Writing by Ear

I keep going on and on about what a pretty spring this is. The view of our back yard (from the bathroom of all places) is one of my favorites. We’ve spent a lot of time working back here and still have a long way to go (can’t take credit for the azaleas, they came with the house). But it’s FUN, and we can’t wait to do more. (This particular view also hides the perpetual “burn pile” we have going.)

Unfortunately, we have a little obstacle in the path to the garden of our dreams. Here’s the view of the back yard when you take off your azalea-colored glasses…

Yes, we’re still waiting for our new retaining wall (even though we OK’d the estimate for it in February). And it’s been over a year that we’ve been looking at a muddy mess and dodging various piles of rubble in the driveway. Mike gloomily said the other day, “It’ll probaby be August before they show up.”

But that’s not to say we’ve been sitting around moping (well, maybe moping, but certainly not much sitting). Our kitchen remodel is done — without a doubt the biggest project we’ve tackled. And it’s beautiful, if I do say so myself.

I’m also very happy to say our garage door replacement is done — well, done as far as I’m concerned, Mike tells me there’s much still to be done, and he will fuss with it for a while yet, but the changes won’t be visible to anyone but him, so let’s just call it done.

We’ve also scoped out how we can create “the world’s smallest powder room” in a converted coat closet. We’re hopeful when the plumber is here doing our sewer repair (in August, with his friend the retaining wall guy?), he can tackle the plumbing for that as well. Here’s the “before” — before we tore the wall down behind the coats through to the hallway by our back door (connecting to the “cubby” where the refrigerator used to reside). I don’t even mind the mess (visible only from the back door) because it’s so minor compared to the kitchen upheaval for all those months.

Concurrent with (and sort of as a part of) the sewer project, we’ll also be repairing the front porch — fixing the damaged foundation and column bases and replacing at least part of the porch floor (with the rest a project for later). I dreaded having the front porch roof propped up (likely for months), but ya know, it is what it is. I can’t fix it any sooner, so I better learn to live with it. (And notice, the daffodils still bloomed.)

So, today’s lesson: Keep the glasses ON. For now, they’re azalea-colored, then they’ll be iris-colored, then peony-colored, and right on into rose-colored to salvia-colored to lavender-colored to black-eyed-susan-colored. I’ll have plenty to tide me through the next five months — right into a glorious maple-and-mum-colored fall. And after that…well, let’s just forget about what comes after that. Slush-colored glasses will never have quite the same appeal.

Being an optimist after you’ve got everything you want doesn’t count.
~ Kin Hubbard