A deck is changing my life

I bought my house, circa 1922, almost 20 years ago and have always joked I bought it for the front porch, which is wonderful and spacious, partly roofed. I grow herbs and other plants on its wide concrete railings and have served many a glass of wine and dinners out there. I've long been a proponent of front porches, arguing that you are part of the neighborhood on the porch--people walk by, wave and greet you. You can see a wild variety of dogs--tonight we saw a man walking three dogs and a cat--no, the cat was not on a leash.
But the thought of a deck in the back of the house lingered in my mind. I kept it in the back of my mind because the yard was essentially a dog yard, devoid of deliberate beautification, thanks to dogs and the city who dug it up for a sewer line and replaced old flourishing plants with small news ones which the male dogs I had at the time promptly killed by peeing on them.
But then Elizabeth moved into my guest house and began to put flowers and statues around the corner of her little house, bird feeders in the trees, and then a table and chairs in the back under the trees. The idea of a deck looked better. (Someone said the other night they heard she told me to build a deck; she was appalled and explained she doesn't "tell" me to do anything!) I talked to the contractors who keep my house together, and we sashayed around the idea until I asked, "Which one of us is not talking about the deck," and they said, "Not us!"
The results is I have a beautiful deck, 10 x 12, just the right size for my yard, with one of those toppings that will never weather, and my children bought a table and six matching chairs for my birthday. We had a grand party Saturday night, and Sunday morning I read the paper, with coffee, on the deck and talked to the son and daughter-in-law who spent the night (they sent their children with all the other cousins to my daughter's house--so peaceful). I have been having supper out there, a drink, reading, and just sitting. And I love it. It's quiet and peaceful, and close to the kitchen.
The effect on my dog Sophie is great--she can be out there with us, which she can't on the front porch because she'd go exploring the world at a fast clip. And whereas I've always had trouble getting her in late at night after her final potty outing, I've now learned to go sit on the deck, enjoy the quiet, and wait for her to come to me, which she does fairly quickly. Much less frustration for me.
My oldest son told someone Saturday night that in all the years I've lived here he's never hung out in the back yard (he and his brother lived in the guest house at first) and now he loved it.
I think my way of life will change, all because of a deck.

How blessed I am

Dinner tonight with two close friends at Simply Fondue--we laughed our way through dipping vegetables and bread cubes in a really good cheddar cheese fondue and then fruit, marshmallows, even Rice Krispy squares in Bananas Foster fondue. So good, and so much fun!
When I came home, I let Sophie in...and found my deck festooned with tiny white lights, and Scooby's old dog house decorated with multi-colored lights. My neighbors Jay and Susan did that and brought two benches over because Saturday night we'll celebrate my birthday and Susan's with all my kids and grandkids and a few neighbors and friends. I am so impressed that what was once a wasteland for the dogs has been transformed into a lovely, inviting space. Elizabeth gets credit for initiating this, because she decorated the entrance to her tiny house with her plants and statuary (we have a definite Buddha/Indian influence) and put a table and chairs in the back under the trees.
I'd been thinking earlier today about how lucky I am...or blessed. In a world that seems so full of angry people, I am surrounded by people who take good care of me and seem to enjoy doing it. One day, several months ago, Socorro was here cleaning the house, neighbor and friend Greg was working on the lawn, and Lewis and Jim, the contractors who keep my house together, were doing something. Jacob looked at me and said, "Juju, there are a lot of people at your house today." There were, and I'm not sure I could keep the house going without any of them.
This morning, Lewis and Jim cleaned gutters while Greg mowed. Having Lewis climb that tall ladder made me very nervous (he later said, "Me too!) and then I saw Greg standing on the porch railing (it's really a concrete ledge) trimming ivy off the wood parts near the roof and that made me nervous. But all was well.
So my yard is neat--no roses yet. All the wonderful rain we've had has made it way too muddy. My gutters are clean, though they still need repair when they dry out (it rained downtown tonight--we saw big puddles). And my backyard is festive. Tomorrow my house will be clean.
I saw out on the deck tonight, lights twinkling around me, and though how grateful I am for friends and neighbors and for the people who make it possible for me to continue to live in the house I love.

Spring in Texas--and a new deck

Elizabeth's garden

It's beginning to get a tad warm in North Texas these days--92 today. But we have had some absolutely perfect days, with temperatures in the eighties and just enough breeze, flowers blooming, the kind of weather that draws you outdoors. Spring and fall here are wonderful.
I have long said my big front porch is the reason I bought this house twenty years ago, and I've entertained out there a lot....or just sat by myself with a glass of wine and a book. But lately we've been spending more time in the back yard. Having Elizabeth in the guest house has many benefits but an unexpected one is the way she has perked up the yard. When I moved here, I had three large male dogs--my sons moved away and left their dogs, and I had a collie. Once the city tore up the back of the yard and replaced the photinas with small plants they assured me would grow. The dogs peed on the baby photinas and killed them. I pretty much gave up the space as a dog yard, kept it mowed, trees trimmed, cleaned, and that was it.
But Elizabeth has hung bird feeders in several of the trees and a petunia on one tree limb, plus she's put flowering plants and small statues all around the corner of her apartment and recently we hung a needle fern from the corner of her house.
Jordan contributed an old glass-topped table, and I found four of those ubiquitous plastic chairs in the garage, so now we often have happy hour in the yard. The table is in the back of the yard, under the trees, which makes it nice and shaded. But because of the bird feeders and trees, the table and chairs get nasty quickly. If company is coming, somebody has to clean. If it's just us, we kind of brush off the chairs and sit anyway. It's a pain to think of carrying dinner down the stairs and across the lawn, so we don't do it. I did serve appetizers out there one day, and Sophie ate a large piece of goat cheese with wasabi--fortunately no stomach issues followed.
Today I gave the contractor the go-ahead to build a 10x12 deck right outside the back door--it's a thought that long lingered in my mind, at first even a possibility for another owner. But the more we used the back yard, the better I liked the idea It will be out of that permanently finished wood which does not weather to gray and will have large rails so I can put pots on them. I know it will be sunny much of the day and not pleasant in summer, but in early mornings and late evenings it should be wonderful. And in spring and fall I can easily serve four people out there. I'm really excited about it.
A big bonus to being in the backyard. Sophie-dog can be with us and enjoy our company. We can watch while Jacob throws the ball for her. If we dine on the front porch, someone would have to hold her leash all the time--I'm paranoid about how excited she gets in the outside world, poor sheltered baby.
All in all I think this will be a positive addition to my property. Now I want it built tomorrow, but that isn't going to happen. They can't begin work until school is out, because they have such a hard time getting trucks in and out of the driveway with all the school parking. I'm impatient.

Trivia from a mostly good day

Having my friend Elizabeth in the guest house is having unexpected benefits. In the twenty years I've lived in this house, my back yard has been a dog wasteland--with at one time three large dogs. Now I'm down to one fairly well behaved dog--she did drag a fern across the yard, not knowing what she had. But with Jordan's help, we've added  table and chairs, and Elizabeth has put out pots of flowers, handing ornamentation, and statues. This afternoon Jordan, Elizabeth, Jacob, and I had a happy hour out there--lovely day, perfect temperature, the sun a welcome relief after our cold, rainy days. It was a fine moment, and I just sat there and enjoyed it.
This morning I ventured out to the grocery, after having not been out of the house for three days. I always think my fears are worse than others, but Elizabeth said to me, "It's like you're on Mars, isn't it?" I did feel weird, and my confidence in my walking, always shaky, was at low ebb. I laughed at the post office, because when I got out of the car I took two hesitant small steps, using my cane, and then hit my stride, tucked the cane under my arm and walked confidently away. I know there was a woman watching me and I suspect she was greatly puzzled. But the trip to the post office and grocery wore me out--so tired when I came home. And couldn't nap, because I kept coughing.
At three I was out to pick up Jacob, and it was like the world was back to normal. After I gave him a snack, he went out and helped Elizabeth build a brick step outside her door--when it rains a deep puddle forms there, so now she can step inside without wet feet. I wait daily to see what new improvements she'll bring. Greg, who mows, thinks it's all a pain, but he's cheerful about it.
I've learned a Facebook lesson again that I've learned over and over--check before posting. Today I managed to post a picture of a man who was said to visit dog shelters looking for dogs he could use as bait--false; then I posted instructions for what to do if you have a heart attack--and was told they were not only wrong, they could be dangerous (I plan to ask the doctor about that). Then I shared a prayer for a certain Marine battalion under heavy fire in Afghanistan--only to learn that they've been home for two years. (I wondered why this hadn't been on the news.) I can hear my son-in-law shouting, "Snopes, Jude, snopes!" I promise to be more careful. Apparently I've also fallen for hoaxes of sick and dying children. Too soft a heart--but it's scary to think all this misinformation is out there on the web.
Now I'm off to fix something my mom always gave me when I was sick--stewed tomatoes with butter and crumbled crackers. Yum! Perfect comfort food for one who hasn't had an appetite. But, yay, I've lost several lbs. I know, I know--it will come back.

Spring is here

My gardeners at work

It wasn't cold this morning for the first time, and tonight Elizabeth and I had the first dinner of the year on the front porch, so I'm sure spring is here. But the biggest sign: Greg, the neighbor who cares for my lawn and garden, took Jacob and me to the nursery shopping today. We got herbs, a hanging basket, another lantana--that on one side of the front steps is looking sad, fountain grass, sweet potato vines, parsley, a flowering blue plant whose name I can't remember, and a dusty miller. Jacob pointed to the dusty miller, and Greg said, "No, we're not getting that." Jacob asked why not, and Greg said, "Cause it's an ugly plant." But Jacob liked it, so we bought one for him and put it in a pot where it can't do much damage. We forgot sage (mine died) and a cherry tomato plant, which I really want. Jacob piped up and said he loves them, so I'll go back, maybe next weekend.
Then Greg put him to work planting, loosening old soil in pots, etc. Jacob loved it--so much better than an out-of-school morning spent watching TV. And my porch is beginning to look like spring again.
Elizabeth is gradually sprucing up the back yard, which I've pretty much left a dog yard all these years. She's added statues, including a Buddha, and bird feeders (she now fills the one I had too) and plans pots and hanging baskets. Let's hope Sophie behaves. We've also put a table (on extended loan from Jordan) and four chairs (from my storeroom) out there. Greg griped and moaned but admitted he can move them ever week to mow. I'm seriously considering a small deck at the back door.
Earlier in the day, Jacob and I went to get my hair cut. Out of the blue he asked, "Juju, when are you going to get married again?" Me: "I don't think I'm going to." Jacob: "Why not?" My first reply was inappropriate: "Well, I tried it once and it wasn't much fun." When he said "What?" I amended it to, "Don't you think I'm kind of old?" Matter-of-factly he said, "Yeah, you are old." Thanks, Jacob. Then later he picked up the stylus I used with my iPhone if I want to send a wordy text and said, "Can I take this home?" I said no, and he asked, "Can I have it when you die?" Little ghoul!
But it was a good day.