The beautiful sunny weather is not only encouraging me to go outside and soak in some Vitamin D (I am doing this responsibly with sunscreen on the fair skin and plenty of shade when needed), but it is also getting me obsessed with all things gardening/belated spring cleaning. The fact that my energy and mobility are both increasing also helps. This need to be outside and my bursts of newly found energy have been great for me, but they have not been so much fun for my husband. Poor Gideon, he has had to do all the heavy lifting, bending, and power tool using -- although, I was allowed to use the power washer Sunday afternoon.
Math professors who work for online universities don't get out in the yard much; add to the mix my limited capacity to bend and lift, Gid spent a lot of time in the yard and had to do it with little hands on help. I was able to provide a lot of advice on placement of plants, care with using power tools, and bringing of the drinks. I also did an awe inspiring job of pulling out my debit card at the local nursery and Home Depot on several occasions after taking on the "tiring" task of picking out all the beautiful plants and black mulch that wanted to come home with me; Gid and AJ lifted the plants and mulch into carts and cars. AJ also provided entertainment, interruptions, and helped to drag things around a bit.
All the kudos for the end results of the newly landscaped front of the house rest squarely on the shoulders of my dear hubby! He is my gardening hero! Actually, he's been my hero all along since he puts up with me, all of my projects, and all of the sappy cards I wrote him throughout our 20+ years together. Did I mention that the landscaping happened in between the great garage clean out adventure (probably the topic of another post or simply an exhausting memory that, like a painful childbirth, will fade away as we see the garage's use and cleanliness grow over the years)? During the garage adventure, I was allowed to go through the boxes that had not been unpacked since we moved in nearly two years ago --- lots of old photos, cards, papers, books, party supplies, more books, WP crap, baby stuff, and wicker baskets. Gideon had the unenviable task to move it all around, and lug out some of the old furniture and other things that had found their way into what once had the potential to be a 2 hour special for the HGTV "Mission Organization" show. While I was sorting through one of the many plastic storage tubs, I came across old cards and letters that Gideon had saved. All of these were from me to him in the early years of our relationship into the first year of our marriage - 1987-1990.
I can't believe that he didn't run like hell after reading some of the emotional ramblings of a 19-22 year old me. Ugh! The letters from the summer before we got married when I was on LI and Gid was in our apartment in Binghamton were the fodder for a really bad teenage melodrama. Reading those letters, let alone keeping them, show that either he really loves me or that he was keeping them in case I went crazy and he needed the evidence for the police investigation. In either case, from the late '90s to the early '00s, Gideon has proven himself himself to be ever supportive of my whims and during this period of convalescence, he has been particularly wonderful at making sure I don't push myself and still supporting my whims... As Gid's Grandma Milly used to say -- "He's a good egg; I'll think I'll keep him."
Here are the before and after shots of the front
BEFORE
AFTERTo see the full collection of Gideon's landscaping efforts go to the link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044058&l=32c26&id=11903317
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