I know, I know
7.16.2009
I've needed to post updates for a while now, but I keep forgetting to grab my camera and just take the pictures of the bathroom. It is 97% finished! Just one last bit of caulk around the shower base, and sealing the grout on the bathroom floor. The vanity, mirror, toilet, and a new storage cabinet have all been installed. It looks fantastic, and I'm excited for the last bit to be finished so we can use the new shower.
Chris is out of town this week, which has stalled some of the progress. And, to tell you the truth, we've been trying to concentrate more on the outdoor work while the weather is decent. We had almost 3 months of continuous rain from March to May, and there is quite a bit of work to do on the landscaping in order to get it ready for next spring. Our biggest project is building a retaining wall in the back to fix the erosion problem that is getting worse and worse.
There are two sections of the yard that require a new retaining wall. Then we'll be rebuilding the fence on top of it, and terracing a section of the yard that is too steep right now to be used. The one flat section of yard - where the above ground pool used to be - needs to be graded for drainage, and topsoil added so we can grow better grass there.
Where I planted a garden last year, we decided to plant fruit trees. It get lots of sun, and is a little too hilly for a garden on one side, but will be great for a couple of apple, cherry, peach, and plum trees. We'll plant those in early fall to give them a break from the summer heat - I think they'll look lovely.
I've been working in the front bed by the driveway for the last couple weeks, pulling out vines and weeds which have completely taken it over. There are some lovely trees and bushes in the bed, but several of them have been suffering from the crawling vines, and it's also starting to look pretty messy. It's a lot of work, but I'm about halfway through it and am starting to see some real results. When I'm done, I'll probably plant a nice groundcover (haven't decided which one yet) and mulch really well to keep the weeds away.
To better enjoy the summer evenings, and help de-stress after the long work-week, Chris has instituted weekly "fireside chats". We've been trimming trees and collecting the dead wood around the property, and decided what better to do with a stack of firewood than burn it? Last week, we had a fire 3 different evenings! We even cooked out a couple of times :). We've got an open invitation to our friends to stop by and participate. Last week, Fernando and Laura came by on Friday, as well as one of Rachel's friends, Natalya. We had a nice, relaxing evening with some great conversation. This Saturday, James and Michele will be joining us.
To help out with the firewood situation, and to clear the many fallen trees around our property, as well as take down a few dead ones that refuse to fall on their own, this weekend we will be purchasing a chainsaw! I'm very excited - I've been begging for one for a couple years now. In fact, our path down to the river has been partially blocked for over a year since a strong storm knocked several trees down over it.
Other than the work on the house, not too much has been happening around here. Chris was gone all this week, in Memphis for business, and Rachel and I have been taking it pretty easy while he's traveling. Enjoying girly movies, eating Korean food with her friends, and generally being lazy :). He's back tomorrow though, so I'm pretty excited!
I hope to post some pictures soon. I just need to get off my lazy butt and remember to take pictures when I'm actually home (I always think of it as soon as I get to work).
Posted bySarah at 12:19 PM
Labels: bathroom, Chris, fire, landscape
