A Hodgepodge-less Wednesday...

Our usual Wednesday meme-master, Joyce, is off doing wedding things with her daughter this week. I think we can certainly understand and give her a pass (or two or twelve!) during this extra special time for a mother and daughter.  (Joyce - we do look forward to hearing all about it, though!)

I have been writing about all the work we have decided to get done on the outside of the house.  It is time to paint (20 years since the last time) and the landscaping (or lack thereof) is so sad, it really has looked like no one cares. We have a lawn service, and he mows and trims, but that is all.  We planted bushes years ago...(and I forgot to get before photos), so will show you this one. Note, however, that the bushes were all twice as high as in this photo.

Bushes, and nothing else.  Sad. But I hate yard work, and Joe just can't do it with his allergies and asthma (and heart disease).  DeWayne came today and got all the bushes pulled out, from all around the house. We had a crazy-gone-wild fern on the side of the house, near the air-conditioning unit and the pool pump. He took it out, too.  Scared up some black racers (non-poisonous snakes), and one of the cats brought one in. Joe found them playing with it in the kitchen and had to grab it and take it back outside. We haven't had one of those in the house in a long time. Hoping it was just the one! LOL  They are very small (babies - the ones that get in, anyway) and are more scared of us than we are of them.  It's Florida.

The painter (Don) will have it much easier this weekend.  We are keeping the same basic colors. Dark green trim and a very light green base.

Joe talked to DeWayne about what we should plant, to spruce things up some. He has some good suggestions, which include having him come by once a month and take care of the beds for us. If he isn't too expensive, I think we'll let him work some magic for us. Our neighbors will be happy. I think we have the ugliest yard in the neighborhood.  I just don't want to have to do anything with it.

Sam, the handyman, fixed the fascia board on the side of the house, and also helped Joe put a new backing on the attic pull-down stairs that are in the garage.  I couldn't believe how much they all got done today, in only about four hours time. Wow.

We are so blessed to have found these men who are helping us. Our yard service is actually an art teacher in our public school system. He teaches some of our summer art camp classes at the Museum. He has a yard service "on the side" that he works after school and on weekends. Our handyman, Sam, is a friend of one of Joe's clients. He is retired from a pool construction company and is the one who put new screening around our pool last spring (I blogged about it). He can do all kinds of work and says his wife is happy to have him out of the house. Don, the painter, has his own painting business "one the side" but works full time as a painter for one of the bigger home construction companies here in our county. He is the nephew-in-law of friends of ours and they told us about him (he did our two bedrooms for us last Spring).  DeWayne is the fiance of my friend Dawn, who does my facials. He just started the landscaping business a couple of years ago, and is starting to build a good clientele. He doesn't mow, he just takes care of plants and beds. They all do good work, are honest and don't charge like big companies would.  It really does pay to know someone who knows someone!

So that was Joe's day....mine was spent working on a huge project I've been tasked with. Teasing out numbers and hoping four years' of data will give us some answers about fund-raising trends. I think I may get it finished tomorrow. Hallelujah!!

I have started a private Pinterest board, with recipes for Thanksgiving dinner. I like that we can do private boards now.  I think I have everything but a bread selection. I may just get frozen bread dough at the grocery and make rolls in the muffin tin with them. You roll three balls of dough and drop them into the muffin tin slots. I know those are good. Do any of you have a better idea for me?

I think Joe and I will meet for lunch tomorrow, and go get the paint for the house. Don told us to tell them (he wants Sherwin Williams) to give us his discount. Happy about that! Hope they will.

The week goes on.... Thanks for stopping by today! Peace & blessings!