Tag Archives: projects

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And then there was dirt….

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Since the stone border was complete, it was time for the next step. Garden soil.

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Thankfully our local Agway had a giant pile and it was only a few miles away.

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(Action shot)

Though why my husband kept bringing back such small piles I don’t know.

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He made 7 trips, half a yard each time. And I kept spreading it while he went back for more.

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I’m hoping it’s good soil.

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But I’ll mix some fertilizer in before I plant just in case.

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Another action shot.

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It should not surprise you to learn that halfway through the process the husband decided I was raking incorrectly and relieved me of the job.

🤣

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Stone garden border project… day 9.

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Viola!

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The what seemed like never ending stone perennial garden border construction is complete.

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Yes, it’s much smaller than I wanted.

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But I’m pleased with it all the same.

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It was a lot of work and the husband did a great job.

But the best part? Our marriage survived all the arguments it caused.

Next up? Dirt and flowers!

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P.S….. I wrote this a few weeks ago. The lawn is actually the crunchy brown from yesterday’s post.

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Stone garden border project … day 8.

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Another day, another layer of stone.

It’s back breaking work and though I kept offering to help… I got the look and strolled myself back inside the house.

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Every time I thought he was almost finished, I’d check back to find he’d removed what he previously laid and reworked the section.

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And when he knelt inside the border like that?

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It looked like one very expensive sandbox.

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Stone garden border project… day 7.

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I’m happy to report it was a dull and uneventful day of stone installation.

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Probably because I stayed in the house. Oh, I was out there bright and early ready to work, but my help was neither needed nor desired.. so I left him to it.

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The border looks great, though it really is a lot smaller than I wanted.

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The perennial bed I had envisioned will have to be dramatically downsized.

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But something is better than nothing and he certainly is doing a good job.

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Stone garden border project day 3… aggravated husband day 3.

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Work is slowly progressing on my soon to be fabulous backyard perennial garden border.

Whether my marriage will survive it is another matter entirely.

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I’m not sure why my husband has chosen to take every single little thing I say about this endeavor as a slight, an insult or God forbid…. a question of his manly ability, but he has.

I go out and try to help, but somehow everything I do just ends up pissing him off. He’s sucking the joy out of the process with his attitude and moodiness, but I will not let him ruin it.

I will not.

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If you remember, I advised we buy at least two pallets of stone back at the start. I knew we would need at least two full pallets, but no. My husband knew better and we bought one.

So when he reached the end of pallet number one and wasn’t anywhere near finished?

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He was less than pleased to admit we needed the second pallet I had wanted since the beginning and grumbled that I was gloating.

Me?

No. That would never happen.

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Stone garden border project… day 2, disagreement 2.

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I was helping.

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In so far as the husband would let me help… with what was my idea to begin with. That’s usually how things go at Casa River. I want to do something and come up with a plan… then the husband gets involved and does it completely his way.

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Granted he knows more about stone wall building… but I had a vision ya know?

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I like weird looking rocks, like this bird’s head skeleton I placed in the corner ….

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And these two that look like ham steaks. I wanted them prominently placed to give the border some quirk and character.

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So of course the husband moved all three and buried them. When I said something? He got ticked off and told me I can let him build it or hire someone else to do exactly what I want… and believe me that’s tempting.

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I love my husband. I do. He’s a wonderful man. But it would be nice if we could a work project together… in harmony, like we used to. Whether it’s male menopause, adjusting to retired life or basic old man crankiness .. lately he tests my patience to the point where I just have to walk away. Why must every difference of opinion turn into a fight? It’s exhausting.

Do you work well with your spouse/significant other. Or do you have to take a hike as well?

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Stone garden border project… day 1, disagreement 1.

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Work began on the perennial bed stone border recently… though not without incident.

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The existing bed measured 10×20… and when I first discussed the project with my husband I told him I wanted to expand it by at least 4 feet due to the apple tree that took up residence a decade ago. He heard me, but clearly didn’t care.

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Because when I looked outside the other day and saw him staking off level lines at the edge of the dirt… I said something.

Big mistake.

Huge.

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He heatedly explained the stone needed to be laid on flat earth and if I wanted him to do it, they would be laid inside the bed border. Period. End of discussion. Numerous hours of anger to follow.

Ladies? Never doubt the existence of male menopausal mood swings. They’re real.

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His way means I lose a good foot on every side, making my garden bed 4 foot smaller instead of larger. Not what I wanted. Not what I’d planned.

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But apparently what I’m getting.

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It’s hard to argue when I’m clearly not the one doing the majority of work. And I’m sure it will be lovely when completed…

But it would be nice if just once, we could come to an agreement without acrimony.

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Bad timing.

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When a storm is moving in and thunderstorms are threatening? That’s when my husband decides it’s a good time to start installing a barn gutter and downspout.

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How close was the storm?

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Basically right overhead.

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So when the sky opened up and rain started pouring down? There was only one thing to do…

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Pour an adult beverage and watch it fall.

🤣

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Because you never know what my husband will bring up from the cellar …

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The search for items to sell at a flea market continues and things are being belched up from the basement at an alarming rate. I don’t know if he’ll ever actually go through with this plan, but he certainly is enjoying the trips down memory lane.

Today’s treasure?

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The 1967 version of an adult party game. And judging from the look on that woman’s face, insufficient martinis were consumed before play began.

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The game is simple. 24 cards are placed on top of the feely box, you draw one… then reach inside to pull out the corresponding item.

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Yes, those are teenie tiny dentures. 1967 sounds like a blast.

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