Putting In A Yard...

 We planned for two sessions...we figure we'd need both to put down all the newly-cut and purchased sod delivered yesterday afternoon. We planned on working Friday night--last night--for as long as we had sunlight, then we'd get up Saturday morning--this morning--and finish the job. 

We put out invitations, to family first, then to others. Family were to come on Friday night, the others...Saturday morning.

Turns out, we didn't need the others.

Family took care of everything.

It's been a while since we had to put down sod on our property. The last time we did this was at our old house years and years ago. We enlisted family and friends back then, too. Last night family arrived only minutes after the grass was delivered. By nightfall, the last patch of sod was slid then stamped into place. We all rested and admired the new yard.

Thank goodness for family.

For fun, my wife thought it would be a visual treat to set up a camera and capture a time-lapse video. I set up my phone on a tripod just as we focused on the back yard. My wife was right...it was a visual treat. Thank you to all who helped out last night and for those who volunteered for this morning, but were not needed. Putting in a yard is a lot of work and we're not done yet but we're on our way.

Yes...It's A Daunting Task

 Tomorrow, it's going to get crazy around here. At 8am a truck will roll up our street pulling a tractor--a small tractor--but a tractor none the less. There will also be two dump trucks hauling top soil that will be left on the street in front of our house.

Then, the fun begins.

It'll also be a day of firsts. It's the first time we rented a machine to help with the yard work. Years ago I did some work on a backhoe putting in roads on an excavation crew. The tractor is substantially smaller than the backhoe but I didn't have to worry about running over sprinkler heads or breaking open a water main back then. I will tomorrow.

I've got to say, it's a little daunting just thinking about it.

We rented the tractor for eight hours. I have no idea how much we can get done in eight hours. We have dozens (or more...) rocks to move. I have no idea if that will be an easy task or not. I guess I need to just calm down, get a good night's sleep, and get it out of my mind. I mean, tomorrow's coming, so is the tractor and the dirt. There will be a learning curve, but hopefully, it won't be steep. 

These are the "before" shots of our back yard. Hopefully, the landscape will look different soon.

Give Thanks...Christmas

 In November many posted articles and sayings, photographs, thoughts, and memories with the hashtag, #GiveThanks, me included. I enjoyed the experience of not only realizing amazing things in my life, but sharing them with others, that I decided to keep the tradition going. Sundays were the day I chose to use the phrase, #GiveThanks.

I didn't know how long I would keep the tradition going. I wrote for two or three weeks on Sundays, then I forgot a week ago. I wrote about how much I enjoyed watching different variations of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I forgot to give thanks, though I am thankful for that timeless story.

This week, how can I not give thanks for Christmas?

I don't know what I did to warrant the blessings I've been given. This past week I was surrounded by family, good health, all the food we could eat, shelter, and anything else a person could want. We tried to make the day special for our kids and we were fortunate enough to have all our children home on Christmas Eve. The above present was given to us by my newly-found half sister. Finding her is one of the best presents anyone could ever ask for.

I'm sure this was a difficult holiday for millions, and I hope things improve for them. I hope also that people can find a promise of better days ahead. 

Some thoughts that ran through my mind Thursday night--I remembered as a child how difficult it was to sleep Christmas Eve night. Oh, what promise the new day held! Eventually I would fall asleep, sometimes awakening before anyone else and I 'd have to wait for the family to wake up. I re-lived those emotions through my own children. Now, they're teenagers and older, no longer do they share that innocence of the holiday. Hopefully, we'll be able to experience that again if/when the grandkids show up.

The title of the song says it all, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. For me, that's been so true. This year, I'm giving thanks for Christmas. I pray you've had a good day as well, a good Christmas Day.

A Blank Canvas...Or Basement

Back when we helped built our house almost twenty years ago, I was constantly amazed at the abilities of those who create things. In a matter of months, a bare plot of land transforms from nothing into a structure, then a finished product, then a functional building, then a home.

And I'm seeing it again.

We're getting our basement finished. It's a big deal for us--we moved from a house where we were living on top of each other, and now because our new house is only half done, we're back to the same thing. Putting in a couple of bedrooms, a bath, and family room will help.

I love seeing how skilled craftsman can take a stack of lumber and create. It's only been a couple of days, but they framed the rooms to prepare for the electricians, the plumbers, the HVAC people...now it's their turn to do their magic.

I know a basement isn't a home, or a hospital, or a monument, or a car, but it's still cool to see something be created from raw materials. And we can't wait to see it be built.