AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...

How about we christen a brisk fall day here on Hawthorne Avenue with a CD release party,
 and The Silent Boys play live in our back yard!

cover by A Girl Named Leney

Michael C. , John M. , Wallace D. & John S. 

This fantastic CD is another batch of great jangle pop songs.  

Go to  https://thesilentboys.bandcamp.com/ to take a listen and to see their discography.

Bruce

Michael & Wallace 

John & Wallace

John

FLEXING MY TOOL MUSCLES

    It has been quite a while since I have called upon my full 'arsenal' of construction tools, knowledge and energy.  Perhaps that is one reason we have put off this garden house project for so long.  After several years of restoring the main house, my body wanted a rest.  In addition, I was not certain we could acomplish this building task without professionals.

AND THEN.....

    My husband gifted me his assistance and labor for my recent birthday.

(BTW...best birthday gift ever!)  And with promises of letting me design and direct the build, we began putting together a garden house that I have been contemplating for close to 15 years.

As it turns out, we ARE competent!

May I point out to everyone the very first  blog entry

Dumpster diving treasures are raw materials

I save everything I deem worthy of new life.

Salvaged windows and doors together with stock lumber and muscle are the raw materials for the garden house I have been creating in my mind.

Graph paper helps lay out possible house designs

When one of my nephews asked if he could come visit me last month as we were beginning the project, I said "Great!  But you have to know your uncle and I are building a garden house and we will put you to work."  Somewhat jokingly, I warned him there would be a whole lot of hammering, sawing, and yelling.  Good natured as he is, he wanted to come anyway.

6x6 posts are sunk and leveled

My nephew mixes concrete for posts

My nephew cuts floorboards

My nephew and husband nail joists

Miss Magnolia tests out the flooring and supervises

 When restoring our 1907 Hawthorne house, we removed 3rd floor closets that had been added around the 1940's.  Don't you know I saved the paneled doors.  What a good thing it was because 

now those doors  have become the "wainscotting" on my garden house. 

This project is nothing if not level.

Calculating the desired pitch

Gable ends go up

Windows from our 1949 beach house get new life as hinged windows over screen for warm weather air flow

The 16 ft. ridge board allows for a foot overhang at each gable end

The garden house mid build as seen from the side lawn

Oh what fun it is to get back into the swing of creating and building.  I would SOOOOO rather do this than just about anything (especially monotonous housework like toilets or laundry).  

Check in again to see the progress on the garden house.

AT THE REQUESTOF SOME

    At the request of some of my friends and blog followers, I am going to peck out a few more entries to this blog.

    Since I stopped posting on a regular basis some time ago, there has been progress on our house and, more notably, our yard.  For close to 2 years I put down my power tools and picked up my shovel and mattock, rake and pitchfork.


Hardscape was added and our antique brick got new life as colums and a circular planter.

The only plant life worthy of salvaging were the azaleas, the magnificent Magnolias, 2 tremendous maples, an old pecan tree, a very large holly and, of course, the bamboo!

 
    Heavy equipment took out years of brush and weeds, and I designed some curves into the landscape to soften the squareness of the large patio/basketball court.

My daughter and I tote water to the garden behind the garage,
at least until we get the rainbarrels connected.

My son gifted me with yardwork last Mother's day. This included
digging out the original but long neglected pond in the back yard.

 All this happened 1 1/2 years ago.  I've been digging and planting ever since.  Good thing I love it so much!  We now have grass and loads of plantings.

There is more to come.  Keep an eye out for more recent photos and coments.