Sunday, April 9, 2017

"All Things Considered

We're doing just fine" (credit to Yankee Grey~Untamed)!

Yep, with all the changes and the challenges that have come from those changes, things are going better than I could have hoped for.

When you move into a place that is listed "as is" you know straight up there are going to be things that need attention. So far the inside things are mostly cosmetic. I didn't paint anything ...yet. The carpets and everything were thoroughly cleaned (THANKS to Country Girls Cleaning!), and we've only had to replace one faucet in the master bath and have new vinyl laid in the laundry room.

We've been here in the new to us house for a little over 2 weeks now. The furniture is in place (even accounting for my OCD, it has gone pretty smoothly, LOL), most of the boxes have been unpacked or stored in the extra bedroom, for now, the curtains or mini blinds have been hung, and some of the art/pictures have been placed on the walls and today, Tanya and Ed began transforming the outdoor space. The old and rotting fence is coming down. This opens up the backyard and entire property so we can begin cleaning up the yard and leveling out the space. There are numerous holes that need to be filled in, trees to be trimmed and trash to be raked and hauled off.

The area we chose for the pool has been cleaned, the sand base has been spread and then leveled. The pool is up and in place. Sometime later this week, Tanya will come over and clean it out and then begin filling it. We do need to purchase a new pump for the pool, but that's an easy fix. Gotta love Amazon! The one that came with it just didn't keep it clean and we are changing to a larger sand filter. One that requires limited maintenance, just change the sand once every 5 years. The ladder that came with it when we bought it last year will need to work again for this year and then we are hoping to have begun the deck by the beginning of the season for next year.

I've also sort of discussed with Jimmy and Tanya where to put the outside table and chairs and grill. There is a very large tree that gives off some pretty serious shade just behind where I was standing to take the picture of the pool. The yard is very level there, and it's also pretty clean with no weeds or ant colonies to worry about. The well house *is* right behind that area though so I may ask about putting up a fence panel there to camouflage the well house.

Every time I go outside to do more than just get in the truck or take the furbabies out to do their business, I find something different. I LOVE having this huge yard and exploring the trees and plants that are growing here. Some of the plants I can identify, others have me stumped. They look like plants or bushes or flowers, but then again they could also be weeds. So far I have discovered and identified with a little help from my friends an Empress tree (*I'm looking at you Leanna*), a cherry tree, a dogwood tree, a few scattered pine trees, a blackberry patch, some azalea bushes, a random hosta and a rose bush that has gone wild. This afternoon I found this. Anyone have any idea what it is? Do I let it grow or cut it out of the flower bed that has overgrown and needs a lot of TLC?

I've also discovered the lawn has an abundance of dichondra growing. Yes, I know many people see this as an invasive plant or even classify it a weed. In amongst the weeds in the flower bed and spilling out into the front lawn are these beautiful little circular stems that resemble a clover type plant. I remember our neighbor in Tucson having dichondra instead of grass growing in their entire front yard. It was beautiful, soft and easy to care for. For now, I'm going to nurture it and see how far I can get it to spread. To me, this memory of my childhood is one I want to hold onto for a while.

In my dreams, I see this as our forever home. And even though it isn't in the ideal location, it does give us everything we have talked about over the years. The energy here is amazing, strong but peaceful at the same time. It's at the end of a dirt drive and if you aren't coming to my house, you don't need to be on the road. It's also right next door (ok, there is a vacant lot between us) to Tanya, Ed, Sam & Ravyn. The kids ride their bikes and play there, it is easy access to family. That in itself makes it worth anything else.

My adventures are just beginning. I may blog about them ... or not. For now, I can honestly say with no reservations I love my life and I have never been happier.