Actually, we've been doing a lot around the yard lately. We decided a couple of weeks ago that we were going to crack down on the yardwork and start babying it. You could tell that it really hadn't been touched in...ummm...20 years. Therefore, we put in a little tender loving care and started pulling weeds.
First off, we moved the large rocks away from the front archway and down to the curb. With "big trash day" coming up in the neighborhood, it was crucial that we pull everything up and out so they would haul it away.
So, we moved onto the "monkey grass". At first glance, I sincerely believed we had onions growing in our yard. Have you SEEN monkey grass roots? Seriously, they look like onions...and lots of them! It took us two days to pull up the three 10ft. sections of gardens because there were so many bulbs. After struggling with the weeds, we raked up the gardens and watered the yard.
The lawn/landscaping guy came out our second round of fertilizer and treatments, so the yard is starting to perk up...a little. Truth-be-told, it's the lack of lawn that is still struggling. Apparently Mr. Ed had allowed weeds to take over so much that when we killed off the weeds, half the lawn went with them.
With Mr. IreallyhopeIgettoworkdays getting off early from work Thursday and Friday,we made a couple of phone calls and literally ran out the door to make it to the competitor before they closed...Home Depot. Ironically, they were less expensive than Lowe's was on a set of french doors that we were interested in so we could replace the sliding glass out back.
The next morning, I received a heart-wrenching phone call from the neighbor. I threw on some slouchy clothes and made it there as fast as I could. We talked for a while, and I decided to let the girls across the street stay with me for the day and help plant flowers. Well, it was really only one flower since I didn't want to put anything into the ground until we dug up the bushes and got the grass to come back to life.
So, we ventured out to eat lunch and stop by our favorite weekend stop. You guessed it, Lowe's. Since we're regulars, we knew some of the in's and out's of their policy. Basically, they would match the competitor's price AND take an additional 10% off of the price.
Also, I was convinced that I was going to find some of my new favorite flower (special thanks to my big sis for introducing them to me). However, everyone else must have had the same idea because all of them were gone. This led to the girls helping me pick out a pretty PINK flower for my flower pot out front. (The fact that it had to be pink was really the only stipulation).
We picked up a potted, coral-pink geranium; a set of french doors, single-paneled with blinds; and distressed door levers and locks. Then, we headed out the door to load it up...thank goodness for good people. As soon as my guy stepped a foot out the door, three men asked him, "Son, are you doing that by yourself?" Then, they started to lift the doors off the cart and into the bed of the pickup...bum deal. Apparently with the casing and everything, the doors wouldn't fit in the truck. Plus, we couldn't lean it on the sides because it would either break the glass or scratch the truck. So, I ran in for help.
Spotting a friendly face, I asked Steve if he had scrap plywood or anything that could help us out. He immediately grabbed two 2x4's and walked with me to the car. He slid them under the doors and they propped them up perfectly to avoid damage. (Again, this is the reason I LOVE Lowe's.) The boys strapped the doors into the truck and we started truckin' along...very slowly.
Low and behold, my parents were sitting on the front porch just waiting to save the day. I stepped outside and planted my geranium with the neighbor, painted her nails, and baked a few chocolate chip cookies before she loaded up into the car to go with her family for the night.
In no time at all, the door was hung, locks were in place, and we were ready to celebrate. We took my parents out to eat as a Thank You...their choice. To our surprise, they started to drive out to Okarche, Oklahoma...Eischen's. Two fried chickens and two orders of okra later, we headed back into town to call it a night.
After church the next day I mowed the lawn/dirt. I admit, I was a little bitter due to the fact that I was eating dirt the whole time from the absent grass patches. We took a quick break to enjoy dinner with his family at McAlister's, only to come back and finish up the final touches. We removed railroad ties, raked the backyard, put down some bug treatment, spread some fresh grass seed throughout the dirt-spots. and watering the grass until it was thoroughly soaked.
Cross your fingers that it grows!
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