The time has gotten past me again!!  I was trying very hard to keep up with posts more often....

We have been super busy around here as usual and even more so knowing that I only have 1 more week til surgery.  I'm trying to help as much as possible now since I don't know how long I will be laid up.....

The pruning and trimming is coming along.... we have gotten ALOT done, but there is still more to do in the next week or so.

Remember my beautiful Purple Hibiscus????  It got quite a chop job....

But already there is new growth showing, so I know it will be fine.

Directly across the path was a very large and leggy Pineapple Guava.  It also got quite a chop job!!!!

There is TONS of new growth showing in this bush as well....

The HUGE honeysuckle hedge also got chopped.  We thought we could just take the hedge clippers to it.... NO WAY!!!!   All of it had to be done with lopers, clippers and a tree trimmer.....HUGE JOB!!!!!   It took a little more than a week to get it all cleaned 

out.  

Remember the before?......

The first round - a rough cut.....

Then after it is all cleaned out......

And notice that the tababuia tree is starting to bloom!!!!!    :-)

The bummer part now is that we can see thru to the house next door.....their yard has never seen any work, the weeds are usually chest high and it is just a mess over there.  Hopefully these will fill in FAST!!!!  There is an oak tree right up against the hedge, looks like it started from our side, but has grown completely thru the fence.  We are trying to get rid of it discreetly.........maybe once the hedge has filled in we can cut it down........


Now we have this HUGE pile of branches and stuff to work on.  

 We started cutting it all up and putting it out with the greens, but quickly realized we could be here for a month cutting it all up......  We finally decided that we really do need a chipper/mulcher.   For the 2 years we have been here we give away our greens and then BUY mulch!!!!  DUH!!!!   It was just a matter of justifying the cost of a mulcher........It should show up this next week and then we can start attacking "THE PILE"!!!    Even if I can't walk much, maybe I can stand and feed the machine!!  Hee hee    


A friend from work just moved to a condo near the beach (I'm soo envious), so he had to get rid of a lot of his yard furniture, etc.   I got a great deal on this set...

(excuse the mess in the background.......I set them up just to see how they would fit......and to get a picture.......still very much in the process of cleaning the yard....)
I had wanted some adirondack style chairs for around the fire pit and I think these are great......especially for the price.....not too crazy about the cushions, but they do add color!!!!!

Here is another great chair from the same friend...  LOVE THIS ONE!!!

Very funky!!!!

And the best part is it was a FREEBIE!!!  

It will go out back near one of the gardens!!!


I made a big tray of brownies for Valentines day, thought it would be neat to cut them out with a heart shaped cookie cutter........NOPE!!!!  Didn't work out too well......can barely see that they are hearts....

I baked them early in the morning and when I came home, Mel helped himself to one right out of the middle!!!   :-)   

Since they were for him, guess that is ok.  hee hee     The cookie cuter idea left quite a bit of waste of brownie around the edges......just grabbed a handful of crumbs, threw them in a bowl with ice cream and YUMMMMM!!!!   The rest got cut up and put in the freezer for whenever a chocolate fix is in need!!!!  

That is about it for catch up.    Pre-Op appt. went well yesterday, so just 1 week until surgery!!!!!

I'll leave with a photo of my orchid that is loving the kitchen window.....

Have a great weekend!!!!!