5 thing Friday - fence, flowers, muffins, small tasks, photo album project DONE

When the tree trimmers left, I noticed that the entire length that included the gate was barely hanging on to the post.  I thought it was post rot because its so moist back here.  Now that the canopy is higher on these trees, it can dry out a bit.

But. It was termites.

 

My favorite fence guy came to replace the post.  And this was what it looked like on Thursday morning.  Fence fixed, just needs a clean up.

I straightened out those edging bricks and the red rocks, then I power washed all of it.  I will probably seal it like I did the deck. I bought some red rocks to fill in, and will treat for carpenter ants and termites.  Never a dull moment.

While Charlie was here he replaced a random picket. Ha. (the whole fence should be power washed but I'm not gonna) Then he told me that he also repairs sprinkler systems - WHAT!  So next week I will survey all of my pop-ups and he can cap them or replace the heads and help me program the watering.

A late afternoon (dark) photo of my weekly small bouquet for the kitchen.  For $3, it is a visual reminder to show myself love. This can come in many forms: taking a long nap, eating lunch out, laying on my couch with a book, sitting on my deck with my morning coffee...all because someone loves me - ME.

While I waited for Charlie to finish the post, I made some banana muffins with mini chocolate chips for my breakfasts.  This is mainly why I don't buy bananas. Probably I should just buy fewer.  I froze most of them and will pack them in my work breakfasts.

after

A quick-ish project: clean your A/C coils and remove leaf debris from around the unit. I guess its been 2 years since I have. The hardest part was holding the fan up with one arm, doing everything else with the other. I ended up getting a bruise on my arm from I-don't-remember, and a burn on the inner upper arm.  Plus, yes, I should have done this project earlier in the day.

before

But its done now.  Off the list. Always - turn off the A/C, turn the HVAC breaker off, unplug the unit, lift the grate being mindful of not damaging the fan blades, clean out leaf debris from the unit's pan, spray both inside and outside of unit fins with the "shower" setting of your outdoor hose. This time I also used a Simple Green spray cleaner I found in the garage and I let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Making my yard 1% better when I can - cleaning out under the crepe myrtle.  I demolished a bunch of overgrown tradescantia (Wandering Jew).  I sprayed the rest of a bottle of weed killer back there, too.  After the pop-up back there is fixed, I will add some sod, so close-up views to come.  Another 1% item - I distributed a bag of mulch under the trees and such out here.

That photo album project is underwhelmingly over and 10-12 photo albums have been condensed to a little less than a full 5 and are in their new forever home.  Its going to feel so great not to see this on my to do list!

Have a good weekend,

Gina

What the week holds and its still full-on Summer

Other than the crepe myrtle and the fig tree, nothing much is blooming in my yards. We need a really good rain! Since its the hottest time of the year here, fall seems very far away. 

Its going to be 5 days off in a row for me, which will feel like a mini vacay so what's on the agenda?

*water and mow the backyard

*get the back gate repaired

*go to book club on Tuesday

*learn a new CE compliance tracking system via Zoom

*power wash the back patio

*re-set the sprinkler system

*clean outside of back house windows (super easy)

*rest, read, relax

I mean, its nice to get things done - it feels very satisfying. I have a tough time just doing nothing. But I also maybe want to go see a movie, eat a lunch out, read a new book, sew something.

What does your week look like?

Gina

When you lose your momentum

We're at that part of the summer where I feel like I kind of fell behind in what I wanted to accomplish.  But I know in my heart that isn't 100% true since I have cleaned and sealed the deck, had mower maintenance done, made progress on the photo project, took a vacay, arranged for the trees to be pruned, visited the dentist...and a whole lot more.

Step 1 - gather your supplies

Along the way, mini projects cropped up: rebuild paver steps, buy a sprayer and learn how to use it, clean out the tool chest, re-weatherstrip the front door, build another gallery wall, deep clean the garbage and recycle bins, got rid of some china, get a mammo, arrange a bulky item pick up, spray for ants, replace the bulbs in the garage door openers, blah blah blah.

A clean deck makes the patio slab look grungy

The deck cleaning and sealing took less time than I thought it would.  Now to clean the patio slab and give the furniture a thorough spray down, too.  And I need to mow. But I will wait until the tree crew finishes today.

the patio set got a fresh coat of paint and is waiting to be replaced

Yes, it makes me feel capable to handle things. No, I would not have otherwise chosen to learn and do all that I have without becoming a widow first.  And yes, I have tried to keep a balance of caring for my home and caring for myself.  But my goodness - there's just so much to do.  We are halfway done with August and I have only 7 items left on my summer list.  Can I get them done in 2 weeks?  

We'll see.  Not today though.

Gina

You don't know what you don't know if you don't know it - the mower edition

 After the mobile mower repair guy left, I sat at my kitchen table with my mower's owner manual and wrote down every thing he told me, and then some.   Truthfully, it was like talking to a father figure - one who shares his knowledge in such a way that you "get it". And I've been using the mower, but I didn't know:

*use non-ethanol fuel

*don't buy more than 30-60 days worth of gas at a time

*after mowing, turn the fuel knob to off and let the mower run a couple of minutes

*pull the air filter out and slap it across the handle a few times to dislodge the dust; never let it get wet

*replace the air filter once a year

*top off the fuel after each time you mow

*check the oil often, change it every 6 months (then he showed me how)

*at the end of the mowing season, put the container gas into your car

*if it hasn't rained in a bit, water the grass the day before you mow, then mow in the early morning

(dust can get around the filter and enter the engine)

*do a once-over on the mower every time you mow - check its condition

*use a pressure nozzle to clean the lawn clippings bag every now and then

Then I went onto Yelp and wrote him a stellar review!

Its good that Mark saved the instruction booklet for everything he bought.  I filed the paperwork for items I still have, and I'm reading as I buy things, like the pump sprayer I used on the deck last week.  Because when you know a few things about how to use what you have, life seems easier. (wink, wink)

Gina

5 thing Friday - cooking, trees, socializing, a coffee cup, gallery wall

Its been an OK week, overall.  I have gotten a few small things done around the house, read a book, worked on my family history, bought groceries, etc. and so forth. 

I've been shopping at Trader Joe's more often and making simpler meals.  The panko Tilapia is pretty good, as are the BBQ pork fried rice and the grilled chicken strips.  I haven't used the oven much.  I'm not as into salads as I was last summer, but maybe next week I will switch that up.

I had an arborist come take a look at my trees and make recommendations.  Of the four live oaks, this one I am most worried about.  This long scar is an actual crack from when the tree froze in the terrible ice storm we had a few years ago.  I thought my trees had escaped damage. It healed over the split so only time will tell if I am able to keep this 1/3 of the tree.  I'm trying not to obsess over it.  The tree company comes in a couple of weeks to give all of my trees a good haircut.

I met a friend for a beer and gab this week - 4 hours went by in the blink of an eye.  We went to a place where Mark and I used to go long ago.  They spruced up the place and were doing a good business - looking around I saw lots of folks my age and a friendly doggo or two.

She's the same one who gave me this mug!  I use it often and remind myself that grief and hope, crying and laughing can all exist sometimes in the same day.  Its nice to talk with her about everything.  We met 46 years ago as college freshmen at UT.

At this point, she's been in my life longer than Mark was.  He would have approved of the mug, and he did love his coffee.

OK, I finished the wall that was supposed to be a corner gallery. I changed up a lot of the art I had originally chose, opting for things that really spoke to me.  I thrifted some things, pulled some pieces from elsewhere, filled in with stuff from Hobby Lobby.  Its nice to gaze at as I sit on the couch, sipping my wine. Its gonna be one of those things I change up now and then.

Just on the other side of the front door, and it's prettier in person. And that's all I have for today - thanks for reading along and have a great weekend!

Gina

How the weeks go now

My weeks pretty much blur into each other with all of the days going about the same:

Saturday, Sunday - 12 hours shifts at the hospital.

Leave the house at 640ish, clock in at 7 am, clock out at 730pm. Rinse and repeat for Monday, but everything slides forward 1 hour.

The commute is nice, the parking is nice, I like my co-workers, the work load is doable. But on Monday night, I am spent. So, Tuesday is my day to do laundry, buy food, and relax with no big plans. That leaves Wednesday through Friday to do projects, creative things, cleaning, etc. Its a comfortable routine now, 3 years in to my new job.  This week:

*I'm meeting a friend for a beer

*have a telehealth appointment

*reviewing my budget

*selling some stuff back to Half Price Books

*doing some yardwork

*on-call Wednesday

*working on my family history

*seeing the dentist for a cleaning

On Friday, I will food prep for the weekend, do some light housework, take myself to lunch, and read. Bed by 9 pm.

Right now, the days and weeks look predictable and for that, I am mostly glad. Its a different place than I assumed I would be in 5 years ago.  I know it won't be this way forever, and I will have to adjust the days again in the future to add even more free time and pursuits. 

Not all change is bad, right?

Gina

Little project: the red tool chest

This started as an incidental project while I waited for the mower maintenance guy* on a hot summer morning.

I was out in the garage anyway, so I decided to do round three (or four, I lost count) of cleaning out the red tool chest.  I bought this as a Christmas gift to Mark in 1982 while we were in college, and it quickly filled up over the years as he acquired tools.  When his mother died, he brought ALL of the tools home from her garage as well.  At one point, you could not close the top, bottom, or drawers.

(And there are smaller tool boxes in the garage that I will empty some day.)

I pulled things out, drawer by drawer and wiped down the insides of the chest and the handles of the tools with antibacterial wipes.  There were a lot of duplicate items, so I only put back what I wanted or needed to keep.

Then I organized it as best I could.

And there are things I will donate.  Like giant plumber's wrenches that I can barely lift. Multiple drill bits that match nothing I own. A belt sander I will not use. An extra electric engraver.

I access the top most often, so it had to be tailored to me and the things I use.  And it absolutely has to be able to be closed.

There are still things in here that one day will go - probably to my boys.  But for now, the bottom flap closes as well.

Mark's general rule of thumb was that if one was good, 5 or 6 was that much better.  If an item had any perceived value, he was going to hang onto it.  Most of us understand that if you cannot find what you need in the collection of things you do not have organized, it isn't as useful. Once you run out of space, its time to take stock.

More does not equal better.  You either need to adjust the amount of things you own, or the size of the place you are storing and organizing.  And unless you use them for work, how many hammers or axes do you really need?  It was a sticking point for us, to say the least.

My garage may not be beautiful to anyone but me.  But if you ask me if I have what I need and do I know where it is?  The answer will be yes.  And now there is room in this toolbox for me to adjust what I may need in the future for whatever project I am working on.

Gina

*And Mr. Berry spent less time counseling me about how often I need get the mower serviced, instead showing me how to do those things (cleaning the filter, changing the oil, making adjustments) myself.  I would say it was a productive day!