5 thing Friday - faucet, groceries, sap, sunrise, harvest, hair

I just realized I never posted about the whole faucet fix.

What a pain in the rear.

 

When last we saw my backyard faucet, it had been wrenched up to a sideways position by my BIL who thought he could replace the whole thing. {I did try to stop him a couple of times...}  Since he couldn't see the pipe leading into the house, he couldn't brace it.  And after he realized that, he left it sideways and left.  Cue panic over my faucet.

I did what I should have done to begin with - mention it to no one else and call a plumber.  I called someone Mark had used before, and within an hour or so he had replaced the whole thing, losing only a small section of brick.  P.S. plumbers make a lot of money.

Which I then taped off and filled with expanding/paintable foam.

Then I removed the tape and trimmed the foam flush to the wall.

Since it was a strange shape and bright white, I taped it again into a rectangle and painted it with leftover front door paint.  No more leaking, no more cock-eyed faucet, no more hole.

{its amazing to me how small things can morph into so much angst!}

Sunrise at Highlands, ca. 2019

There are many things I miss about my life as it once was, and it feels like I am still in this shifting season of change that has no end date.  I am trying to hang in there, but believe me when I say that its getting harder to do.  Maybe its because I feel worn down.  Remember, my 2021 word of the year "thrive"?  I so wanted not to just "survive".  Now I think survive is actually a lofty goal.

My Chinese Pistache is weeping all over the deck.  The resin smells so pretty but is such a sticky nuisance.  Plus, I worry about my trees in general so I am watering twice a week now.  I'm sure this is heat related and the tree is stressed.  Side note:  will seal the deck this fall after I powerwash the sap off.

Sunrise in the vineyard at Perissos, August 2022 

For some reason I always feel at peace out here.  Its hot, yes.  I get covered with dirt and sticky grape juice and sweat.  But I feel peaceful and removed from my current stress and trouble.

We picked 8 tons of fruit.

Last week it was Petit Syrah.  This weekend its Malbec.

A light lunch and glass of wine always follows.  And this time we got an extra taste of the 2011 Petit Syrah which was soooo good. 

I gave in to the summer temps and falling hair and had another 2 inches of hair trimmed off.  The stylist looked to be cutting a few strands at a time - so pitiful.  But once its washed and dried on low heat it looks halfway decent and its very comfy.  Still continuing with my routine for helping it recover.

Like Mark used to say: its a great life, if you don't weaken.

Gina