Restoration

Tea party fun at preschool with Miss Puddin Toes

 We have finally gotten into the garden in the last few weeks.  The weather has been unseasonably cold, and rainy. Not very enticing to getting outside.  I had thought putting the pool in last fall would give me a head start on spring.  Well not all goes as planned!

It seems the pool and the restoration of the yard is taking a bigger toll on us then we first imagined.  I think this is the first year I have not enjoyed my spring.  Every time I go out into the yard I am overwhelmed with the work.

 The big dig with the pool has really been a mess.  The sprinklers have had to be redesigned again and again. The system was busted up on the main manifold by the plumbers of all people, rewiring our shed.  They insisted it was code to rewire my shed in the middle of the winter. Apparently they were just making a big mess and spent days in my yard doing useless work.  We were not charged for the mistake but what a bunch of headache over the sprinkler system they proceeded to dig up and break appart as they were rewiring.  Crazy huh?  I really did challenge these guys as they were doing this and they insisted it was code. (they were wrong)  I must admit I have unkindly referred to them as "Dumb and Dumber."

Over the winter the gophers really did some damage too. They took down 8ft rose bushes. There has been much dirt moving and rearranging.   We have been re planting some plants that we had dug up to rescue, moving others, and putting in lots of new material. I decided to add some evergreens to my border so it has a little more structure (bones) and eye appeal in the winter season.  Now is a good time to assess that when most plants are just coming out of winter dormancy.  It has looked like such a mess out there for so long that I am getting overwhelmed.

Here is a look at what we still need to accomplish:

Dan working hard on drip lines.  Obvious reseeding of grass in many places.  Mulch to be put down.

 If you look carefully at the back of the picture you can see the gate structure that needs fencing put on it. The mess of equipment needs a block wall around it with gates to access everything.  The pipping was originally another two feet out into my walk way.  As it is I will have a bit of a squeeze to get through after the wall is up.  Again the electricians struck and placed all that mess right on the corner of my house.  I assumed everything was going to go on the concret pad and all that room we had behind it.  Wrong assumption!  I was sick in bed on a cold winter's day with a high fever when they did this and could not pay any attention to what was going on.  When I called Dan home to help they had already made the mess.

On the right is where Dan wants to add more concrete...ugh =(   We are debating this issue.  He won on the removal of a beloved flowering tree. (see circle)  We will be getting the concrete colored and textured, so that should help a bit.

My black fence turned out well. I am pretty happy with it not obstructing our view.

And here is the crazy thing, I have had a giant Monet Arch built.  They made the arch too wide on the sides where the roses will climb.  It was suppose to be 2 feet, and came out 42 inches, 18 inches wider than my design which was clearly marked on my drawing.  So we stood it up for a trail run and I think it will be okay.  We will have to send it back though to get it powder coated black.  A project we originally thought we could handle.  Today they delivered the third gate. A black steel gate, and again got so many measurements wrong and the design.  I am completely stumped as I had every measurement and the design completely drawn out in detail.
So it has been many, many redo's on so many parts of this project.  I am ashamed to admit I have been discouraged.  Then I watch the news and my heart breaks for the devastation going on in so many parts of our country, with floods and tornados, never mind the rest of the world. ie tsunami's and war.   It has been a crazy spring on so many levels.

What is in my heart and in my spirit is to change my attitude and to begin to pray for restoration, for renewal, for joy, and for peace. Not just for myself, but for the world around me which is dealing with real issues.  It seems my life is just a tiny reflection of the turmoil around us.  Again, I need to remember how much I have to be thankful for.  I just had a birthday and turned 55... oh my =)  Well 5 stands for grace in the Bible so I am believing for a year of double grace!