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A Garden Tour ~ ala Zuzu ~

Category: Zuzu's Bloomin' Blog | Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:47 pm

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Welcome to the zuzu-zone,
my serene refuge from all the pressures of the world,
a place where I can always feel perfectly at ease.

I'm so glad you've come, let's take a little walk around together.


This is the courtyard and fountain at the front.
I think the wooden grid and gravel has a sort of zen calm about it.

(Although, I was noticing recently that some of the wooden grid
which we laid nearly 20 years ago is deteriorating
and should really be replaced.
Hmmmm, that's gonna be a big job . . .

. . . well, I'll think about that later
. . . let's move on, shall we?)



Here, at the top of the drive, we built a screen from some old
iron patio railing sections and a couple of lattice panels.
It's meant to look something like the old iron gates one might
find at the entry of an old southern garden, but mostly, it's
intended to give ourselves a spot to relax, without having to look
into the grilles of our automobiles, it's holding up quite well.

(Of course, the table and chairs really do need to be sanded and repainted,
and I should make some comfortable new cushions for all of the seating . . .

. . . but, nevermind, I won't dwell on that right now, either
. . . come right this way.)



There's my little lean-to potting shed, it's so very handy.

(Yeah, it's very, very handy, always right there, staring me in the face,
any time I try to sit down and relax, reminding me that there's
an endless list of projects that I'm running behind on . . .

Oh, I'm sorry, did I say that out loud . . . here, let's look at this.)



This is the entry into a little corner that I still call my "secret garden",
'though sadly, now it's quite exposed, since hurricane Charlie knocked down
the wonderful, huge Hickory tree that once made it so private.
It used to be such a peaceful spot to sit with a book and a glass
of "lemonade", but now there's no place to hide,
and my old chair has been made into a planter.

(This part of the garden changed from deep shade to bright and sunny
as fast as you can say "timm-berr", and I still haven't caught up,
I need to transplant and replace some things which are now ill-placed . . .

. . . Cripes! I CANNOT keep up with this stinking place
. . . and we're moving on.)



From the secret garden, we can just see the glasshouse

(Which hulks there, reminding me of all that needs doing in there, too . . .

. . . Crap, crap, crap
. . . C'mon, let's go, let's go, move it already!)



I grow lots of plants that are not hardy in my zone,
so I end up with a plethora of potted plants.

(I expect these will all need to be freshly potted when they
emerge from the glasshouse . . .
stupid, stupid plants, always outgrowing their damned pots . . .

. . . Why are you dragging your feet? I said let's MOVE!)



Here is a long view down the back garden, the pond is at the far end.

(Watch your step, the walkway has become somewhat treacherous in spots,
due to the stones being heaved up by roots, I should really take them up,
level the foundation and then re-lay them all . . .

. . . It's too much, I swear this @*##^@ place is going to kill me)



And here is the pond.

(. . . in a few weeks, I've got to climb into that hideous cesspool and try to get out
all of the muck and the fallen leaves and twigs that have accumulated in the bottom,
and, no doubt, the Waterlilies and Irises need repotting . . .

. . . Okay, I'm just going to stop
and take a few deep, calming breaths now.)



Here we are, on the back porch, looking out,
you can see the shady path to our studio/garage in the "woods".

(. . . my side of which, not surprisingly, is chock-full
of projects in various stages of incompletion . . .

. . . Is it getting dark?
I think I may be hyperventilating)



And there is a view back up toward the house and back porch.

(yes, yes . . . the house is full of stuff I should be doing, too . . .

. . . Will you STOP looking at me that way? I see that accusitory expression!)

Well, that's not everything, but it's probably best we stop here,
you look a little jumpy, and I'm slightly tense, too, just thinking
of everything that's falling farther behind by the moment . . .
. . . did I say "serene refuge"?

Nevermind . . . would you care to join me for a little drinkie-poo?
I'm having Tequila shooters, what's yours??


Last edited: Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:53 pm

This blog entry has been viewed 1476 times

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To Retirement and Back ~

Category: Zuzu's Homefront Blog | Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 11:28 pm

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The holidays have provided hubby and me with a sort of
preview into how we get along with lots of leisure time on our hands.
We both took off 2 entire weeks.

Well, I'm not bragging, but if this has been any indication,
we just might be alright when the time comes.

Of course , the fact that we didn't schedule any
major projects into our holiday vacation may have had
a little something to do with it . . . yes, I'm sure of it.

As much as we love each other, we both have our own ideas
of how goals can best be achieved. Ideas that can tend to be
rather firmly held . . . not to say inflexible . . .
and often, friction and frustration are the outcome.

Neither of us lacks self-assuredness or endurance,
and we have been known to come to a dead stop on a project
rather than give ground. We lived with a raw-cut edge of
carpet in the bedroom doorway for over 17 years before a
mutually agreeable threshhold was purchased and installed.
Try to imagine rhinos equiped with porcupine quills.

Considering our personalities, our conflict resolution skills
are, perhaps, just a teensy bit underdeveloped.

Oh, what am I worried about?
We've both become accustomed to regular meals and
a roof over our heads.
We'll NEVER be able to retire!

Last edited: Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:22 am

This blog entry has been viewed 697 times

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