Renovation Saga, Part One - Outside

Outside – Front Yard:

So far, we have painted the exterior of the house – changed from Pukey Green (yes, I believe this must be the official color reference name) to Green Tea (a pale green-gray)

trimmed in Cascade (an ambiguous off white)

and accented in Olive Grove (dark olive green/brown.)

The American flag is back up and flying, which I considered to be a primary project.

We cut down the trees in the front yard that were killing our grass and trimmed up the under height of the remaining oak. The sun now shines upon our yard once again.

I’ve made the decision to sod the yard next spring, rather than now, as that time of year will create healthier rooting and it will be easier to develop the yard. A classmate from high school offered his knowledge in my decision and I will seek him out in the spring.

Next summer we are going to have to resurface the driveway, too. Ugh, the expense.

Our azaleas died last year and I did not replant anything this year, so our flower beds are bare. I could not decide what to plant because the exterior had not been painted and once it was we had a major plumbing repair that was going to tear up the front yard. So, there was no point in planting this year. However, I am buying mums now and filling the front beds for the fall.

Then for next spring I have decided on two Red Rocket crepe myrtles for the west end of the front bed. The beds on each side of the steps will have Autumn Sundance (dark fuchsia) Encore azaleas with Drift Roses and ornamental grasses.

Outside – Back Yard:

We have cut out all the fence line brush. (Thanks to JBR's little brother!) I am looking for someone to break up the concrete shed pad that is on a hill. It’s an eyesore and needs to go. We lost the shed in Hurricane Elvis that hit in July 2003.

I threw out the old porch swing that one of our labs had chewed the arms on. I've ordered a new one – swing, that is, not a new lab. 

Here's a pic of one like I just ordered this morning.

I have a glider of my grandmother’s, which I need to replace the arms on and re-stain. I've been waiting for the Memphis heat to subside. 

We moved the bird bath onto the patio, closer to the kitchen windows, so my mom can sit at the kitchen table and watch the birds drink & bathe. She and my grandmother, who passed in 2005, have always been bird lovers. They could tell you the type of bird, the mating & migration habits and describe its call. Mom has enjoyed watching the birds without having to go out in the Southern July heat & humidity. It’s amazing how simple changes can bring joy to people. I’m so glad we thought of moving the bath.

To me our backyard is the most special in the fall. I love that fall is coming and I love campfires. We have had campfires regularly since my son was a baby and now he orchestrates them. (Have I mentioned how proud of my kid I am?) The wood pile is stacked and abundant from last month’s front yard tree-murder. So, come on Autumn Chill and let the campfires begin!

Peace and Pre-Fall to y'all!

Bobby Sox

Cats. I grew up in a dogs-only house. Then I had a son who lost his great grandfather.

Grandpa was Jonathan's best friend. They played checkers together. They sat in the patio swing together. They were 2 yings or 2 yangs and they weren't looking for their compatible other halves. They were just fine together on the bedroom floor playing with building blocks my great grandfather had cut and sanded for Grandpa when he was a boy Jonathan's age.

Then Grandpa developed Alzheimers-senility-old age. At 93 it was bound to happen sometime, right? Most days he didn't remember most of us. He did always think my mom was Maxie, his wife, which was sweet that he remembered her, even if he didn't pick the right person as Maxie. It was probably because my mom took care of him like Maxie always had. Grandpa was able to build or fix anything well onto age 90, but was clueless if it was 11:01 am (dinnertime) or 4:01 pm (suppertime) and Maxie (or mom) had not set food on the table. We may never eat again if food did not appear on the table at those times, I really think he believed. He was from an earlier era that had those expectations of habit and conformation.

While he forgot most things and most people, he ALWAYS knew Jonathan on sight immediately.

Then in 2001 we lost Grandpa. Jonathan was in fourth grade. I was lucky that a friend of mine from high school, Julia Kapos, was his teacher. She gave him the time he needed to deal with everything.

During this time Jonathan and I were on our own and we had moved into an apartment. One night during a storm we came home to a scared, wet, pitiful young cat cowering in our doorway. Now, I knew nothing about cats. By nothing I mean n o t h i n g. However, after looking at him and then looking at my son's face, I let the cat in and we put her in my son's bathroom. She was good all night, so the next morning I left her in my son's room as we left for school. That evening I came home expecting the chair, bedding and curtains to be shredded, but instead found the cat stretched out on Jon's bed. So, she became our Bobbie Sox...

That is, until we took her to the vet. It was then I learned that male kitty parts are "retractable" and do not show. For a dog person, that info is still weird to me. Needless to say by the end of the vet visit Bobbie Sox was Bobby Sox.

The name came from his little white paws. He looked like he was wearing Bobby socks. Jonathan thought he looked like a bobcat - I think that was his thought in order to sound more macho.

Jon was also convinced that Bobby Sox was sent by his Grandpa because Bobbo liked to curl up in Grandpa's chair that Jonathan had "inherited." (Inherited here means refused to allow us to donate it to Goodwill, would not let anyone else have or use it and insisted that it was now his as it was a guy's chair.)

That cat was instantly Jonathan's best friend. They existed together in Jon's room, two kindred souls that didn't have to talk, just knew what each was thinking and what each needed.

So, an abandoned cat, "sent" by my Grandpa, turned me into a cat-person because he healed my son's heart. Now, we are dog and cat people.