Spring "Breaking" My Back

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” - Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina)

I am the type of person who likes to make big plans without thinking through the full scope of what I’m about to take on. I like to run with an idea based solely on my perceived outcome of the project. I dream and jump into my vision while Dirt Man is a methodical planner.

We don’t take a spring break now that our kids are grown, but with the crisp air and shining sun we’ve filled our time with many tasks. I’ve busied myself making our yard a bird, hummingbird, and butterfly oasis. I’ve had Dirt Man hanging flower baskets, garden flags, and wind chimes.

After cleaning, but before the paint job.

…And then I birthed the bright idea of painting our shed. (You see we had our house a few years ago. The gray shed withWilliamsburgblue trim did not match the house, and I had an intense desire to remedy that.) I thought we’d slap a little paint about and be over it! Ha, I forgot this involved the engineer (Dirt Man). Did I know we had to scrub the shed with TSP first to remove dirt and mildew? Well no, I’d never given that much thought. I planned to cover it up….you know like a supersized band aid. That didn’t fly withDirtMan.We spent one evening scrubbing the shed. After about two minutes of scrunching and twisting my neck while hanging on a ladder and stretching my arms to reach under the eaves, I was ready to call it quits. However, I kept my mouth shut since it was my idea in the first place, (I have this terrible problem with admitting I am wrong and being defeated.) So we scrubbed, wiped, and sprayed, and stretched and pulled our muscles and bones until they ached and we could hardly move. The shed looked good, but I wondered how our bodies would ever endure long enough to paint the whole thing. The next day Dirt Man caulked the shed. A few days later (after the shed had thoroughly dried…and no I didn’t know that part was necessary either!) we were ready to purchase our paint. Of course by then dirt had blown against the lower portions of the shed and I had to wipe those down. I was instructed throughout the process as I tended to apply too little paint – I was being careful not too apply too much, after all I didn’t want my paint job to be all drippy, runny, and streaky! Our bodies survived the job! The following day Youngest helped Dirt Man put a second coat on the trim. Voila, what an eye brightener!

Ah yes, much better!

This was probably not the greatest idea to have thrown at a man just six weeks out of back surgery, but he held up well. I’m ashamed to admit, his body fared better than mine. But hey, the shed not only matches the siding on the house but it brightens up the yard!

In appreciation, I even planted a lilac bush beside the shed. Can’t you just imagine opening the window and smelling that lovely scent? Now Dirt Man can work at his bench and look at the pretty blooms…oh yeah, that’s something I’d do…that is if I was trusted to play with power tools!

The Spin Cycle: Spring Break

Living in the Gap

April 12, 2012 – Talking with Daddy

The phone rang.

“Your daddy wants to talk to you.” My father NEVER dials the phone…my mother has to do all that and hand it over to him.

We talked about rocks, gardening, and the farmer’s almanac. My father plants according to “the signs” and even times his haircuts the same way. We planned a “rock hunting excursion” for my next visit. There is a certain type of rock (a white quartz or similar) I want to border around one of my flower beds and Daddy knows just where to find them in the woods.  Conversation flowed and time flew by. Of course, no conversation is complete unless Daddy includes a couple of stories. I treasure those moments.