Author: Lisa -Southern Patches

Hello everyone, my name is Lisa I am a southern girl born and raised in East Tennessee. I love discovering new places and things to do. I have a lot of favorites, shopping, traveling, knitting and photography are all at the top of my list. I am married with my fur babies my only children. This blog is actually named after my beloved basset hound Patches. She passed away a few years ago but will always have a huge part of my heart. Come with me and we will explore some wonderful places and discover some really fun things. Are you ready?

May Day May Day

Hello friends and happy May. How can I even being saying that? A third of this year is over!!! April was an especially busy month for me and that is why I didn’t post anything last week. Work and life took over, just the way it does, and it was a little crazy.

Going back to a week ago, I went to an estate sale and although it had been going on for a couple of days there were still lots of good items. The drive through this neighborhood on the lake was beautiful. The houses were just unbelievable. The yards immaculate. I am sorry to say it made me a little judgey about my own house. When I went home and started to complain about my house and how the yard looked my husband quickly reminded me that most of those people have gardeners who tend to their yards and decorators who decorate their homes. I guess he’s right.

Everything at the sale was 75% off and I did find this platter that looks really old. I just liked the design and different colors.

I also found these two metal spoons. They are heavy and very well made.

Last week was my Birthday and my thirty third wedding Anniversary. I got married on my Birthday. I know, I know, why you may be asking did you do that? I thought it was really different and yes it has proved to be. My husband and I sort of share the Birthday as well as the Anniversary and we have a double celebration that way. We had Birthday cake at work and then my family had a small birthday party for me at our local favorite Mexican restaurant.

Me and hubs. Sadly I didn’t get to keep this hat HA!

This is me and my niece Michelle. I am wearing the Tiara my sister got me. We have a joke about me thinking I’m a queen. So she got me the Tiara. I love it!!!

I made my husband one of his favorites, Peanut Butter Pie, it is full of Reese’s peanut butter cups and lots of other good things.

So lots, too much actually, of great food and treats but I guess that is to be expected at Birthdays and Anniversaries. I have been over indulging lately. Too many late night work hours and having to grab whatever is handy to eat. That is a bad pattern for me and I know it.

I also had a dental appointment last week and I saw this adorable basket in the reception area. My dentist had gotten it at a craft sale. I love it!! I think I will try to make one. I love all buttons and have a couple of jars full. I think this is such a cute idea.

Work continues to be so busy. Almost never a minute of down time. It is always like that this time of year. It’s hard to come home late and try to be creative. I just haven’t even had the energy to put a blog post together.

Over the weekend I did a lot of yard work. I bought some flowers and a couple of rose bushes. I got all of them planted and cleaned up some of my flower beds that were looking really bad. Of course then we have really cold temps, this morning was only 40 degrees F here. I guess this could be Dogwood Winter but I heard someone else mention Locust Winter so who knows. I do know I am ready for some warm weather. Consistently.

So what have you been up to lately?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!

Hello Monday!!!!

How was your weekend? I had a long weekend. I was off on Friday to take my sister to her chemo appointment. She has only one left now. She is doing great!!!

On Saturday I went with a friend to Athens to eat Chinese food. We also went to Dollar Tree. They had all of their Easter things 50% off so I bought some extra plastic Easter eggs. I like to make baskets for Easter and I will put these up until then. I buy so much of this stuff when it goes on sale. I don’t think I have ever had to buy anything for a holiday at the actual time of the holiday.

I have a large bush in my front yard. I am not sure exactly what it is some type of boxwood but it is over twenty years old and it is mostly dead. We, my husband and I, decided to cut it out and put something else in its place. But when I cut all of the dead branches away there was still a lot of greenery left. I read that older shrubs like this can be more susceptible to disease and bugs and things that can cause them to decline. I noticed that it hadn’t been draining well so I cleaned out all the dead leaves and rot from around the roots. I am going to give it some time and see if it starts growing again.

So you can see quite a bit of green. We will give it some time and see.

I got out my mini chain saw I got for Christmas and used it on some of the other shrubs and trees around the yard. To be so small it is really quite powerful. Well to me anyway.

While I was working in the yard I noticed the kitties were quite fascinated by something in the yard. I went to see what it was and it was a huuuuuuge snake. Only a black snake but he was big!!! The kitties would not leave him alone so that he could get away. I finally distracted them enough that he was able to get through the woods and head down to the lake.

Over the weekend I made Watergate Salad or Pistachio Delight some people call it. It is so light and fluffy. Only a few ingredients are needed; pistachio pudding, canned pineapple, cool whip, and miniature marshmallows. You can garnish with cherries or add additional walnuts if you like. I hadn’t had any in years. It’s a favorite dish for family reunions and church socials. I don’t think it’s just a southern thing but I ask my friend from Ohio if she liked it and she said she had never heard of it. I love it!!!!

And finally my irises are blooming. I was afraid they weren’t going to bloom again this year but they are. My nephew and his wife took the entire bucket full I had thinned last week. I was glad they took them. As I mentioned they originally came from the house where I grew up. My mama planted them. Now they are spread out among several family members’ homes. That would make my mama so happy.

How was your weekend? what plans do you have for this week. It’s my Birthday week and my wedding anniversary. I actually got married on my Birthday. But that’s a story for another time.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!