Week of October 4, 2015 - How Does Your Rock Garden Grow?

By Joan Whetzel

 

My son (David), daughter-in-law (Mirranda), 2 of their girls (Cidney & Reily), and my DIL’s sister (Aunt Natalie) came over recently. Before it got dark we gave them the obligatory tour of the rock garden, to which Aunt Natalie asked: So why are you growing rocks?  I responded: Because the only other things that’ll grow back there are weeds, mud, and a dead tree stump. We don’t particularly enjoy those, so why not grow some rocks?

 

My 11 year old granddaughter (Haleigh) was showing off her painted rocks to her 4-year-old cousin, Cidney, and gently reminded her to leave the rocks on the ground. Cidney replied, knowingly: Oh, so if I pick them up, they won’t grow!

 

Yeah, I know you’re all familiar with my rock garden with its painted rocks and stepping stones. And I’m sure you’re all getting tired of hearing about it. Well, it’s been evolving. We have added some clear and colored glass pieces (not quite big enough, but still colorful). A tree frog and a fairy door have taken up residence on the fence railing and an “Aloha” sign welcomes visitors at the entrance to the rock garden. A solar-powered Tiki God, with eyes that glow in the dark, now rests on the tree stump.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t glow brightly enough for night time pictures.

 

The pies-de-resistance? Apparently, one of our rock seeds did grow – into a black, wrought iron plant which Haleigh will paint green sometime soon. That is my kind of plant. It’s drought tolerant, loves lots of sunshine and triple-digit heat, requires no food, water, or maintenance of any kind, and stays green – or whatever color you want it to be – year round.

 

Week of August 30, 2015 – Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor

By Joan Whetzel

 

Well, the summer is almost over. It’s been long, and hot, and pretty much one day like the next. A lot of little minor aggravations. Just when you can’t tell the days – and the minor aggravations - apart, God jumps in to let you know He hasn’t lost his funny bone.

A few weeks ago, I was in the bathroom and my cell phone rang. It was a company that I’d applied to for a job; they were calling to set up an interview. Of course, I had no pen or paper with me so I had to commit it to memory. (No I didn’t get that job, they went with someone else, unfortunately).

About a week or two later, I got a letter from the mortgage company. I paid of the house nearly two years ago, and they paid me the funds that remained in the escrow account, so I couldn’t imagine what they wanted. Guess what! Apparently, they still owed me a little from the escrow. They gave me a check from their escrow account; for a whopping $4 – I’m rich! I’m rich!

This week we’ve been finding mushrooms in our yard, twice a day. Mornings and afternoons. It started with 2 mushrooms. Well, you know that old wife’s tale that says when you pluck one gray hair, two more grow in its place? It applies to mushrooms also. They keep multiplying. Yesterday morning, there were so many mushrooms in our front yard, it looked like an army of fairies came out and erected a forest of mushroom umbrellas for a huge party. They must have had a gala during the night. Wish I’d been awake to enjoy it. Oh, well! Maybe next time.

July 4, 2015 - Bribery Is Alive and Well; And It’s Living at My House

By Joan Whetzel

 

 

Well, it’s summer. The hottest time of the year. And, as usual, we have some outdoor tasks to work on, besides the usual mowing and edging.

 

For one, the HOA decided to complain about some mildew on the exterior of our house. I thought we got rid of it all. But the (bleep)ing Home Owner’s Association says we have some more. The only thing we could find that could remotely construed as mildew, is upstairs, near the windows. The only way to get to it, is to open one of the upstairs windows and climb out onto the roof to scrub it off. Then have somebody in the front yard hand up the hose – with the spray nozzle attached - so that it could be rinsed off. My daughter and I were not thrilled with this. Turns out, all we had to say was “climb out the window and onto the roof” for my 10 year-old granddaughter to break into a fiendish grin, complete with evil glint in her eyes. She climbed out the window with the greatest of ease and pranced around the roof scrubbing and rinsing walls like there’s nothing to this chore. Oh, did we fail to mention to her that this was a chore? Well, I guess if nobody tells her, she’ll still think it’s fun.

 

Well after the lawn work and house cleaning, we went to get the last load of rocks to complete our rock garden. The 10 year-old was not particularly interested in helping with this one. Lugging heavy rocks, definitely sounds like a chore. So here’s where the bribery really kicks in. We told her we’d buy a few cans of spray paint – her color choice – and she could spray paint a few of the rocks to scatter randomly throughout the rock garden. She’s enamored with the idea of contributing artistically to the yardwork (i.e. planting flowers) so this peaked her interest. We would also bring home her favorite fast food lunch – this month it’s Chick-Fil-A.  We also promised a trip to the pool when the rock gardening was done.

 

So after lunch, we set back to work. The rock garden is all laid now. It includes many, many bags of plain brown rocks, one bag of red lava rocks (by demand of the 10 year-old) strewn around, and a smattering of painted rocks in coral, turquoise, and shiny clear with glitter that make the rocks kind of look like opals when the sun hits them right. Pretty cool! (Pictures will be uploaded to my Facebook page.)  And yes, the 10 year-old got her trip to the swimming pool. Not that my daughter and I minded much. We worked up enough of a sweat that the cool water felt good.

Enjoying the Yard

By Joan Whetzel

 

 

My daughter and I have spent a lot of time cleaning up the front and back yards, clearing the deck, and getting rid of the barn/tool shed behind the garage. All our hard work is paying off. The neighbors have noticed how nice the front of the house looks and the HOA has quit complaining.

 

The biggest payoff has been in the back yard. Where the barn once stood, we planted a few squares of sod, which is spreading out nicely – thanks to our spring monsoons. We even got to mow and weed-whack that back portion of the lawn. We’re keeping the back flowerbed weeded and the 2 crepe myrtle trees that we severely trimmed in February have come back with a vengeance. They have a full crop of leaves and buds that promise a colorful summer. My son came yesterday and dismantled the barn floor with a coping saw. The remnants are out at the curb waiting for the garbage men to haul it off.

 

I think our favorite spot has been the table and chairs out on the deck. We have eaten dinner out there whenever the weather – and the mosquitos – permit. I’ve even gone out and had a few sunrise breakfasts. I have found I even look forward to doing yardwork now because I get to see the fruits of our efforts.

 

We’re not complete finished yet. There is still the side of the yard between the garage and the side fence. It’s a small area that gets practically no sun. There’s a stump from the tree we finally killed off (before it tore down the garage), Otherwise, nothing grows there but the weeds and the mud when it rains, which is all the time lately. We keep the weeds pulled and added a little more dirt to raise the ground level. We have begun a rock garden by putting down plastic sheets and topping it with rocks. It’ partially done. I seriously underestimated the amount of rocks it was going to take. So over the next several paychecks our little rock garden will be completed. I’m looking forward to having a small area that we won’t have to work on.

Admitting You Don't Know

BY Joan Whetzel

Not knowing things used to bother me a lot. It doesn’t bother me so much anymore. Although I know it still bothers some people.

 Experts can be bothered by not knowing How can one be an expert and not know all the answers. Those who think they’re experts can’t stand not knowing. They simply have to proclaim the answer to every perceived dilemma or “I wonder…” statements made by others. They would rather proclaim something than be seen as not knowing. I’ve known too many of these self-proclaimed experts. I can’t stand listening to their answers to everything. What if I don’t want my wondering solved? Sometimes I just like to wonder for the pleasure of wondering. Besides letting my brain wander in wondering, I frequently come up with answers for myself that I never knew existed, answers that are way better than anything the know-it-all experts could ever come up with.

Then there are the people who know everything about everyone else’s business. This

one is even worse. I either walk away or tune out any gossip coming out of their mouths. And if they ask if I know anything about another person’s business, the first thing that comes to mind is a quote from Jack Kerouak: “I don’t know. I don’t care. And it doesn’t make any difference anyway.”


            I find there’s something freeing about admitting I don’t know. I’m free to let my mind wander into whatever amazing place it wants to wander. I am free to drop everyone else’s business – a mighty heavy load – and wander through my life with a much lighter load. I have the freedom to find the answers that

Car Titles

By Joan Whetzel

 

 

            Government Agencies – gotta love ‘em. This time it’s the TxDMV. I’ve been putting off getting rid of my late husband’s old car; partly because it wasn’t a top priority and partly because I was hoping I’d find the title in all the stuff he left behind.  Well, as you’ve probably already guessed, I never found the title, so I decided it was time to bite the bullet and apply for it through the DMV.

 

            I went online and found the form I needed to request a duplicate copy of the title. After filling it out, I included a check for the $2 fee and the supporting documents (death certificate, Letters of Administration, and my photo ID). I mailed it off and waited about a week.

 

            The DMV returned the form and documentation (having cashed the check before the ink dried). They included a letter stating that they could         not fulfill my request as the title still showed a lien holder still attached. They informed me that I’d have to get a Release of Lien letter on the lien holder’s letterhead in order for them to clear the title. A lien holder? What lien holder? Okay, so who is the lien holder? I wrote back to the TxDMV because my late husband had not left me any paper work that included the identity of the lien holder and could they please supply me with that information.

 

            About a week later, they sent me a letter telling me that I’d have to fill out a new form requesting the lien holder information. I would have to include a check for $2.30 and the same supporting documentation as before. So I mailed it off. About a week later I get the lien holder’s identity. Guess what? It looks like the lien holder no longer exists.

 

            Not to be put off, I went online to see what I could find out. It turns out that the company – the Houston Area Teacher’s Credit Union – had changed names twice but was still in existence. I contacted them, hoping beyond hope, that they could help me with my somewhat belated request for a Release of Lien letter. I included the usual supporting documents and the letters from the DMV showing what I needed from them in order to clear the title. In less than a week, I got all my documents back and the Release of Lien documents.

 

A week ago I filled out the original form for the second time (needed a new signature date). I included my documentation and the Release of Lien documents and mailed it all off. I finally got it in today’s mail. The title to my late husband’s old, no-longer-running, old car, and it is in his name. I suppose it would be too much to ask to have the title placed in my name, wouldn’t it?

 

            In the meantime, the DMV sent me a reminder earlier this week that it’s time for a new license plate sticker for my car. For a mere $64.15 plus and an additional $3 for ordering the sticker online, I will have my new license plate sticker in 2 weeks’ time. It only took to get the title to my husband’s old car and it only takes 2 weeks to get license plate sticker. Government agencies, gotta love ‘em.

March 1, 2015 - Garbage Pickers

                                                               By Joan Whetzel
 

I love our garbage pickers. My respect and gratitude for them increases with every cleaning project we’ve undertaken. They have scavenged our garbage for items I was pretty certain the regular garbage collectors would not take. Everything from rusty bikes and metal shelving units, to old desks and rickety garden tools, and even blocks of wood. The latest encounter with our neighborhood garbage pickers occurred 2 weeks ago.

We had just demolished the tool shed out back. We were able to tear down everything but the floor using a chain saw, power drill (with screwdriver bits), hammers and a crowbar. The people from Bagster.com hauled off the tool shed remains for a total cost of $170 – including the bag. The only thing waiting for demolition is the floor. We have opted for propping the floor against the back wall of the garage (out of site for the most part). We will leave it that way for a month, or 2, or 5…until the weathering makes it easier to wield our chain saw.

In the meantime, we were still faced with the sheer number of cinder blocks placed under the barn floor. A little more than 3 dozen in all. There’s no way we were keeping that many cinder blocks. We have no use for them. They’ll just take up space wherever we put them.

So we grabbed our dolly and took the first 10 cinder bricks to the curb, where we left them as a test. If the garbage pickers took them, we’d do the same with the remaining cinder blocks. We didn’t have long to wait. About 45 minutes later, one of the lawn care crews working in our neighborhood came knocking at our door.

“Are you getting rid of those cinder blocks? Can I have them?”

Uh, let me think, “Yes. Absolutely. Please take them off my hands. In fact, I have some more out back. Would you like those too?”

Faster than you can say “Yea! Free Stuff!” those 3 guys had pulled the wheelbarrow off their work trailer, rolled it to the back yard, and cleared out the remaining 2 dozen plus cinder blocks. In less than an hour, those cinder blocks were history. The garbage pickers have picked up (literally) the heaviest part of our demolition job, free of charge. The completion date for the flooring demolition is still up in the air (or lolly-gagging behind the garage, to be more precise), but it, too, will be taken care of in good time by the Dames of Demolition because we have power tools – and garbage pickers – and we know how to use them.