There are lots of things going on at our house, but they don’t merit a post of their own. Before things get really busy, I’ll give you a peek

at our activities.
Grandson Nathaniel bought himself a new summer suit and sent us a photo from Charlotte. He found a vintage hat to go with it.
Son John $pencer and Rose are moving to this area and will be living with us when they aren’t hiking. They had a celebratory dinner at the Mexican restaurant.

As they moved things from the car into the house, I found footprints to mark the occasion. $ was wearing shoes, and both Rose and dog Sadie were barefooted.


Smoky, a friend on the morning walk, came out for a belly-rub. He is getting old and often chooses to lie near his house instead of coming out to greet us.
Rose and $ set up a tent, then covered it with a rainproof layer. The water test was the final step in the check.

Blogger Susie asked for a picture of our little rose bushes that began to bloom enthusiastically this spring. Wind removed a number of blossoms, but the bushes are still showing off. Bear in mind I’m not a gardener, and plants live here in spite of my care.
In a happy moment, Sadie declared herself King of the Mountain, or at least queen of the defunct waterfall.
$ played his dulcimer at Rose’s request. His style is quite different from hers. He has a very strong melodic line with a rhythmic beat. I listened as Rose played a song in the next room. She uses chords in a gently flowing style. One makes you tap your feet, and the other calls you to dream of faraway places.
We’ve had leisurely meals that created non-photographic memories. I asked Rose if they had had horses on the farm where she grew up. We burst out laughing when she replied, “My brother had a Shetland pony. He named him Charley Horse.”
I’d love to know what activities you may be engaging in now that the weather is warming.
So you will have a temporary dog border? That will be worth a lot of posts! Love the new suit with hat!
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Yes, Sadie is living here, too.
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❤
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You always have something fun going on ~ thanks for sharing!
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I suppose it’s the more the merrier, though John and I have fun by ourselves.
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Great pictures and great fun!
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Sounds like a lovely full house! Rose and John are hiking a lot?
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Rose and John are taking our grandson David on an overnight tomorrow.
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So cool! I take it there is a lot of good hiking near you:)
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park is just over a peak we see from our house. $ knows many of the local trails and is always eager to try new ones.
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What a happy and lovely post. It is a great thing to have created such a warm environment
for the family.
miriam
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We enjoy our family. Wish everyone had pleasant relatives like we do.
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Nathaniel looks very dapper, I like his style. So you’re to have a family at home again and such entertainment will be had.I’m guessing the dulcimers are not easy to play but must be gentle on the ear.
I hope you have a great deal of fun to come with Sadie.
Massive Hugs
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I think the dulcimer is an easy instrument to learn to play and difficult to play well. It is not loud, which is pleasant in this day and age.
David is the one enjoying Sadie the most. He loves dogs. I enjoy Sadie and like to watch her play.
xxx Tail-wagging Hugs xxx
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A house full.That rose is ‘out doing’ itself for no care. What is the secret.
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I suspect the secret of our red rose bush is that I haven’t done much other than snipping off the spent blooms. It is the prettiest we’ve seen it since we moved here almost five years ago.
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Thank you Anne, for posting those pictures at my request. They are beautiful. I wish I could see and smell them in person.
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The roses are better at a distance. The blooms open too quickly, and they don’t have much scent.
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Anne, you are up early?
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We are getting up at 6 now, trying to get home before the sun is in our eyes. I probably should set the alarm for 5:45, but that’s as early as I’ll go. A month from now the sun will begin getting up later.
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Nathaniel looks so snappy in his new suit and hat! How wonderful to have dulcimer music in your house – by two musicians!
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There is always music around our house. I’m glad the young people feel free to play here.
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Nathaniel looks cute and so well dressed- like an English gentleman of the early 20th century maybe ?
And the neighbors dog with the ruff looks so cute too.
Glad John $ and Rose with Sadie are there to give you company.
Susie
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We may have more company than is comfortable this weekend.
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Anne, I love your ‘Snippet’ style in this post. Your roses are lovely!
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Thank you!
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I like your snippets. Charley Horse is a great name for a Shetland Pony. Just my sense of humor.
As for activities now that it’s warm, well, yes… we’ll be doing all sort of responsible homeowner-type things, exterior maintenance, you know? That’s what this time of year means to me.
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Nathaniel’s suit is great! Summer is looking fun at your house!☀️
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Family is big in two ways – a big family and big and important part of your life. Nathaniel looks very dapper in this photo. Your roses are beautiful – mine are still brown and may be goners. I need to get outside and cut them to the ground – that is what I did the last time after the Polar Vortex left them brown and bare. No hurry to do it if they won’t come back – no one sees them and with rain most days – when do you get out and do it? My neighbor on that side put up a white vinyl privacy fence – they won’t get as much sun now and part of me wants to just put them out of their misery.
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I often work in the garden for half an hour or so after walking or after breakfast. That was when only David was with us. I’m more mindful of breakfast now that Rose and $ are living here.
I hope your roses will come back and bloom their hearts out for you. I can understand your wanting to put them out of their misery. Sometimes I think we should plow up our garden and turn it into a grassy slope.
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I used to go out every morning and work in the garden – that was before walking and I was still working on site then. When I started walking, gardening took a back seat, and this was the third brutally cold temps we had from the third Polar Vortex – they came back before …
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I love your roses. For some reason I have not ever planted any. My mom actually has a rose garden at their home. I tend toward hostas as they require very little care!
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I’ll bet your mother’s roses are beautiful. If I ever design a garden, it will be all grass with NO invasive plants.
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It sounds like some changes coming to the Mehrling homestead. Mary Agnes spent yesterday addressing invites to daughter Sarah’s upcoming wedding reception in July. I babysit homes and animals while owners travel to far off places. (Electronic Toy $) Continue to work with Ben on proper socialization. Keep an eye out for Tics, swat Black Flys. Summer, not quite yet of course has it’s Damn! (moments) “All aboard”!
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Oh, my! You are in the throes of wedding preparations! And you must be the official babysitter for everyone. You’re going to have a busy summer.
Our nephew, wife, and two little boys are due here Friday. I’m frantically cleaning, knowing the children will find every glob of dust. The day before they leave, our German friend is flying in. When we take him to the airport in Charlotte, we’ll bring grandson Nathaniel home for the weekend. We leave for our trip to a wedding in Colorado the day after we take Nathaniel back to school. (Nate is working at the university all summer.) We’ll get home in time for daughter Kate’s two-week visit. I haven’t looked beyond those events.
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I think this post was joyful and just full of good news!! Gosh, if one of my children ever moved back, I would be sooo happy. Enjoy! love Michele
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All three of our children have lived with us from time to time, and we always enjoyed it.
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You make my return to the blogosphere a happy event with lots of happy news!
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Welcome back. I’ve missed you.
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Good to know, Anne. Thanks!
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