Spring Storm...
Boy, did we have a bad storm last month!
Of all days, I had a Dr. appointment in Rockford that day, which is about 20 miles from home. It was pouring down rain and a few miles from home, it started hailing.
The closer I got to home…the bigger the hail was, it bounced off the hood and windshield and many cars pulled off the road.
I just wanted to get home! It was only a couple more blocks and I would be in the garage.
Just as I pulled in the driveway, I heard a POP…a fresh divot in the windshield started creeping into a full blown crack!
Man, I almost made it home before that happened! In the house, the two skylights sounded like they were going to give out any minute. The ground was completely covered with hail!
Finally, it blew over and I told my husband…that was really bad, we better get the roof and skylights checked out,
Toast...
We called a local roofing company to have them take a look…
When you hear the sentence…”your roof is toast” probably the outbuildings too.
You know the next call you will make, is to your insurance guy, ugh.
1963 Rambler...
Four years ago, when we first bought the farm (before it was a farm).
I remember driving up to this little house and saying to myself, oh it’s sage green…I could live with that.
As soon as we bought it, I started making my lists.
Don’t you just love a LIST?
You can name them:
To do
To buy
To go
Mine are more like:
Things to dream of changing in the front of the house.
- Cut down the overgrown evergreens and replace with something beautiful.
- A clean lined handrail on the stoop.
- Power wash the stained roof …or replace (ya right)
Ideas to make the front of the house more “Cottage-ee”
- Replace the front door with something unusually darling.
- Remove the current plastic shutters and replace with the onesI have sketched.
There is nothing more satisfying than checking something off your LIST, lol!
Priorities...
Unfortunately, my “Dream” list is near the BOTTOM of my husbands “To Do” list, lol!
But I lucked out regarding the front door. It continued to be hard to shut tight…until last fall, it would hardly stay closed.
So my dream list is happening! We won’t talk about it taking 3 1/2 years to come around though, lol!
This old door is on the way out…
Big Box...
Shopping at the “big box” stores was so disappointing…not only were the prices to the moon, after Covid, the shipping was unreal.
So why would I torture myself, by going on Pinterest and typing in “Cottage doors”…knowing full well there would be hundreds of adorable, custom made doors that were TOTALLY out of reach!
I decided right then, I wasn’t going to settle…I would find the perfect front door, the price would be doable and I would have it in by Christmas!
Lowes vs Home Depot
After hours of searching the internet…I found a door I loved.
It listed Home Depot and Lowes as a delivery location…so I set up an appointment.
The sales associate at Home Depot, wasn’t familiar with the company, but she looked it up and found there were three of my doors in stock…she had an idea. Let’s have our installer come out and measure your door opening. There was a local manufacturer that could make a door similar to the one I shown for a better price.
I made a measurement appointment for the following week, but never heard from them.
After stopping in the store, they looked up the order and said…here it is. He took a picture of your front door after taking measurements.
I looked at the computer…it was a picture of our old house in Roscoe! They had gone by our old address…ugh.
After two more appointments full of compromises, the company said it could be done in 8 months!
That’s it! I just want you to order the one I saw online and have it delivered to the store….so she looked up the door, it was out of stock!
I wanted to cry…I almost did! But nope! Across the street to Lowes I went…I told her the story, she had her installer set up a measurement (the next day, NO CHARGE)
Two days later, the door was on order and 3 weeks later it was installed.
Out with the old...
It was the best Christmas present ever…and it wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet!
Ken put in a nice handrail, two things off my list! So exciting!
I loved it from the outside…but the inside was really cute too!
Back to the beginning...
Well I started this post telling you about the bad storm. We did get our roof replaced on the house and red shed.
The gutters and downspouts are coming soon.
Deciding on the roofing tile color took a little thought. At first I thought a nice charcoal color would modernize the house.
On second thought, the roof was taller that the house itself, I thought it may make the house look shorter…it is a little rambler, maybe I could give it some height.
So I went with a light gray instead.
Fourty Nine Years...
Ken had promised me that for SURE this year, he would cut down the overgrown bushes in the front of the house.
Well, spring came. Ken was down stairs, lifting weights…he readjusted his grip and felt an excruciating pain go down his arm.
He tore the tendon off of his shoulder blade and ripped his bicep…
Somehow he has done his daily and nightly chores… sharpened the blades on two lawn tractors, changed the transmission fluid in the farm tractor…gone to countless Dr. appointments, went to physical therapy, had an MRI and is now scheduled for Rotator Cuff surgery on June 26th.
Last week, he surprised me by cutting down the two trees in the front…the day before the roof went on.
It was our 49th Wedding Anniversary on June 15th, what a wonderful GIFT!
When we married, I was 18 and he was 19. Many years of growing up together, and who knew we would be starting a farm at age 64 and 65!
Make do...
So needless to say…the roots from the trees will have to wait! I came up with a plan to disguise them for this year.
I brought out two picnic benches and set them over the remaining stumps.
Setting a huge pot in the middle, I had an idea to add some height.
Using 6ft bamboo canes, I pushed them into the sides of the dirt filled pots and secured them at the top with wire.
I grew all my annuals from seed this year…so they have some catching up to do!
I planted four sweet pea plants and wound them up the bamboo canes.
In the pots are Gomphrena…if you are not familiar with that plant here is an internet image.
They change from purple to violet to white straw like flowers. Lots of long stems and beautiful structure.
Coming Along...
Such a nice fresh change having those big evergreens gone! I added a little table with an old flat tire checker as a planter.
I grew my first “pink” black eyed susan vine from seed and clipped it to some rusty spiral stakes.
So my list is slowly being checked off, thanks to a hail storm, sticky door and a sweet husband!
Next will be the getting the gutters and downspouts installed, digging the stumps out, putting some permanent landscaping in and finding the perfect shutters!
A few more details...
The top of the light pole was also a causality in a spring storm…so fixing that will have to go on “the list”, lol!
But for now, we’ll focus on getting Ken’s surgery over and get him back on the mend.
Doing all the animal chores, the mowing, my garden, the pumpkin patch and raising new baby ducks…by myself is going to be crazy.
I’m counting on my grandkids and kids to step up and help me out.
Our best friends, Sandi and Dennis have offered to help too.
We quickly found out that having a hobby farm sounds charming and fun…but rain or shine, sickness or health…chores must be done, lol!
But this is how I figure it …I’m blessed to be retired, healthy and easily bored, lol!
I’m in no hurry, I have all day every day to work at my own pace. If I need a rest, I take one.
I still love this life so much. It was the best decision I ever made.
See you next time,
Fondly, Sandy
I love reading these, Aunt San! You have such a gift and vision, and I love seeing it come to life. Let us know how we can help after Uncle Ken’s surgery!
Thank you for the kind words Lexi…wish you were my neighbor, lol
Love, Aunt San
I love the new door! It let’s so much natural light in.
The idea for the “root” issue is fantastic!
Lookin good girl 💗
Thanks Jennifer! You are the sweetest!
Fondly, Sandy