Celebrations and Travel, Gardens and Updates

January is a month full of transitions and the making of plans for the coming year. It is also a bit about looking back. Come with me as I look back on several things that haven't been shared in posts of their own — namely celebrations, travel, gardens and updates!

New Mexico

 

Much of the summer was spent traveling back and forth to New Mexico where our daughter had started a wonderful job and decided to buy a house! We helped her move from her apartment, shop for things she needed/wanted for the house, and tackle minor renovations such as replacing faucets and lighting fixtures and installing cabinet pulls and wooden blinds. Whew!

Two kittens were quickly added to Miss J's house! Both rescues, they were born a week apart. Kaladin on the left is white and black with short hair. His younger, but larger, sister Jasmine has fluffy cream-colored fur with gray points.

 

      

                                                                                           

Miss J decided the perfect way to celebrate her new house was to host Thanksgiving! We were as excited as she was and I was pleased she wanted me to help her with the table.

 

She decided to use the Noritake 'Ranier' china I had given her as a housewarming gift. I had found the set at an antique mall here in Georgia and was amazed that it consisted of 12 complete place settings and a number of serving pieces.

   

The platinum edging on the china accents the silverplate flatware she inherited from her grandmother. 

 

Her dad surprised her with vintage cut-to-clear crystal wine glasses in different colors.

   

A few fall touches and we had a pretty table to celebrate Thanksgiving! 

   

I'm glad that she enjoys using the 'good stuff' as much as we do!

You can see her vintage table and chairs and her everyday tableware at Tablesetting with Poppy and Cobalt. 

 

A fun addition to her dining area is this china cabinet with both storage and display space that she found shortly after moving into her house. Fall touches were added here as well.

   

While we were there, Greg celebrated his birthday. What a fabulous cake Miss J had for her dad!

 

We ended up being so busy that I only managed a few photos of the gorgeous scenery.

   

Gardens

December brought the first blooms of one of the camellias in my yard. I have five varieties that bloom in different shades and at different times from fall through winter. This one is located in the front garden and has only recently begun blooming reliably in winter. It is one of several varieties that wait until they're five years old to bloom.

We had planted this Hinoki cypress when we built our house 25 years ago. It was supposed to reach 20 feet at maturity, but was now closer to 30. In addition it was interfering with the gutters and beginning to create problems with the sidewalk and drainage around the house. So sadly it had to go.

  

The photo above was taken after the lower branches and most of the mid-section had been cut. The photo below is the after shot of the front of the house.The cypress had stood where the gap in the shrubs is. What a difference!

In December we replaced our fence. Once we had started the process of renovating the backyard we noticed how badly in need of replacement it had become! And just in time too — I'm not sure it would have withstood the winter storms we've had since it was done. You can view one of several posts on the backyard's renovation at The Backyard Landscape. As a side note, I love the bright red branches on this Japanese maple!

Hawaii  

   

In September we returned to Hawaii for our 30th anniversary, visiting the same islands, staying in one of the same hotels, and enjoying some of the same sights. It was just wonderful! I may do a full post on our trip, but in the meantime — a taste of Hawaii!

First up is the Kona coast on the Big Island.

Mauna Loa volcano, with old lava fields in the foreground. I would have loved to be there for the recent eruption!

One of the 15 waterfalls on the infamous Road to Hana on Maui. Beautiful, and far less visited, but it's not a road trip I'd take again anytime soon!

Updates

 

Here's a sneak peek at the redesign of my study. I promise to do a post if my furniture ever arrives (a long, complicated, frustrating saga, sigh).

And finally, the latest photo of Finn, short for Finnegan, at 21 months. The happiest, sweetest, funniest pup I know!