Yard remodel project

 I have been looking at a few plants in my yard for a couple years, thinking about moving them.  I underestimated how vigorously they would grow!

This wisteria would over take the house if I didn't chop it back two or three times each growing season.  It's so beautiful and the fragrance is amazing so I want to keep it around if possible.  

The yellow rain tree has been dying for a couple years.  At first I thought it was and insect problem, then I thought perhaps drought, but I tried to fix both problems to no avail.  I'm just going to let it die and let it serve as the perfect trellis for the wisteria.  

This is where the wisteria has lived for several years.  

And I hope this is where she lives for several more years!

And this climbing hydrangea has just outgrown this space, so I moved it to the fence, where like the wisteria is can just grow and grow and grow.

Former home of the climbing hydrangea.

And her new home.

Hopefully the transition isn't so traumatic that either plant won't recover.  Fingers crossed and lots of extra water through out this growing season.  

Wedding Reception

 And to close out the wedding blog posts......the reception.  Six weeks before the wedding, the caterer that we engaged months in advance bailed on our event.  For just a moment, we wondered what our options were at this late date.  Then we took a deep breath, and concluded that we could do this ourselves. 

 Preparing and serving their wedding meal was one of the few requests that both Matthew and Alicia for their wedding.  I was insistent that we hire a caterer and neglected to listen to what the kid hoped to do. (I did apologize profusely for not listening from the very start.)  So, in the end, the caterer backing out at almost the last minute, turned out to fulfill a desire that Matthew and Alicia had envisioned......to prepare and serve a wonderful meal to the guests that came to share this eventful day.  

The first dance as a married couple.

The feast begins.....

Matthew and Alicia's friend Cody was the grill master and smoked the prime rib roasts to perfection in the Traeger grill.

Sky Show

 I know I keep posting about sunrises and sunsets, but the sky has such amazing offerings that I can't help myself!  A few photos from last week.....

Sunset the evening of February 18th

and sunrise the next morning.  

Bride and Groom

 More wedding photos

Rolinco Road Gothic
Our wedding photographer took an American Gothic photo of us, 40 years ago.  Roni and David carried on the tradition, as have Matthew and Alicia!

Wedding day

 We were all so pleased with the way the barn came together for Matthew and Alicia's wedding day.  Lots of creative energy on display! It's so fun to look through these photos and smile.

The ceremony white birch arbor, tastefully decorated by cousin Therese, with eucalyptus fronds and spectacular arrangements on each side by cousin Margaret.

A closer look at one of the arbor arrangements.  Cousin Margaret did all the floral arrangements, bouquets and boutonniers for the wedding.  

The tables were so beautifully set.  Copper table cloths with burgundy napkins.  Cousin Margaret's arrangements and a variety of votive candles.

Alicia and Matthew filled small jars of Big Barn Blend honey for each guest to take home.  The honey came from our bees!

Beautiful!

Cousin Therese made these silk rose napkin rings for each place setting.  They tied the entire table arrangement together.

Even the old piano in the corner was adorned with decor!

It's always hard to capture the look and feel of a large room with just a single photo, but this gives a bit of an idea of what it all looked like. 

2021 highlight

 The highlight of 2021 was the wedding of Matthew and Alicia!  They decided that they would like to have a small wedding at the farm.  October 10th was the chosen date and we spent most of the week prior, getting ready.

It has been said, that one remembers the things don't go exactly to plan, more than a perfectly smooth running event.  In that case, this wedding is one that will be remembered for a very long time!

The weather the entire week before the wedding was absolutely gorgeous.  BUT, a stiff wind and cold front was predicted for wedding day, and that forecast was accurate.  So, instead of setting up the wedding ceremony site in the yard, we set up the barn for the ceremony as well as the reception.

Our Portland family arrived Sunday and we spent most of the week preparing and decorating the barn.  It was a magical transformation, one that would not have been possible without help from our creative and talented family.  

A few images of setting up the venue......

The carpets that I ordered didn't quite cover the bright red of the basketball key.....

Now what?  We really liked the darker border so ended up buying runners for each side.  

Burgundy toile with curtain lights covered the side and end walls of the barn.  Cousin Margaret is cutting and Matthew and Alicia are hanging.

Sound technicians Anthony, Rob and Reynald setting up the speakers and audio inputs.

More fiddling with the sound system.

Bevo could not go undecorated!  Good thing Anthony has a long wing span for this job!

Taking a quick break from decorating.   

Crazy Bees

 This fall I started this Crazy Bee quilt, which is a design and piecing method by Janet Nesbitt of One Sister Designs.  I quite successfully resisted this project for several years, until Beth made it and I saw it in person.  That was my downfall.  That, and actually going to Janet's shop one fateful weekend, where the kit simply dared me to purchase.

This is a piecing method that is different than traditional piecing, in that points and corners are NOT supposed to line up.  This was so hard for me because I like order.  But, with Beth's patient guidance I eventually got the hang of the method and really quite enjoyed it.

Not sure if I will ever do another project using this method, but it was fun while it lasted.  

Bees before eyes and mouth.

Laying out the completed blocks to check for color placement, as if it really mattered!

Finished and quilted.  Nicki at Heartbeat quilting did the custom machine quilting, making this project come alive!  This makes me look forward to spring, and flowers and bees buzzing in the yard and garden.