Summer is sizzling and sends me indoors during these warm days.
I'd much prefer playing in the garden, but a clean home does make me happy.
Bringing in a blossom here and there brightens up the table. The hydrangeas are having their heyday! Our pink ones (due to our alkaline compost) have been especially lovely this year.
Maybe it's a good time to relax and prop your feet up and read and enjoy a cup of tea. I drink hot tea all year, but I can add ice if you'd prefer.
Housework, if you do it right, will kill you! Erma Bombeck
Don't worry Erma, we know when to stop.
Lovely post! Thank you for the summer respite. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting, Kim.
DeleteSuper, squeaky clean! I love the hydrangea in the crystal bowl. Stay safe, my friend, xoxo
ReplyDeleteDeb, our list is mile long, but if we keep at it, it will get done! The hydrangeas have been great this year, but alas the hot weather is doing them no favors! Stay safe as well, dear friend. xoxo
DeleteSuch an uplifting post. Glad all is well with you.
ReplyDeleteThank you and I do hope you are well, Loraine.
DeleteYour home is beautiful, Martha Ellen. And I love all the little things that add to its charm -- the flowers, the vases, the birdies, the teapot. Way too hot to be outdoors this week, but you've put the hours to good use.
ReplyDeleteMarigold, your kind words make me happy! I do hope you are staying cool as well.
DeleteYour home looks very nice, Martha Ellen. I always enjoy seeing bits and pieces of it. It looks like some of your items may have come from your travels? Your pink hydrangeas are so pretty, and they look nice in that clear vase. I love how you decorated your white mantel, and I've always loved your traditional furniture. I have that as well, and it's just so classic and long lasting. The 'home sweet home' cup made me smile, as home is my favorite place to be. Try to stay cool during these hot Summer days, Martha Ellen, and I'm glad you're getting those pesky chores done. They're not fun, but it makes all the difference when things are cleaned and fixed and working again. ; )
ReplyDeleteHappy July!
~Sheri
Happy July, Sheri! We have collected many of our "treasures" throughout our travels and from my parents. The home sweet home cup is from Susan Branch. I love her artwork! We had an afternoon storm that has cooled us and is so welcome. I hope you are staying cool, my friend.
DeleteOoh that hydrangea is a beauty! Love to see bits and pieces of your home! Ha I love that quite from Erma! I sure miss her in the mornings on tv!
ReplyDeleteErma, was a breath of reality, wasn't she? Thanks for visiting, friend!
DeleteHaha, about that housework quote! Thankfully I get help before it kills me. :)
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've hired out since we moved to the country is a window cleaner twice a year. Worth every penny. Your hydrangea is a beautiful color. I get kidded for making soup on the hottest day of the year! You have a lovely home.
Ellen, how wonderful to hire out the washing of windows. I adore soup and have been known to have some bubbling on the stove in the summer heat as well. It's been so hot here, I didn't even want Grayden to grill today! Stay cool in your hot corner as well.
DeleteAgree!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the pleasant post, my friend.
I am inside too, getting caught up on scrapbooking for my kids!
Enjoy your tea! Cheers!
It's too hot even though we had a storm bring cooler temperatures, Billie Jo. Enjoy your scrapbooking!
DeleteYour home is really lovely, Martha Ellen. And now extra clean and tidy! I see you have a Susan Branch mug. Aren't her mugs wonderful? They are my favorites! And I'd love to sit in your wingback chair. I've been looking for a good one!
ReplyDeleteJeanie, I really love Susan's mugs and everything else she does! I really have to restrain myself from buying more and I have more than enough. I used to collect Emma Bridgewater mugs and along with Susan's there is no room on the shelf! The wingback chair is old, just like it all, but very comfortable.
DeleteI love Erma Bombeck’s quote! That very same teapot and mug share a space in this house! I’m no fan of summer’s heat, either. You are quite ambitious to tackle indoor chores while staying cool!
ReplyDeleteNellie, we share a love of many things, don't we? Kindreds for sure, my friend. I bought that Marjolein Bastin teapot many years ago in Wolfboro, NH. Happy Independence Day!
DeleteYou have a delightful home and garden Martha Ellen, and I could happily sip a cup of hot tea with you :)
ReplyDeleteIt would be lovely to have you, Denise. Thank you for your kind words as always.
DeleteThank you for the birthday wishes for Nel, Martha Ellen. Can't believe she's 40, where did the time go? I just love your comments, and they are so beautifully written each time. Visiting you today gives me a chance to see your charming home again. : )
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Time is speeding up even more for me, Sheri! My youngest will be 50 this year and our daughter will be 53. That really gives me pause, but with so much thankfulness. Glad you could stop by for a visit. You are welcome anytime!
DeleteErma! That is so funny. I've had a book of hers sitting in my to read pile for an entire year. I think I should get to it. I need something to lift me from the doldrums.
ReplyDeleteYour home looks warm and cozy or calm and cool depending on the need. I took special note of the dishes on the mantel and the Susan Branch mug. She has the most charming graphics.
Someone is taking good care of the garden. It should go from glory to glory for the remainder of the summer.
Vee, Erma was just a hoot and would be a great read as we all could use a diversion from the doldrums.
DeleteDishes have been an obsession my whole life. I always say no more, and then someone like Susan Branch creates another mug that I must have. I have no self control!
You have a lovely home. I love that red and white striped chair along with the floral topper. So pretty. So much I need to do inside and now with these terribly hot days like today staying inside is much healthier, the heat really got to me today. I love how you have your teapot and pretty dishes on your mantle. I drink hot coffee all summer and iced tea. I am starting to really like the green ginger tea iced with honey.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Betsy for your kind comments. These hot days don't allow me to garden, which is what I'd prefer over cleaning, but it must be done!
DeleteA clean home makes me happy as well. I don't even mind the cleaning, within reason.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Within reason--yes, me too! xo
DeleteLove it so much
ReplyDeleteA lovely post and photographs. Your home and garden look so welcoming.
ReplyDeleteI would enjoy a cup of tea with you.
Take care, my good wishes.
All the best Jan
It would be lovely to have you here, Jan. Take care, friend!
Delete