BEFORE AND AFTER BACKYARD MAKEOVER

This is a home we owned 

several years ago in the 

Historical District of Green Bay.

The big old houses were built

close together with long ,deep yards.

The house to the left of 

the one we bought

was an eyesore as far as

the yard was concerned.

The fix?

A fence!

What's the old saying?......

Good fences screen ugly things

make good neighbors.

SOOO TRUE.

Here is one of the 

highlights when we were done.

When we moved in 

this is what I saw looking out our

breakfast nook window.

Now how cute is THAT? NOT!!!!

Look what a difference a fence makes.

This is from the back looking towards 

the back of the house.

Before:

After:

This was before any landscaping was done.

We divided the back yard into

two "rooms"...and put a picket fence

across the back yard to divide it.

First we had to dig up the yard to 

trench utilities out to the back.

I stuck an arbor there so they

would know where I wanted

to place the fence across

The fence went up to make the division.

The problem was that the neighbor's 

old garage was built on the property line.

It looked like what you see above.

The neighbor allowed me to paint it

and hang a door and two windows on it.

I painted the back of the windows black

so that they looked like the real deal.

They are basically "decorations" 
hung on the side of the garage.
I eventually painted the shutters
white-sadly, no pictures of that.

Want to see what is behind the gate now?

Come on in!

Hard to believe it's the same place, isn't it?
New Dawn roses eventually grew up the 
arbors and scrambled right up over
the side of the garage.

sigh- Have I told you I really loved this place?

I did-oh yes-I did!
If I run away from home you might want
to look for me under the arbor
in my old 'secret garden'!
Shhhh-don't tell MyHero where I am

he might show up and want me to cook! 

HAPPY EASTER

 I hope you have

a very special day~

        See you soon!

FUDGE IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS! SPRING TIME LEMON FUDGE

 I think just about

EVERYONE

associates

FUDGE 

with Christmas.

I know that I always

make several batches

of all different types

of fudge during the

Holiday Season.

I give them to my

enemies friends to 

MAKE THEM FAT-

that way I look thinner 
enjoy.

Pretty smart for a blond, huh?

Anyway,

I have a recipe for

LEMON FUDGE

for Spring.

If you love lemon this is for you!

I'm not sure where it came

from but I have used it for

several years.

It was probably the old

Taste Of Home magazine.

It is so good that you

will be licking the pan.

You will bow down

before me because

I am 

The Fudge Queen.

This is NOT a recipe

for those 

weak-willed people

that cannot refrain from

eating the whole pan...

Nosirreeee..

Here you go-

LEMON FUDGE

1/2 cup REAL butter (no oleo/margarine)

One 4.5 oz cook & serve lemon pudding

(do not use instant pudding)

1/2 cup milk

3-3/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Line a 9" square pan with foil

bringing it up the sides.

Use butter and heavily butter the foil

In large saucepan combine:

Pudding mix

Milk

Butter

Cook and stir over medium heat

until mixture has thickened.

Remove from heat.

Beat in confectionery sugar & lemon extract.

Pour into buttered pan and refrigerate.

Use tinfoil to lift fudge out of pan.

Cut into squares and store in fridge.

Serve to family and friends

and your skinny enemies.

Trust me-

You will have a new

Easter candy tradition.

THIS IS SOOOO GOOD!!!!

PICK YOUR FAVORITE EASTER TABLE RESULTS!

 GOOD MORNING!

Thanks to all of you that played along.

Ready?  Here we go!

                           It is always fun to see which table you want to sit at!

#1-BIRD NEST NAPKINS

Lots of you here-I am renting a banquet hall!

Penny, MadSnapper, Polly, Tete, Kris, bobbie, Gert, Missy, Vee(needs the serenity),Ginny, Lynne (who will surely change her seat to sit by Missy), Melanie, Connie, Dolly, Nellie, Nancy M, Cindy, Linda/LifeJournal, Lorrie, Lux/Life&Love, Theresa, Nancy/WildOak, Jack & Sherry-my RV people, Pam, Cindy M, JennyThePirate-(wanted to sit at #6 but there were no plates so she was afraid she wouldn't get fed), Connie M, Marydon, Sabra, Sylvia, bj/needs a mismosa and wants to invite Sam Elliot

#2-MELLOW YELLOW

Pam S (wrote a book before coming to a final decision-Is THAT your final answer?), Mevely, Betsy/Estelle, Terry D, RoughTerrain & Amy

#3-FEATHER MY NEST

OK-So this is a little weird- Apparently your name has to start with an L to sit here! 

Leena, LisaK, Leann, Lois and Lauren

Seriously?  

#4-PINK & PRETTY

Jenn, Pam K(here because she gets her own basket of candy), MA, Jan, Bless(smitten with the foil eggs-should I tell her they are laid by foil covered chocolate chickens?) Karen/OldHouse, Babbling Brook & Doris

#5-COLORFUL CARROTS

Another big table!

Basil6, Cecilia, Kathy, Judy, Shipla, Bonnie, Linda/Life&Linda, Kitty(likes a cheery table), Nonie, Ann (wanted to sit at #3-but was afraid of getting feathers in her food-if we have chicken I will make sure they are completely defeathered), Carrie, Buttercup, Michele, Julie, Debbie-Dabble, Rain, Jane/FarAgoFarm, Dawn, Debi/BeachGypsy(bringing her usual fun-loving self),Judy/GoldCountryCottage & Liz.

#6-WOODLAND WONDER

Diane/LavenderDreams-(Inviting Tom cuz she is NOT fancy!), Kim, Carla(figures she can garden and eat at the same time-hope she isn't handling poisonous plants), Jettie, Akasha, Jeanie, Cindy/Creations

#7-POP OF PRIMARY PASTELS

Sandi, Debra(nostalgic and reminds her of Easter at home as a child), Rose, HappyOne, Akasha's Mom(Hi-thanks for playing along) & Gary W.

NOT PICKING A TABLE

Tom-All too fancy-See #6, Tom, HootingAnni(likes Feathers & Woodland but can't commit), Laurie---Laurie,Laurie,Laurie! and last but not least, Laura and she is just plain NOT picking a table.

So-there you have it. 

I hope I didn't miss anyone or put you at the wrong table.  If I did, please forgive me and let me know. My little fur boyfriend is on me like white on rice today-although, I guess in his case, it would be like black on licorice!  He also likes to help me TYPE on the computer every chance he gets.  I do a lot of backspacing.

 Isn't Scruffy handsome?

This is after he was just groomed!

Have a wonderful rest of the week.

I'll be back soon-Pinky Promise!