Sticks and Stones . . . But Mostly Sticks

I love my new house. It's the perfect size and is graced with two large trees, one in front and one in back. They provide shade, soothing sound effects when there's a breeze, and an acrobatic facility for the neighborhood squirrels.

And since it's spring in Texas, they are also providing a multitude of work. Good thing (work with me -- I'm making lemonade here!!) I'm unemployed at the moment and have time for all of this. The spring storms bring green grass, flowering plants, and a multitude of sticks and other debris from the trees.

I tackled this particular chore with logic and a deadline. Since I am a new homeowner, I have a plethora of boxes that need to be unpacked and it's all too easy to flit from one job to another and not accomplish much of anything. I am methodically taking one room at a time and arranging it to my satisfaction. True to my blog, the kitchen was the first room. I love it. It's smaller than my old one but compactly arranged so that I don't have to take more than one or two steps to move from task to task.

As for the do-it-yourself bonfire kit that the trees generously deposited in my front yard, backyard and -- just so it wouldn't feel neglected -- the pool, I allotted one hour for the front yard and one hour for the backyard and pool to see how much I could get done. (See results above.) That made the chore less onerous because I could count down until my time was up, and I accomplished a lot!

So far, after living in the house for one week and two days, we've had all sorts of home ownership type drama: no hot water (I set up an account with the gas company in advance of the move but used the wrong address); no functioning pool equipment (so far I've had to purchase a pool motor and a filter may be next); and no air conditioning (old, jammed-in filter caused the pipes to freeze). However, this is MY house and I'm loving every minute of it . . . well, maybe not the cold showers.

On the PLUS side, I love the neighborhood. It is older and graceful, with a nice mix of younger folk and retirees. I have beautiful green lizards in my yard, which remind me of my childhood in St. Croix. And the previous owners landscaped so that a new riot of flowers appears as spring meanders toward summer. It's beautiful -- scares me a little bit, though, because gardening is NOT my strong point, but perhaps I will develop an affinity for it.