most of my time is spent on our home. I spend each and every day finding a way to make it feel comfy and graciously warm. There is certainly nothing in the budget to allow for decorator expert ship, so I just use what I have along with treasures I pick up from what I call my “secret haunches”! You’ll see what I’ve done. If you like what you see and hear, I hope you will subscribe and join me. If I am not what you have in mind, no harm; we will part friends.
Well here we go…A big welcome to all of you as we wander around Madame Beliveau’s Home and Garden and meet those wonderful folks whose remarkable lives make my life a joy! Cheers to getting to know one another better and to sharing my triumphs as a parent and as a person!
Fondly,
Madam Beliveau
