What do I do on a Gray Day?

Today is day 5 of gray, cloudy and rainy days here. This is unusual, because even though I live close to the Oregon coast, I'm 9 miles inland, so there are sun breaks on most days.

I've been bored the last few days! No motivation or desire to do much. All I want to do is eat! 

So today, I decided enough is enough! I've only consumed a protein shake and a few spoonfuls of baked beans from last night's dinner! 

So I picked up my camera did a photo shoot with my kitty. He's like a puppy dog, and will do about anything I ask.

Put a little makeup on (lipstick even!) and jewelry, and my new southwestern jacket I bought 2 months ago and have never worn, and took some selfies ( after I had cut my hair!) Yes boredom makes you cut your hair.

And decided to FINALLY get out my sewing machine and hem my king quilt to fit my double bed. Have been putting it off for months.

Had bought this picture last winter so I could use blue in my bedroom for a change.

........and guess what! After all the prep to hem it, I found out I didn't need to hem it! It fit perfectly! Long on the sides more like a bedspread, but that's ok with me.

I dusted off my nightstands, and added some yellow daffodils (fake of course) that I bought a few weeks ago.

I really like it. It's a nice change. 

This all took about 3 hours.....and I didn't eat a thing!

They say, when you get bored, just clean something. I say just pick up your camera!

Happy Tuesday!

Marilyn

(Posted from my phone)

So much color!

The COLOR is coming on strong in my little "yard", what there is of it! It's almost all gravel, so I have lots of pots and some raised beds.

My one raised bed is now all strawberries. Last year, half of it was nasturtiums, but they took over the entire bed! So this year, I bought a few more strawberries to plant, plus had some the neighbors gave me, and the rest (that are already blooming) came up from last year.

I'm about done planting all of my pots.. I just have a few more plants left.

I am going to use my other raised bed for some veggies. I already planted some Walla Walla Sweet Onions I bought from the local nursury. I also bought two yellow cherry tomato plants, and some sugar snap pea seeds. I have room for one more raised bed, so may put one more in this summer.

My neighbor gave me a long cedar post to use for some hanging baskets. I had no way to dig the hole myself (ya think?) so he offered to do it for me. He and his wife had three hangars they gave me! That was so nice of them. Then of course, I had to go buy some hanging baskets.

I only bought two baskets as they were so spendy! My finances are pretty tight this year so flowers are at the bottom of my "bucket list". I found an old hanging basket in a pile at the other neighbor's house (she said I could have any I want) so cleaned it up, patched a hole in it, and planted some pansies in it.

It's this white basket. It'll do. See the blueberry bush behind it? It's FULL of blossoms!

I'm LOVING all the color in my own yard! I bought a few annuals and some seeds (which I haven't planted yet). 

This is a rhododendron that a different neighbor gave me last year. She had dug it up and it was in pieces. this one piece survived and I hope it'll branch out again.

My lilac "tree" is doing well. It was in bad shape last year when I moved here. I cut away all the dead branches, pruned it and weeded around the bottom. It's very fragrant which I love!

A few of my Irises are going to bloom. These are the ones I brought from Madras. The leaves do not look too healthy. Not sure why.

This is the cluster of pots that I see from my front porch, as I come from my car to walk up the steps. I love it. I stuck some solar lights in the pots, that I found in my shed. They are a few years old, but working pretty good.

I've also been in the process of hand weeding all of my gravel! Very tedious and physically taxing job. I hate spraying if I can help it. After 3 days of yard work last weekend, I was pretty pooped out for a few days............

This yellow rhododendron is so gorgeous! It was one I planted last year and it survived the winter, though we did have some 20 degree weather. I never dreamed there would be 20 degree temperatures at the coast here in Oregon! Pretty unheard of for the most part. Funny looking bug inside!

We've had some really nice "spring" weather, but it has clouded up today and there will be a few days of rain. That's OK. Gives me an excuse to stay in the house and read, which I love doing.

TAKE CARE ALL......... AND ENJOY THE SPRING!

Marilyn

ALL CONTENT © PINK PAPER COTTAGE.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY MY PHOTOS AND IMAGES INTO YOUR OWN POSTS WITHOUT FIRST LINKING TO THIS BLOG AND MY NAME.

Catching Up - Part 2

Hi Friends and Family!

I'll try to finish up here what I've been up to since Thanksgiving and Christmas. Trying to make much shorter posts if I possibly can (I'm too wordy so not easy for me!).

THANKSGIVING AT MY SON'S HOUSE:

His property is so pretty! Sun was shining through the trees.

Firepit awaits!

Table all set and ready for the big feast.

DECEMBER SUNRISES:

Had to get up early one morning - this greeted me out my bedroom window! I hardly ever get up early enough to see the sun rise.

NEW VIGNETTE:

I had my ceramic Nativity Scene on a shelf in my living room for Christmas, with little colored lights. I hated to take the lights away... so I decided to make a little "woodsy" vignette and leave the lights up! I really love it in the evening. Since I took these photos, I've added a little rustic cabin.

FOGGY DAY:

Though I live close to the coast, it's unusual to have fog where I live, which is 10 miles east of the ocean. On this day (February 27th), I drove to town and the fog was hanging low! I loved how it made the cargo ships look like ghost ships!

BOXES AND CAKE:

I'm currently working some for my daughter-in-law, who has a shop in Astoria. I upload jewelry to her Etsy store, and also have been making some origami gift boxes. I really like doing both!

Tiny 1" x 1" boxes up to 4.5" x 4.5" boxes. The origami boxes are fun to make.. no gluing!

I've been trying to cut down on the sugar I consume, so haven't baked very much.. but the other day, I just NEEDED something sweet! So made a gluten free vanilla-orange cake with cream cheese frosting. Oh my... was that ever good! I ate it up in 3 days.

As you can see, I had to sneak a piece (or two) before I even got it frosted!

LUNCH AT  YOUNG'S RIVER IN ASTORIA:

The day was fairly sunny last week, so I took advantage and drove to get groceries, and of course, had to stop at fast food for lunch! I like to try to find a spot to eat by one of the rivers... this Young's River flows into the Columbia River (or flows from the Columbia? not sure)... and there is a view of Saddle Mountain to the south, which you can just see in the distance. I so enjoy all the water around here!

Saddle Mountain in the distance.

I park along side the road.. clouds were obscuring the mountains for a few moments, but still beautiful.

TRIP TO MY CHIROPRACTOR:

Somehow, I hurt my right knee again (it happens now and then).... I think from walking too much in shoes with NO supports. I was a naughty girl to do that! I paid the price with a bad knee for two weeks.. could hardly walk on it. After 2 weeks, it was mostly better, but I decided to go see my wonderful chiropractor in Morton, WA (2 hours from me) as he usually adjusts it back into behaving. I stopped to photograph some of the river views (of course).

Rife Lake - dammed up Cowlitz River in Washington... the lake is long and deep and gorgeous.. was a pretty rainy day.

The dam that forms Rife Lake. This lake was on my way to Morton, WA, east of I-5 Freeway about 20 miles. I used to live up in this area in 2000 and 2001. 

ANOTHER STUNNING VIEW:

And about 20 miles east of where I live, there is a viewpoint way up on a cliff, that overlooks the Columbia River and a small town on the other side, called Cathlamet, WA. It's a small picnic area too. I love the views there!

Usually pretty windy in this area, but was a crystal-still day. 

This is a small island in the middle of the majestic Columbia River.... you can ride a ferry to it from the little town of Westport, WA, about 20 miles from me, and then drive across a little bridge over to Washington to the little town of Cathlamet. I stil haven't taken the ferry yet! It's on my "to do" list.

I think I'm caught up for now! March is almost over, but a few of my plant pots have some green peeking up... I'm so ready for warmer weather!

Pansies coming up by my rose bush.

My daphne bush that I planted last summer had two blooms on it! I'm so happy. It is one of the most fragrant flowers ever.

Irises peeking up... I brought them with me from Madras. Glad to see they survived in the planter box.

Take care all..... if you have any sunshine, enjoy it!

Marilyn

ALL CONTENT © PINK PAPER COTTAGE.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY MY PHOTOS AND IMAGES INTO YOUR OWN POSTS WITHOUT FIRST LINKING TO THIS BLOG AND MY NAME.