The Garden Around Sweet Tea Cottage

Aside from the work I am doing inside the cottage ~ wallpaper and 

paint, I am slowly tending the garden around the cottage too.

I bought more pea gravel to fill in spots that seem a bit too sparse.

I am refreshing my annuals too.  Most of my vinca survived the

winter because it was a mild one here.  I have added a few more

plants as well.

Back in Idaho, my potting shed was covered in English ivy.  I love

that look and I am encouraging the ivy growth here as well.

The creeping Jenny in the window boxes survived the winter and is

starting lots of new growth.  On the left is jasmine which has already

bloomed.  It was so fragrant.  I miss that lovely scent now.

I bought some basil and some mint too.  Trying to keep the mint contained

because I know how it loves to spread.  There is some chamomile in that

little tea cup.  It will probably get too big for that cup, but I think it looks

sweet in there for now.

Little by little there are more changes.  I enjoy this little cottage so

much and I am in the process of creating a series of cozy mysteries

based on a cottage such as this one.  Stay tuned!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Honoring Our Troops Past and Present

I just finished reading the Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson.

Excellent read, and I highly recommend it to any lover of history

and Winston Churchill.  I am an admitted Anglophile, and a 

great lover of our country as well.  This book is about the 

horrors endured by the British citizens, and Winston

Churchill's steadfast defense of his nation.  It is also about the

bond between our two nations and how our continued pursuit

for freedom is shared.  Without the strength and courage of our

US troops, we would all be living in a very different world.  A

world we would not like, devoid of the freedoms and 

opportunities we all enjoy.

Today we thank and honor all the courageous service men and

women both past and present who devote themselves to 

preserving our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of

happiness.

THANK YOU!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

In The Kitchen With Me

I have spent some time recently looking through old

cookbooks for tried and true recipes.   Since I have been

feeling better I have a renewed interest in cooking and have

really been enjoying my time in the kitchen once again.  

I started baking, and I am loving it.  Now I am making sure I have

necessary ingredients on hand for baking and cooking.  This is 

my newly organized jelly cabinet that I am filling with staples.

Aprons and oven mitts are at the ready.

Baking essentials too.

I hope you are having a fun holiday weekend and that you

are spending time doing things you love to do!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Oliver Says Hello

Good morning everyone!  I just finished a morning nap in my

little bed in the family room.  I like this bed to be

turned over on its side so that it is like a little cocoon.

I think I will spend the day following my mama

around and trying to stay out of trouble.

Love,

Oliver

Happy Monday Y'All

It's a bright and cheerful Monday morning here in South Texas

It's going to be a hot one though.  We have been spoiled by the

previously lovely temps of spring.  Now it seems that summer is

waving hello at us and probably deciding to stay until next fall.

I made blueberry muffins from scratch for the first time.

They taste good, but are not as pretty as I would like.  I have

never been a baker and am using this time to teach myself some

baking skills.  I am having fun doing it!

My friend Sarah, sent me a lovely recipe for lemon/blueberry loaf.

I will be trying it.  I love the flavor of lemon in anything!  I will

share it with you after I have tried it.

Today will be a busy one.  I have lots of projects planned and

am now starting them.  What are you planning for this new week?

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Sunday Morning Musings

I love the way the early morning sun starts peeking into the

sitting area of our master bedroom.  Such a peaceful time of 

day.

I have several projects I am working on right now.  Praise

God for my continued health progress so that I can enjoy

working on projects once again.  I bought a new rug for my

Sweet Tea Cottage, and I am anxious to get it down while my

hubby is at home today.  I will need some help moving the 

furniture out before the rug goes down.  

Here's a photo of the rug.  The wallpaper arrived and I am anxious 

to put that up too, but fist I need to paint the studs white.  I asked 

David to help me put up some more trim work too.

Lots to do, but I will take my time and do what I can each day.

I hope y'all have a peaceful and fun Sunday.  See you 

next week!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Cooking While Sheltering at Home

The restaurants around our town are starting to open up, and of

course many have been making take out and delivery an option

which we have enjoyed.  Despite these options, I still enjoy a

home cooked meal.  I've been going through old cookbooks to

find some comfort food recipes we have not had for a while.

I really like the recipes from this book!

I'm left with the question ~ what to make for dinner tonight?

Any suggestions???

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Chit Chat

I had my second round of immunology infusion yesterday.  It's 

really quite simple.  I sit in a recliner with an IV and receive two

different types of solutions that are meant to build up my

T cells and getting them fighting the cancer cells.  It takes a 

couple of hours.  There have been no negative side effects, and

there is no hair loss from this form of chemo.

I am not alone in the center.  There are two rooms of patients

receiving their own infusions.  Everyone is so friendly and

quite cheerful and the mood is kept upbeat by the kindest

nurses who work to make sure everything runs smoothly, and

that we are all comfortable.  They help to keep the laughter

going.

I cannot say enough nice things about the nurses I have come to 

know throughout my several months of illness.  They are truly

competent angels!  It would have been much, much harder to get

through all the treatments and scary days I have experienced.

God bless them!  I am forever grateful for their expertise and for

their compassion.  

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Baking Banana Bread

Yesterday I did something I have never done before ~ I baked my

very first loaf of banana bread ever!  That's right friends, I never did

this before.  I have always loved to cook, but just never became a

baker.  My Mama was a wonderful baker, and both of my

Grammies were too.  What happened to me???  I baked

cookies at Christmas time, but that was all.  

So I decided to use this stay at home time to learn new

things.  Baking was on my bucket list.  Guess what ~ the

bread tastes delicious and now I am hooked.  I just hope that

my HEB has plenty of flour because now I am on a roll!

What have you been doing recently that perhaps you never

did before?

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Opening Up Sweet Tea Cottage

Until yesterday, the doors to my Sweet Tea Cottage had been closed since

last fall.  I had planned to have it all decorated for Christmas, but then I

became ill and spent 45 days in the hospital, and Christmas never happened

for me.  

I wasn't sure what I would face when I went inside, so I let David take

a peek and see if everything was fine.  My big concern was that a

snake may have taken up residence, but no snakes thank goodness.

Every thing was just fine!

It is so good to get back into this little cottage.  It's like a vintage 

playhouse for grown ups ~ and that would be me!  

It was such a beautiful day yesterday, so I opened up the windows to give everything 

a good airing.  I noticed that the windows need to be cleaned, but somehow the little

windows are more fun to clean than the big ones on our house.  Dusting is more

fun in a little cottage too.  It's more like playing.

I have been thinking about what to do about the interior walls.  I finally

decided to wall paper the walls and paint the supporting beams white.

I found a vintage looking wallpaper I love and ordered it online

yesterday.  The weather has been so lovely that this will be a good

time to get going on that project before the heat returns to 

South Texas.  Oh, and I also found a red and white check rug for

the floor.  It's so cute!  Can't wait to show you!

So that's it for the interior.  I started doing some clean up around

the little garden outside of the cottage.  I was very pleased to see

that many of the plants survived the winter, including most of my 

herbs.  I purchased some ground cover roses, a first for me of that

variety, and plan to get them into the ground today.  I'll keep you

posted.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Happy Mother's Day 2020

Happy Mother's Day!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Time in the Garden

There was rain in the forecast today, but it seems to have passed

us.  I am glad because I can finally get those caladium bulbs I 

ordered planted today.

I thought I had lost this hydrangea, but I cut it way back and it is

flourishing once again.  I see that I should be getting a big blossom soon.

It looks like it will be white.  It was a vivid pink last year, so we'll just

have to wait to see what it decides to be.

My hibiscus came back too after I cut it way down.  It doesn't

always bloom for me, but even so, the foliage is so pretty.

I'm headed out to get those bulbs planted and to assess the amount

of work that needs to be done around Sweet Tea Cottage.  See

y'all later!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Favorites in My Living Room

I have spent so much time at home these past few months that I

have spent more time fluffing the cottage and enjoying it's various

nooks and crannies.  I love my living room because of it's bright

and cheerful yellow walls, and for the sunlight filled mornings

because of its eastern exposure.  It's a good place to sit and read

too.  

I really have a passion for vintage books.  I love their decorative

spines and covers.  Whenever I come across one in an antique or

thrift shop I just can't pass it up.  I have never appreciated 

displaying books with their spines facing the back of a bookcase.

I suppose I dislike that trend because I love to see what others 

are reading.  

Here is a collection of dog photos of beloved companions who

are no longer with me.  I love seeing their little faces, and each one

has special memories for me.

The toile on this chair is just perfection.  I have two of them in this

fabric, the style of each chair is slightly different.  This one has

fully upholstered arms.

This one does not.

A desk filled with sentimental treasures.

And a lamp full of whimsey.

Staying at home during this pandemic is not always fun, but I take

comfort in appreciating the things I have in nooks and crannies that

make me smile and say "this is home".

It's Friday afternoon.  Let's make it a good weekend filled with

memorable moments.

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Beautiful Spring Day in South Texas

It's a beautiful spring morning here in South Texas.  We have sunshine and

it's not too hot.  Just gorgeous!  Mornings on the back porch are so 

special, and I try to savor each glorious moment.

Oliver starts his day early and has already played very hard.  Now it's

time for a morning nap.  I have to make the most of the time he is

napping to get some chores done.  Today I am planting 25

caladium bulbs in our planter on the patio.  I am so looking forward to

their beauty in a couple of weeks.

Last night we sat out here for a while.  Such a beautiful evening.

Staying sheltered in place isn't at all bad when we can get outside

and enjoy the freshness.

Like everyone else right now, I am longing for life to get back to some

semblance of normalcy.  It may not be the normal we were used to in

the past, but a new one that we can still enjoy.

Make it a good day!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Vintage and Cozy

Decorating trends come and go, and that's fine, but I'm sticking with

my own version of vintage and cozy.  Particularly since I can't get

out a lot because my cancer makes me immune compromised, it's

comforting to live in a cozy house filled with things we love.

Things I love like the color red.  Red just makes me happy, although

I will also say that I have become increasingly fond of sage green, and

the shade of green that one finds on vintage kitchen cookware.  I think

of that color as "grandma green".  It's super cozy too.

Our breakfast room has lots of touches of red with black accents.

I always gravitate towards red gingham. 

I really should fill this cookie jar with some freshly baked cookies.

I wonder how long it would take my hubby to find them there.  He

usually expects to find them in a vintage tin in the pantry, lol.

Happy Monday morning every one.  Oliver and I have a big day 

planned.  He was up with the chickens at 6:00 AM this morning,

full of kisses and cuddles.  He brightens up any morning and 

certainly mine!

Love,

Susan and Oliver

Little Oliver Has Arrived!

We were in Magnolia, Texas yesterday to pick up our sweet little Yorkie puppy,

 Oliver.  His breeders, Carrie and Richard, are the nicest people and they breed

very beautiful, champion Yorkies.  After a long chat, and a few tears shed saying

goodbyes, we left with Oliver for our 2+ hour drive back to Victoria and to

Oliver's new forever home.  Carrie sent him home with a new bed, toys, food,

water from her well, a new grooming brush, and a complete baby book

filled with all the paperwork regarding pedigree, vet visits and shots, pictures

of his birth parents, Ivanka and Stevie and all sorts of great tips.  

Oliver slept the whole way in my lap back to Victoria.  After getting him

all situated in his new home, we had quite a lengthy play session.  Last

night I gave him a hug and a kiss goodnight at 10PM, and tucked him

into his bed.  He slept through the night with no crying.  He slept until

7:30 AM this morning.  He is amazing!

Playtime is over once again and he's taking a little nap.  Puppies are

so much fun and he has been entertaining us all day!  More pics

in future posts.

Love,

Susan and Oliver