In my own backyard.

I stopped at Wal Mart after my volleyball match last night. Picked up a pack of hot dogs and buns. Came home and started a fire in my new fire pit. Had it going nice and strong by the time Glenn got home from running some errands.

We sat. We cooked. We ate. We enjoyed.

It was like camping in our own backyard… all the best parts (smell of campfire, sense of being outdoors, listening to the crickets as night fell) but with all the conveniences of home (running water, clean bathrooms, cozy bed) just a few steps away.

It was awesome.

We are now the proud owners of the Longest Set of Deck Stairs in Kentucky.

Or at least the neighborhood.

EIGHTEEN STEPS, people! EIGHTEEN. My mom is probably getting dizzy just looking at the photo.

Our deck furniture, our gas grill… all are probably very safe due to the fact that anyone who wanted to abscond with our possessions would be hindered by the sheer effort it would take just to get up to the top of the stairs. We are considering whether to put in a special refreshment station halfway up, just so friends can stop and get a drink before joining us for a cookout.

OK, really it’s not that bad. But, our new deck is very high off the ground… so we have a few extra steps than most people who have a deck off the second level of their house.

There is still a bit of mud to deal with… we plan to put down some grass seed this week.

Also, here is our new firepit, which our neighbor welded for me and which makes me the coolest lady on the block because of all the fabulous campfires I can have now:

All that remains is to replace our old sliding glass door with a new set of french doors that are on order at Lowes. In the meantime, I intend to break out some hot dogs and marshmallows and have myself a grand old time in my new and improved “outdoor living space.”

Check it Out.

See the new link added to the “Friends of Mine” list in the sidebar… Take a few minutes and visit the website of David Knoecklein, an outstanding painter and friend who was one of my professors at Milligan College. You can see a previous post I wrote about him here. I just discovered that he now has a website, and if you click on his portfolio page you can see a few more examples of his work. I only wish you could see all of his paintings!

There will be tears…

Just a warning to you, if you check this link: I’m pretty sure you may start crying — the kind of crying that comes from laughing very, very hard.

Here it is… how to (and how NOT to) care for your baby.

This link was posted on www.dooce.com yesterday, which is where I found it. Don’t be worried when you see that the headline is in Spanish… the graphics you will see are clear enough to do away with any language barrier that may exist. Just start at the top and keep scrolling down, there are lots of hypothetical situations to cover.

Work in Progress.

I’ve added a new page in the sidebar… trying to have a place to show some samples of my design work. It’s still in progress, but there are at least a handful of samples to check out right now. Take a gander and let me know what I can do to make it better!