December 2004

Tim replaced our rotten deck this past year

A new rock and concrete walkway from the french doors was created by Tim to get to our firewood

A fenced side yard was planted with rose bushes and ornamental trees

	This year NATURE'S BEAUTY was the theme!
	All the garlands were real! I've always used fake garlands in past years. Tim happily disposed of all the tacky stuff. He has a good point...it's impossible to get the same feeling from plastic.
	We gathered the cedar trimmings from around the property
	Tim scouted until he found us holly to add in and the extra branches from our Christmas tree added just the right texture.
	The pinecones came from my sister's home in Bend Oregon. Even with all our woods, we don't have pretty pinecones here at Black Pond Farm

This past year, the covered deck was reinforced underneath and new rails added

	It took me many hours to wire enough to reach ALL the way around. The kids are only JUST NOW old enough that I can focus on a project without constant interruptions.
	EXCEPT that the phone kept ringing. It happened a number of times and I ended up taking multiple days to complete ours.
	In one case, my neighbor REALLY liked my garlands and would I teach her how? I like to THINK that I'm easy to get along with, so SURE!
	DANG! My hands were raw and I caught a nasty head cold after standing in the rain all afternoon wiring just 1/3 of her garlands. She completed the rest later, and was really appreciative, so it was worth it.
	Another call was from my friend Mary K. She had put all the lights on her tree and decorated it. She plugged them in and EVERY LIGHT zapped out, so she regrouped and bought all new. When the SAME thing happened for the SECOND time, she was SO DONE with holiday decorating. I arrived that evening with a bottle of red wine, a Christmas video for her kids to watch and we figured out that she had a bad extension cord. Heck! What are friends for?
	I also volunteered to teach a group of parents at Erin's school. We donated all the greens from our property. Each person paid $10 at the door (to cover ribbon and other supplies) and took home a 10 foot garland that evening along with some wreaths and door swags. The proceeds went to the school as a fundraiser.

Brenda, (on left) with the PTSO President at the fundraiser

This year NATURE'S BEAUTY was the theme!