HAPPY Anniversary to Me

This time last year, Janet Ashworth helped me buy my first all-by-myself home:

I found a 4-leaf clover--a sign!  Except I'd found FIVE at a previous house, so NOT a sign.

 Here's what the front porch looks like today:

Maggie's dog ramp still there, as Brother Atlasta says, "For the lazy cat." 

This is the cedar tree by my driveway. I LOVED seeing the frog when I first drove up to see the house!

And there was another frog at the front porch:

Those frogs left with the previous owner, but now I have my own:

I just got a St. Francis statue in honour of Jessica & Bingo.  

Why the fascination with frogs, you may ask? They make me think of Dave Dobson, who had his own collection of frogs. I asked about them and he said they represented transformation, like the Frog Prince fairy tale. In fact, I tell my nieces Dobson Frog stories.  

You may remember Maggie's introduction to this frog prince when I first got him:

Hullo.

What the porch looks like today:

This plant shelf has been thru a few transformations:

Twinkle lights added for Xmas & stayed until I moved!

I got this welcome mat when I was at the River House & it's at my front door here:

Modeled by Maggie's paw.  :-)

It's been such an amazing year--it simultaneously feels like just yesterday that I was at the River House, and that it's forever ago:

Blue sky winter day with M&M.  

I started my blog a few months before I moved to the River House, so this is where I did the bulk of my writing. Life was a bit slower when I was living there.

More blog headers HERE.

I miss my labyrinth. 

Barkley & Remi in the labyrinth.

Maggie & Millie in the labyrinth. I got them for the last 2 years I was living there.

Grasshopper Quote. The one constant for the past 5 years no matter where I've been is John Morgan.

Walk to the post box along the Shenandoah.

I had a river:

Now I have a lake:

Sunrise from the River House:

Sunrise at the Lake House:

I pinned this on Pinterest, & someone repinned with the comment, "I can dream, can't I?" Doesn't that give some perspective?! I'm living someone's dream. 

Foggy day.

Come to think of it, I'm living MY dream!

Snowy sunrise.

Sunset on the Shenandoah:

Sunset on the Lake:

Autumn on the river:

Autumn on the lake:

While I miss some parts of the River House, I don't miss this:

I am NOT missing the stink bugs! Or the government-created mutant ladybugs!

And I REALLY don't miss this:

7+ miles of dirt 'n' gravel thru the national forest. Anytime I had anything wrong with the car,  the mechanic said something like, "You're ______ is shorted-out, rusted-out, wrecked . . . do you live on a dirt road?" *sigh* My new lights, calipers, brakes & whatever else I've replaced are a testimony to the dirt road. Respect the dirt!

It was really beautiful, but tedious to drive. This was across from the cow field:

Moo.  (Hullo).

Cows across the street from me now:

Bonus chicken!

 Tabby Bobcat on M&M's River House ramp:

Tabby with nephew RoRo on Maggie's ramp at the Lake House.  

My angel in the center of the WV labyrinth:

At the River House:

And now, on the mantel:

It's been a whirlwind of a year! But I am finally feeling settled. Downsizing has been difficult and there's so much more to DO. But--I have a sunny yellow kitchen (sorry, no pix) and my dream washer & dryer. My office is workable & I love my front porch. I'm 5 minutes from the grocery store and the only gravel I drive is my driveway. Livin' the dream & so grateful for it all!