Public Journal
Family stories, restoration projects, farm memories, kitchen adventures, and personal notes from Bob and Janet Pearson.
Bob's backyard journal · New
Welcome to the Backyard
Meet The Four Who Stand With Us and The Three Who Make Life Bloom, along with Bella and a few garden names still waiting to be found.
Come meet the backyard cast
Janet's kitchen journal · New
The Great Baked Bean Adventure
Ten cans, three pounds of bacon, two Crock-Pots, and a joyful mission to help feed a 50th wedding anniversary celebration.
Read Janet's first journal story
Bob's home project journal · New
The Gate That Finally Swung the Right Way
An overdue hinge swap, a black fence under the blazing July sun, and a successful finish—one cool-down break at a time.
Read the gate's side-switch story
Bob & Janet's home journal · July 2026
The Cat Fountain That Almost Beat Us
A butter knife, three mysterious parts, one misleading click, and the alignment lesson that brought the water back.
Read our shared repair story
Garage workshop journal
Back on the Boards
Three grits, one magic potion, Dark Half finish, and the first pine shelf finally finding its place on the wall.
Click to read the entire story
Wood restoration journal
The $25 Drop-Leaf Table
From the Beloit pickup to the first workbench session: real wood, careful screw removal, a glued-base surprise, sliding leaf supports, and a restoration lesson in knowing when to pause.
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Backyard journal
Around the Shed
The Six Wise Guys, the Three Amigos, and Bella Rosa settle into their new home around the backyard shed.
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Restoration journal
1974 Christmas Shotgun
Beginning the functional restoration of Bob's first shotgun, a Stevens Model 59A .410 given by his parents in 1974.
Click to read the entire story