Fayetteville - grace grits and gardening

We have a cistern!

August 29, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Yesterday while the dogs explored their new backyard, I tackled this side bed filled with bedraggled lamb’s ear. It had been days since I’d done any gardening. Believe me, I needed it.

After pulling parched leaves from this section of bed, I gave it a long soaking. But not with just any old city water. Water from our very own cistern!

Yes, underneath the back porch, a 3,500 gallon cistern collects rainwater. The cistern is original to the home (built in 1876) and was restored by the prior owners. They even capped it with this antique water cover brought back from New Orleans.

This cistern is one of my favorite things about the house.

Maybe it’s my imagination, but after only one watering and a good night’s sleep, I think the lamb’s ear already looks better.

What do you think?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“Water is the driving force in nature.”
― Leonardo da Vinci

miles to go

August 27, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Over the past few days and nights, I haven’t had one moment to scribble out anything other than to-do lists, and that’s okay because John and I have accomplished quite a bit. Our things won’t arrive from Dallas for several weeks (because I haven’t packed the first box), so I’m hanging out in our new home, sleeping on a mattress on the floor, sitting in old leather chairs that desperately need to be re-worked (but I like the battered feel of them), and unpacking kitchen items moved from our tiny house down the street (that will soon become a rental). I am basically excited, overwhelmed, astonished that we are really making this happen.

And we are all exhausted. Miles to go before I sleep and all that.

exhausted Lucy, exhausted chair

But mainly I am excited.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

adventures in moving #1

August 7, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I haven’t been writing or blogging much because I’ve been busy with moving adventures, cleaning and working on my mile long to-do list. Selling a house is backbreaking work. I wonder if anyone has ever died from such a thing.

Last weekend, we cleaned out our garage. Luckily on that particular morning, we had rare cool temperatures, the most pleasant August day in Dallas I remember in over twenty years. It was as though the city was trying to persuade us to stay. See, it’s not THAT hot… Yes, yes it is.

Garage cleaning was a huge project. In the twelve years we’ve lived here, our two-and-a-half car garage had shrunk to barely a one car garage because of the stuff. A sea of unorganized stuff. We dragged everything out, sorted, grouped, stacked, hauled off, etc. This picture doesn’t tell half the story.

Yes, we are the people who will be moving a hay bale from Dallas to Fayetteville. It’s all part of our autumn porch decor.

And speaking of Fayetteville, here is a sneak peek of our new (old) home. It has a wonderful porch too! I plan to be there in time to see the leaves turn.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“Excuse the mess, but we live here.”
― Roseanne Barr

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