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Birthday breakfast gift with a friend.

Lorraine is a wimp. See what I was doing in 2013.

Lorraine’s the lion; Deb is the giraffe.

“Night of rest”!! Tired old lady went to bed at eight PM, up at seven AM.

It’s Sunday–and “a day of rest”?! This is another “nice weather day” ahead of rain and cold next week. Imperative that I stick with yard “downsizing”  project while weather is pleasant?! Confession: I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning!! But “Somebody’s Gotta Do It.”

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My dear handyman/friend, Jim,  climbed the ladder, drilled the holes, and screwed hooks into framework. I had intended to “do” yesterday (after I found my drill) but had “second thoughts” about old lady on the ladder. “Call it a birthday present.” ~~ I’ve been eager to display the bottles this way!! (Display… again.)

Years accumulation of garden paraphernalia. I haven’t the energy (or heart) to approach gardening as documented during the past six years. (Check my blog messages dating back to December 2011.) Being eighty-three years “old” is a bummer (imho). It takes twice as long to complete a project!! Here are a few of my construction accomplishments: Mandavilla and Clematis,  Dog fence trellis, Calibrachoa and Nasturtiums, and “Being creative.” 

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A sturdy support was built to hang Topsy-Turvy tomato planters. Now, ten Shepherd’s Hooks are hanging there awaiting potential buyers. Squirrel feeder attached to cute child’s chair and possum raided.

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You can get a “close up” by clicking on the picture and position the “plus sign” on the area you want to see.~~~~ How nice, Google recognized my birthday (but you won’t have the same image).

All by myself (ABM), I unloaded the gravel one-gallon scoop at a time.

There is extra gravel to spread between the blocks–and perimeter.

The only time I stopped working on tasks was during extremely welcome visits from friends. “Found”  many “lost”  items. Finally came indoors at five-thirty.

You be the judge; tell me what you think. First two pictures are “before” so the reader can appreciate the “muddle” (mud puddle) when it rains. ~~ Some blocks still need some “wiggle”; some may “settle” with time and weather. This will continue to be a work in progress.

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Explanation: The soil in the foreground (of last picture) is mixed with rocks and is “hard as cement.”  Those blocks cannot be recessed. 

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Explanation: Handyman, Doug, did the “hard work” that Lorraine could not do. He insisted on “laying the blocks” and was so pleased with his labor. However, the persnickety old lady has been eager to re-do and prepare the area according to her specifications.

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The small bottles, etc., were removed from their hiding place in the cargo trailer and attached to the framework. I’ll put a price tag on the item but speculate Lorraine may be the only person who sees beauty in her “art work.” OMG, so many out-of-the-ordinary yard items!

East Texas Asphalt gave me (by their estimate) two thousand pounds of pea gravel. When I arrived… an employee called another employee and said “I have a young lady here that needs gravel.”  I laughed and told him the “young lady” is looking at her eighty-third birthday. ‘Twas free with best wishes for a happy birthday!! ~~ Twenty-six miles round trip (because I got lost) but only seven miles from home. ~~ Lowe’s has sixty pound bags for $6.26. ~~ Simple arithmetic: Two thousand pounds would be approximately thirty-three bags for an estimated cost of $206.00 plus tax. Nice birthday present!!