Fireplace (almost) Famous

Can you guys almost see the similarities in these two pictures? The first is a multi-million dollar home in California and one is in the countryside of Chester County, Pennsylvania. It's like they're twin homes torn apart by a jealous relative. Right? OK, maybe not but I personally was struck by the blatant rip off.

Pennsylvania Grand Canyon

We went to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania this weekend and had a great time! Our friends own a mountain cabin and generously invited us. Here is a picture of their house on top of Rattler Mountain in Tioga County, PA.

Olivia and Her Hopewell School Awards Triumph

Daughter Olivia is just finishing her school year as a 6th grader. She rocked it. Totally. I mean she owns that 6th Grade.
At the Awards Ceremony she received lots of awards but the reality is that she won the two most important ones. She was chosen as the Best Overall Student in The Academically Talented Program and she won the Math Olympiad. That means she got the highest score in math. Out of everyone in the 6th grade. Everyone. Even the boys. She goes to the public school, that means there's like a million kids in that 6th grade, not 23. A million.

Stone Wall Rehab and Facelift

So I'm thinking it's been a long time I've been hating on my stone wall out front.
A stonewall-hater, really? Yes, they exist in rural Chester County, PA, and I am one of them. My particular stone wall is covered in cement and chipping, filthy white paint. Sacrilege. It has been seven years and ten months that I have been forced to live right behind this... this... this...abomination. No, I didn't do it. Shut up. The vandalism occurred before I bought the house. I actually bought the house this way, that's right, wheeled the wheelbarrow of money to the closing table with the stone wall in that condition. Genius. If you're faint of heart where stone wall are concerned, avert your eyes....

O jeez, YOU LOOKED! OK so now you at least have some idea of the scope of pain I've been suffering these past 7/10.

But seriously, how cool would it be if there was a real place, not a make-believe place, where rock piles sprung from nearby woods? If only the Universe would send me a sign.....something to let me know what direction to go...anything at all will do. HOLD ON, WAIT FOR IT... Is this a sign?

YES! It is. It is a sign. Unfortunately not a sign for rocks, for that I had to drive three towns over to find a rock pile sprung from (not nearby) woods. Oh yeah, now that is a rock pile.

If only I had some minions to throw the rocks into the truck.....check it out, minions! One minion even has her work shirt on already. It actually say "rockin' out" on the actual work uniform, uh, I mean T-shirt. I take that to be yet another sign from The Universe saying "it's time to move the rocks out of the pile and into the truck for our Mommy Overlord."

Three trips, much gasoline, sweat, more sweat, filth, and smashed fingers later....

There's a respectable pile of rocks not stacked in front of the offending stone wall.

It's a start on the most massive cover-up since Watergate.

Texas and Kansas Inspirations

Wow, such wonderful and intense bloggedy blog girlies out there! How much do I enjoy checking in with Joni at Cote de Texas every day? She is my reason for living anymore (OK, one of my many reasons). She inspired me to clean my floors yestersay. She inspired me to make the call and claim the craigs list swivel club chairs--a mere 75 miles and two states away. I have fallen back in love with my house again. And that my friends is due to Joni.

Oh and of course Rechelle over at My sisters farmhouse keeps me rolling. So funny and yet so serious. How does she balance the two? Not well sometimes but she suffers for her art and we reap the joy of her journey. Sometimes you plant a tree and sometimes the tree plants you, right Rechelle?