Summer Forts Revisited

Oh well.  I had amazing plans.  Those summer forts are, for the most part, still sitting undone!  No excuse.  Just didn't do most of them.  I have the spare bedroom partly torn up, if you all are willing to count that.  I have to finish it soon.

I don't regret not building my forts.  I was gone for nearly 5 weeks out of my summer and I had a blast. That is a trade off I will take any time!  (I will blog about these trips later.)

I did get a few things completed for the yard, though.  I painted some big pots, a metal table and made three bird baths! Ta da!  Do I at least get a few brownie points for that?  Thank you!

This one is fairly small and I keep it on our deck floor by some plants.  I caught a bird drinking from it this morning!  I was thrilled.

This one is a lot bigger and it is in our front garden.  I love the colors.  I haven't caught any birds using it, but I think that they are.  I found a website through Pinterest for how to do these. Basically just some sealer and then outdoor paint, paint pens, pen and Mod Podge Outdoor.  It takes a while because you have to let each layer dry. Other than that it was a blast to do these.  There is a third one that I gave to my dad for Father's Day.  I forgot to take pics.

These yellow pots were pitch black.  They are plastic and I was tired of the black.  I'm not sure if I would do the bright yellow again, but I like it. I think it looks cool with the flowers draped over it.  The thing is it takes a while for the flowers to drape over it!

We have had a weird summer and I am struggling with watering the plants properly.  I have 3 of these pots where the plants have pretty much died.  Grocery Boy insists that they don't like the pot color.

In case you are interested these were spray painted with Rustoleum white primer and then their yellow paint.  That's it!  So far so good.

This Boot Is Made for Walking...and Painting

The Achilles Tendon.  Sounds cool.  I mean, Achilles was fast and a hero and a demigod and good looking and stuff.  Except for that one way you could bring him down.  That one little arrow right to the heel.

I feel bad for Achilles.  I mean, that really hurts.  I don't literally stick arrows into the back of my heel, but it sort of feels like I do on a minute by minute basis.  You should see me stand up after being in the car for a while.  I swear to you waking up a teenager before noon is easier, and faster.  And I don't want to even discuss what happens if I wear the wrong pair of shoes for too long.  The upside to that one is that it sure has been fun finding that one pair of perfect shoes.  Can you say new shoe rack?

With the constant pain party going on in my leg, I decided that I had better start getting serious about managing this.  I was visualizing ugly orthopedic shoes in my future and it was giving me the creeps. So, I caved and went to the doctor.

The result of all my trips for testing, therapy and whatnot are this:  I have a split tendon on the outside of my ankle (!?!) and Achilles tendonopathy.  Say what?  In other words, I get to wear the dreaded Boot.  And not only do I get to wear it, I get to wear it for a looooong time.  Probably a few months. Oh and I can no longer walk for exercise.  So I get to completely change all of those habits.  Right about now I think my family is missing the effect all of those feel good endorphins (or endolphins if you prefer and you saw "Postcards from the Edge").

So, after a one day pity party that involved intensive retail therapy, I was ready to face this ugly monstrosity.  What to do to make it a tad more palatable.  I know.  Paint pens.  Paint always makes you feel better.

Say hello to the new Mr. Boot.

Because every boot needs a frog.

And an owl.

Mr. Boot sees all.  I am a little worried that this will creep out the preschoolers.