A Quick Post

I decided to slip in a quick post on this busy weekend. 

On Friday, we had a lot of outside work to get ready for the Lapps arrival and summer in general. It's the type of stuff that we usually do much earlier, but due to the cool temperatures, we just never got around to it. That meant a day of hard labor---well, at least for Butch. He was working on the back patio, pool area and fish pond. I generously offered to do the front porch. 

I'm admitting right off that I don't know how he did all he did in the back yard. Just cleaning out the pond is just about an all day affair----which he had already done the day before. He has to power wash the patio, all of the furniture, cushions and pool decking. Most of you know how big this area is. 

Anyway, I started out front. About 10 minutes in to it, my back was killing me---all that bending over.I wanted to quit right then.  I was thinking about how much I've always loved white. I like white cabinets and moulding inside the house. I like the white columns, doors and trim outside too. There's just something so clean and crisp about white---except when it isn't! Everything was filthy. I used bucket after bucket of sudsy water, rags and scrub brush. I pretty much hated the whole job, but couldn't quit---not with Butch working so hard out back with much more work than me. 

That got me to thinking. Remember when you were a kid, if it involved playing in the water, you didn't mind working? Watering the yard, washing the cars, etc. When did that simple pleasure disappear? Now it's just all work. In the end, it was worth it. It took me a full 2 1/2 hours. I can't do something half-assed. Just trying to hose down spiderwebs that are 12 feet overhead is a chore. I was sopping wet and my thumb was permanently stuck in that position over the hose nozzle to cause a powerful enough stream to force the crud around. 

Then, our next-door neighbor came over to discuss the "sink-hole." The first bid to fix the situation was $20,000!! Oh, my, gosh! NO WAY!!! Luckily, he reached that conclusion on his own. He's been watching the hole. Since we've had torrential downpours and the hole hasn't gotten any bigger, he's going to fill it with rock himself. Sounds like a plan---at least for now. 

Anyway, by the time I was finished, poor Butch was still slaving away out back. I was going to take a shower, but then felt guilty. So I asked him if there was something I could do to help him---while silently praying that he'd say "no." That's exactly what he did! He said he was almost finished. 

Everything looks great and best of all, we're done for the summer (with the exception of wiping off the tables now and then).

 We have two different seating areas on the front porch. The swing is my favorite. I have some really cute pillows, but I'm too lazy to take them in and out all the time. They are not meant for outdoors.

This is the long view of the porch. Notice my blue ceiling? Love that. It's supposed to ward off the bugs---a little trick I learned from when Mindy lived in New Orleans.

Here's just a little of Butch's handiwork (I'll take more pictures later):

 He even bought and planted flowers! I was so impressed. He thought the tables needed a little something.

 Plus, he found this cute little glass snail---the perfect touch.

The pond looks great. He bought a few new water plants and even potted the white petunias. He has never really taken an interest in the flowers. I'm impressed. I'm not sure if he will ever do it again because Saturday morning he woke up to a stiff and hurting back from about 9 hours of solid work. It interfered with his golf game. Still, I think it was totally worth it---he may disagree! What a guy!! Love him too!