Sometimes procrastination pays off. I intended to water outdoor plants in containers last night. Do you ever wonder where the time goes? So it was bedtime when the General suggested I wait until morning to water plants.
I had no idea that she was providing me a gift. Since it was still dark when I walked into the sunroom this morning, I turned on the overhead lighting on the pergola. Instantly the backyard was bright with artificial sunshine. We have a lot of lights.
The sound of the umbrella of water falling from the sprinkler in the pond added to the ambiance. The outdoor temperature was perfect. Instead of watering, I opted to sit on the patio and enjoy the morning. By the time the sun rose, I reminisced our vision for the patio area.
The General wanted an outdoor pond for goldfish or koi. She obviously was delusional. When we selected our building site, we followed the Scriptural mandate of building our house on a rock. Adding a fish pond wasn't going to happen.
Did I mention that once the General has something in her head, she doesn't let go of it easily? She mentioned her desire for a pond to me again when a neighbor was present. When I told her the pond wasn't going to happen, the neighbor took her side and said, "I'll be glad to help you?"
So the die was cast. We purchased the liner for the pond from Home Depot. After storing it in the garage for a couple of weeks, it appeared to get larger. My hands already hurt in dread of the effort it would take to dig a space large enough for the pond.
The neighbor who volunteered to help, subsequently asked when we were going to start? I responded, "Whenever you are ready." I've never been quite so surpised as when he came up the drive on a backhoe. When you've got the right equipment, a daunting task can be easy.
The General and I decided to do the work of laying a flagstone patio ourselves. That was an effort of delusional thinking on both our parts. Within a couple of days, we recognized we were spending too much money to have something that looked so hideous. Consequently, we spent more money by having it professionally done on top of a concrete patio.
In looking around this morning to the change in our backyard from those initial days made the investment of time worthwhile. It has definitely been a work in progress. Nature has a way of promoting a sense of calm and an aweness of the beauty that surrounds us.
Spending time in the quiet of the morning today was therapeutically beneficial. By the time I watered the outdoor plants, my soul was also rejuvenated.
All My Best!
Don
I had no idea that she was providing me a gift. Since it was still dark when I walked into the sunroom this morning, I turned on the overhead lighting on the pergola. Instantly the backyard was bright with artificial sunshine. We have a lot of lights.
The sound of the umbrella of water falling from the sprinkler in the pond added to the ambiance. The outdoor temperature was perfect. Instead of watering, I opted to sit on the patio and enjoy the morning. By the time the sun rose, I reminisced our vision for the patio area.
The General wanted an outdoor pond for goldfish or koi. She obviously was delusional. When we selected our building site, we followed the Scriptural mandate of building our house on a rock. Adding a fish pond wasn't going to happen.
Did I mention that once the General has something in her head, she doesn't let go of it easily? She mentioned her desire for a pond to me again when a neighbor was present. When I told her the pond wasn't going to happen, the neighbor took her side and said, "I'll be glad to help you?"
So the die was cast. We purchased the liner for the pond from Home Depot. After storing it in the garage for a couple of weeks, it appeared to get larger. My hands already hurt in dread of the effort it would take to dig a space large enough for the pond.
The neighbor who volunteered to help, subsequently asked when we were going to start? I responded, "Whenever you are ready." I've never been quite so surpised as when he came up the drive on a backhoe. When you've got the right equipment, a daunting task can be easy.
The General and I decided to do the work of laying a flagstone patio ourselves. That was an effort of delusional thinking on both our parts. Within a couple of days, we recognized we were spending too much money to have something that looked so hideous. Consequently, we spent more money by having it professionally done on top of a concrete patio.
In looking around this morning to the change in our backyard from those initial days made the investment of time worthwhile. It has definitely been a work in progress. Nature has a way of promoting a sense of calm and an aweness of the beauty that surrounds us.
Spending time in the quiet of the morning today was therapeutically beneficial. By the time I watered the outdoor plants, my soul was also rejuvenated.
All My Best!
Don
