A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Yesterday I organized the Christmas gifts I have bought throughout the year.  I usually line each family's gifts on one wall so things are spread out.  I do much better visually when the gifts are out and lined up.  Seeing them gives me the opportunity to know what I have to purchase yet and how much are here already. 

Each Christmas the grandchildren receive one toy, one book, and one outfit.  This year I will have to forgo the outfits.  There's no worry on my part because Santa and Mom and Dad are on it.  Thankfully no one goes without.

There are a few more items I need to get, but the wrapping will begin shortly, even if I have more to purchase.

Most of the fall garden is planted.  There's 31 garlic bulbs - from the ones I grew this past season, 2 rows of spinach, parsley, and 2 rows of carrots.  The huge marigold plants were going to be pulled, but I am enjoying them.  So I trimmed one back - out of the planting space.  More seeds can now go in that area.  We're expecting heavy rains tomorrow night, so the seeds will wait until after. 

The mulch container has lots of leaves in it now so it can cook all winter.  It will be exciting to see how well it decomposes, making a good soil to add to next year's plantings.

The plant in the large pot was dead so I threw it into the woods hoping next year some of the seeds would take and bring color to the edge of the woods.  The excess soil went in the blackberry bed.

The garlic is covered in grass clippings to protect the tender bulbs during the winter.  The seeds will be Ok without mulch because they will be harvested before our temperatures get below freezing.  There's room left behind the rows because I plan on planting some tulip bulbs my daughter gave me for Mother's Day.

I got a nice bouquet of marigolds after I cut back the plant.  They would look nice in the house, but they're not the best smelling flowers.  Outside seemed the perfect place for them.

When I moved in here I went to TJ Maxx to find things for the kitchen.  Standing in a corner of a shelf was a large metal rooster.  He begged to go home with me.  How could I resist?  There really hasn't been a place for him in 21/2 years, but cute overcame this problem.  He was in the living room for a short while next to a chair.  When I found a great magazine basket, he was moved to watch over the stair landing.  I wanted him closer to me so he picked up and moved to the kitchen, on the floor, next to the end of the cupboards.

A light bulb went on this morning when I put a small lamp on the counter that I moved from the guest room.  I needed to hide the cord.  Bingo!  The rooster now sits on the counter, in the corner behind the small lamp.

The rooster finally found a permanent home.  I know he'll be happy here because he likes to help me cook!  ha ha