Hello friends! How are things in your corner of the world? I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed because I’m spinning a lot of plates these days. But the good news is I recently wrapped up a 300-page coffee table book project at my day job. My co-worker, Lori, and I celebrated the completion of the…
Happy October!! It’s probably the most favorite month in the United States and is celebrated across the country with fall festivals, corn mazes, and more. Leaves are just starting to change colors and folks are planning their leaf-peeping trips. I’m always checking the fall color report for both Wisconsin and Illinois. Luckily we’ve got a…
Wow! Our temperatures plunged from 80 degrees down to 50 degrees at night. What a shocker to my system! LOL. And of course, we’ll be back up to 80-degree temps early next week. Welcome to Illinois weather – I’m used to it at this point. Since it got so cold last night, I had to…
Today marks the final full week of summer in 2021, but one thing I’ve noticed over the last several years is that summer weather is extending further into the fall season. This is great for someone like me who craves warmer temperatures, although I do enjoy the cooler mornings and evenings of autumn. Here in…
Happy Friday, friends! This Labor Day week has flown by and I’m anxious to enjoy the weekend. I’ve decided to pull the plants in my front flowerboxes which are looking rather sad. A trip to the nursery will result in getting cool weather plants and flowers to replace the dying petunias and lantana that never…
Welcome to September! The days are a little shorter, the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees, and the humidity has subsided. All within a few days time. And now it’s Friday which means it’s time to take a look back at the week. I’ve got a couple goodies from the Midwest. Since I mentioned the…
Say it isn’t so! August ends in just 4 days! And last night I noticed it was dark outside by 8:00 p.m. I realize some (maybe many) of you are happy about this. Not everyone likes the heat of summer, but I think everyone can agree on the beauty of fall which is right around…
Who loves Friday? Everyone who works is raising their hand. But even if you’re retired or not working outside of the home, Fridays are fantastic here at Town and Country Living because I share inspiration from around the web with a list of Friday Finds. Not only do I love Fridays, but I love late…
I just realized it’s Friday the 13th! I’m not superstitious though so there’s no concerns about it on my end. Instead, I’m wrapping up the end of vacation with the family and feeling a little exhausted. I’m looking forward to getting back home and relaxing by the pond and feeding the fish. I always feel…
August has arrived and I cannot lie – I dread the end of summer. Don’t get me wrong, I love fall. It’s winter I’m not too fond of. If any of you are winter lovers, please tell me your secret for loving the frosty season! I need some help in transitioning to cooler weather. Next…
Exciting things are happening here at the Zuri household this week. We had patio pavers installed just outside our back door that leads to the pond. Bye bye weeds that I could never get rid of! The sun is working its magic in the flower garden and our sunflowers are now in bloom. Summer is…
Although MidSummer Day is officially celebrated on June 24th, I like to think of late July and early August as midsummer. Our summer weather will extend through September and often lasts through mid-October. Right now is about the time I start panicking that I haven’t done enough to enjoy the long, warm days so I…
As I write this, I’m feeling a little guilty because I haven’t shared much about my pond this year despite saying I’d do so. The truth is, when I’m sitting by the pond enjoying its beauty and serenity, I don’t feel much like grabbing my camera for pictures. I just want to enjoy the experience…
Our garden is bursting with colorful flowers and ripening vegetables and I couldn’t be happier. Yesterday I harvested the first kohlrabi I’ve ever grown in the garden. This is also the first year we planted brussels sprouts and I’m anxious to see how those tiny cabbages turn out. In the meantime, I’m trying to turn…
This past week I took my granddaughter to New Buffalo, Michigan for a few days at the beach and the dunes. We took a walk through a forested park and I explained the art of “forest bathing” to her. Her 10-year old mind found it fascinating yet confusing. She couldn’t understand how being in the…
Late June is such an exciting time of the year! Every day I walk out into the gardens and there’s always something new blooming. The daisies and coneflowers are starting to pop and the Oriental lilies are soon to follow. We’ve even got a couple of tomatoes on the vine now. There’s always a new…
