I'm still here :)

I am still here.  I have been taking things slowly and healing, and still decluttering.  The decluttering challenge was such a success that it was extended for Sept. as well.  I have a couple pieces of furniture that was at my Dad's that I am deciding what I would like to do with.  They used to be in our home once upon a time and I have been deciding if I want to keep them or let them go.  Not exactly a decluttering mentality but when you are dealing with grief, it's better to go slow.  I can always find a home for these items later, but can't get them back.

The weather here is changing and I experimented with some paint color on our porch ceiling.  It was white and bugs were drawn to it like a magnet.  I have read that bugs would not be drawn to a blue color because it reminded them of the sky.  It didn't work for me, but I am really enjoying the nice blue ceiling color.  I used some paint that we already had from another project that I really liked.

This is obviously before,  you can see where I have the biggest amount of cobwebs and bugs above the porch light.

This is after, the bugs are slowly coming back.  For security reasons the light stays on all night and it attracts the bugs so for me the blue didn't work, but it sure looks pretty!

 While out taking the photo of the porch ceiling, I was delighted to see this beautiful Praying Mantis on our door.  It took a while but I finally got a couple of pictures to my liking.  Yes, they are very big here, but how many times do you get to see one super close up?  I think he looks like he is smiling!  I am guessing "if" this is a female it is close to laying a pod to hatch next spring.  Eight years ago, when we first moved to this house my mom bought a pod for my garden and they have continued to hatch and re-appear each year much to my delight.  Like anything tiny, they are absolutely adorable when they are new little hatch-lings.  Ok are bugs adorable???  Well I guess not in a furry kitten sort of way but if you know how big they get, they are :)