keep my house in good repair and looking nice for the next 43 years

or more accurately, had it done. Going to the Shepherd Clinic with Nick gave me a chance to get my floors refinished and to put wood floors in all previously carpeted rooms for wheelchair accessibility.

I also had some showy roses and ornamental grasses put at the part of my property that borders the street, had some bothersome bushes taken out from the front of the house and replaced with dwarf bushes, and planted hydrangeas next to our woods. I hope they have not died. :( I also had several trees taken down or fallen trees hauled away.

I recently had a contractor check on the sump pumps under the house to make sure they were still in working order, and had some dings in the wall repaired.

This is probably the most we have ever done in one year to the house, and I have the empty bank account to prove it. All worth it, though.

During the last month, I have had roses and ornamental grasses planted in the front and hydrangeas planted at the border between my grass and woods.

While Nick and I are at Shepherd Pathways we will have wood floors put into our three carpeted rooms so that Nick can roll everywhere in the house.

And it’s funny, when I spend money or plan to, the universe decides that I must have some to spend and pops up with all kinds of surprises. This summer I have had to fix the washer, the refrigerator, the air conditioner (expensive repair), the automatic pool cleaner (expensive), and the pool filter (just an o-ring). And just when I thought the spate of repairs was over, water started gushing from my water meter. The plumber will be here this morning.

during which I am going to try to enhance and enjoy the outdor areas of my house. To that end, I have already

1. Contracted to have my house and fence pressure-washed, my pool deck painted, and my gutters cleaned.
2. Contracted to have the pittosporum that keep obscuring my porch replaced with dwarf pittosporum and to have two trees cut back. In addition, the same person will put sand in a wet spot under the fence.
3. Had a friend volunteer to cut back my sago palms.
4. Replaced cushions and/or washed cushion covers on all my outdoor furniture.
5. bought two small round outdoor folding tables from Target.
6. bought a table/2 chairs set from Goodwill for my side porch.
7. bought an inexpensive outdoor rug for my side porch.
8. bought some inexpensive decor items.
9. bought 2 pool floats.
10. bought some pretty plants.
11. bought some quality solar uplights and spots to enhance house and foliage at night.

Still to be done are the following:

1. Contract with a tree person to remove dead trees and trees blown down by last storm, and possibly other trees.
2. Install solar uplights and spots myself, and save a bundle over the estimate I got a few years ago for low-voltage lighting.
3. maybe buy one more little table if Target still has them.
4. Contract with someone to spray fertilizer and weed killer on lawn

with its perfect size and appearance and its wind-withstanding weight. I got the 7-year-old unused bargain umbrella out and measured it for a base. Once I saw that the table had been shipped and was due to arrive on Tuesday, I bought pillows that would tie my chairs to its black top. When I arrived home, the legs were here, but the top, shipped separately, was not.

When I investigated, I found that UPS had DESTROYED my table top. It was too damaged to deliver (they would not tell me what happened or maybe did not know)—but it is gone. It was the last one on the site, and everything else in the universe is flimsy and overpriced by comparison.

So the search for a table continues.

that go largely unused, partly because our area has maybe two weeks per year that are not too hot or too cold (okay, exaggerating, but it does get hot here). Shortly after moving in here, Nick and I bought a patio umbrella on sale at Sam’s Club in anticipation of getting a table for the patio. Well, life happened, and we never did get that table. I have been looking for the past couple of years, but I have really found nothing that meets my very exacting standards. It can’t be made of wood (weathers too fast), it can’t be too large because we don’t have that much room, but it should seat at least 4. It has to be sturdy and heavy, because we often get high winds and I am NOT fishing it out of the pool. And of course, it has to be on sale.

I finally found it: Stainless steel, seats 4, weighs 150 pounds, umbrella hole in the middle for the long-saved bargain umbrella. The legs are steel-colored, the top is black, and it will go with chairs that I already have. It arrives today in 2 boxes. I am so excited!

Edit: It was more than 50 percent off on a site I had never visited. I went onto the site to check out something I saw in a catalog, and while I was browsing the clearance section, I saw it. I got the last one!

We now have a new lawn care person to replace the nice and much-missed old lawn care person.

The guy’s crew came out for the first time and did a fantabulous job.

Another worry laid to rest.

lapsed at some point during the past few years, and I have been too swamped to think about it.

But a guy came out yesterday to inspect. No termites, yay!

Now we have termite protection and pest control on our house, and I can sleep just a little better without dreaming about something going crunch, crunch, crunch in the night.

looks great hung outside the house.

make me happy.

reflects light and looks beautiful.