Sidetracked & Bushwhacked

We are sharing in the glory of Florence's magnolia. Everything is popping so early. I hope it stays warm so no buds suffer.

Yea the forsythia!

 Our own star magnolia is looking nice aswell.

The cottage is done! One last before and after because we love them so much.

New roof!

We are showing the place and should have a tenant in there very soon.

The toilet is in and the bathroom is done and looking great I think!

The porch area is totally winterized and can be used as a room and should be used as a room because the cottage is small.

Soooo... we decided to paint it to make it look like more of a room. 

The pool deck is a chapter all itself around here. We have put it off because there just isn't enough time!!! 

Buuuuut we were working on the cottage the other weekend and needed a break and all of  a sudden we are in the middle of these insane weeds and that's when we invented our gardening show "Sidetracked and Bushwhacked".

Sigh...

We buried our  power lines last summer and finally there was a clear shot of the view.

No good. No more.

Instead these weed trees shot up and spoiled  it again. But after this episode of Sidetracked and Bushwhacked that is no more.

Good.

For St. Paddy's day we decided to make shepherds pie. 

First I made the mashed potatoes

Then...

Saute 3 carrots in olive oil.

Add a chopped onion and some chopped cabbage

Add 1 lb of ground meat

add frozen peas and 1 tbsp of butter

Sprinkle over 2 tbsp of flour

add 2 tbsp of tomato paste

2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce

1 glass of red wine

1 cup of stock (I had nice homemade stock from a corned beef and cabbage cook)

Put the mixture in a oven safe pan and spoon the mashed potatoes over it. Brush an egg on the top and sprinkle parmesan over. Put it in the oven at 200C/400F for 20 minutes. I did about 5 minutes in the broiler at the end.

reel from Linda Kallerus on Vimeo.

I  have to take every opportunity to market myself and I took this week to cut a reel together. A reel is what cinematograhers have to showcase their work. So these are bits from everything I've shot. The Conservatory, Caligola, Buster, Flabulous, Mando Diao's Good Morning Herr Horst, Waltz of a Dream, Scotty Karate's Patchwork Romance and Fractures. I picked the song Bees by Caribou to set it all to and had a blast editing. OK. That's enough shameless promotion for one post!

Now we gear up for the arrival of the Swedes!!! They will be here in less than 2 weeks!!!!! Along with a couple of friends who are New York first timers! Can't wait!

On their last visit we went tubing with Meg in Phoenicia. Among MANY other things...