One tree became a dump truck of gravel, a pallet of stone, and a DIY husband.
Have you ever heard of project creep? It is the thing that happens when you set out to do one small, manageable thing, and then that one thing multiplies like rabbits until you are standing in your front yard at dusk wondering how you got here. It happened again this week at the cottage. Of course it did.
Let me back up. Our landscapers redid the front circle garden, which is really more of an oval now, and took down four trees in the process. That left a gap in the front yard that looked like a missing tooth. We needed a tree. Just one tree. An Eastern redbud, to match the one we already love. Bill and I agreed on this. One tree. Simple.
Then someone (I am not naming names but he grills) decided we also needed a new circular garden bed on the side yard. Filled with bee balm and Walkers low catmint. And stone curbing to edge it. And then, because the tree trucks and the landscaping crew had chewed up the driveway, we needed new gravel too. And mulch to finish everything off. One tree became an entire renovation.
So Tuesday we are expecting a delivery of one pallet of stone curbing, two yards of mulch, and what sounded on the phone like an entire dump truck of gravel. I think we are talking three to four tons. Did I mention that our landscapers cannot take this on for a month? And that Bill has decided this is a DIY project? This was news to me as well. Luckily my brother is on board to shovel gravel, and our neighbors have volunteered for the stone work. I will keep you posted, assuming I survive.
In the meantime, if you only look at the front of the house, and keep your eyes averted from the right side where the chaos lives, we are ready to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. We have flags fluttering and bunting up and the whole thing looks beautiful and patriotic, provided you are standing at exactly the right angle. If you are looking for something to bring to a celebration this week, my Red White and Blue No-Bake Cheesecake is the easiest patriotic dessert you will ever make, and it looks like a firework on a plate. I will be making it for our celebrations along with our favorite brownies, homemade ice cream and hot fudge. NOTE: The image above is not my house, but this is the bunting that I used, it’s from Pottery Barn.
I was worn out this week, if I am being frank. The heat does something to me lately that it never used to. I was averaging about four hours of sleep, between the temperatures and things on my mind and three little hot water bottle dogs rearranging themselves across the bed every forty-five minutes. I was not tired during the day but by Saturday night my body called it. I was in bed by 9:30, which is practically unheard of in this house. But before I fell asleep I finished my book, so I am counting it as a productive evening.
And speaking of that English cottage dream. You know I have one. A stone cottage by a loch in Scotland, or tucked into the Cotswolds, or somewhere in the Lake District with hills rolling out the window. I want an herbaceous border and a cutting garden so full of flowers I can barely get through the gate. Inside there would be a snug with mismatched chairs and a fire burning almost year-round to keep the damp out and the whole place cosy. I would have an Aga in the kitchen, which I understand comes with a serious learning curve and possibly a few burnt roasts before you get the hang of it. My brother lived in an English cottage for ten years and tells me there are drafts you cannot imagine and noises in the walls you learn to live with. I do not care. I want it anyway and I am trying to create it here in the American South.
Although, given the record-breaking heatwave that just swept through England this week, with temperatures near 100 degrees and a Red Extreme Heat warning from the Met Office, maybe the fire would get a rest after all. They were closing schools and sending people home from work. It is strange to imagine England in that kind of heat.
What I’m Reading
I finished The Scent of Hours by Barbara O’Neal on Saturday night, right before I finally gave in to sleep. It is the story of Nikki, a woman in her forties whose husband leaves and whose life falls apart. She ends up waitressing, making new friends who actually see her, and rediscovering a gift for blending perfume that had been sitting quietly inside her the whole time.
Barbara O’Neal writes women who are starting over in their forties and fifties with tenderness and honesty. If you liked When We Believed in Mermaids, you will love this one. It is a perfect summer read for a Saturday night when you are too tired to do anything but lie still and let a good story carry you.
What I’m Watching
I have been watching Rewilding Jude since his first video and I am telling you about him because I think many of you will feel the same pull I do. Jude is a young man who, after losing both of his parents within a year, closed his business, sold his house, and drove around Scotland until he found the right place to start over. He landed at an old stone cottage in the middle of the Scottish countryside and is renovating it himself, building a small homestead, and filming the whole thing.
There is something about watching someone strip life back to the studs, both literally and figuratively, that is comforting. His videos are beautifully edited and his life with Sven the cat and three chickens, simple and rich. If you dream of stone walls and a garden gate and starting fresh somewhere green and remote, this channel will speak to you. It certainly speaks to me, for obvious reasons.
Outfit of the Week
Get ready to celebrate America’s birthday with a simple and classic look, white shorts paired with a red and white top. You could wear blue sandals, white sandals or red sandals or your favorite sneakers. I parked it with this durable tote for carrying all of your blankets, and treats to the fireworks.
Outfit Details Below
This week is going to be busy. Guests in town, gravel to survive, a side yard to figure out, and a country to celebrate. I am going to try very hard to get more than four hours of sleep, and I am going to put the pups on notice that the bed is not, in fact, a revolving door. They will ignore me because that’s what they do.Â
Tell me, have you ever had a project that started as one small thing and turned into something you could not have predicted? Or do you have a dream home in your head, the one you visit when you close your eyes? Tell me in the comments.Â
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Your yard will be beautiful. Try to keep your eyes on the prize. I remember my son telling me that this won’t last forever when we were renovating our cottage. He was right, but sometimes it’s very hard to not feel overwhelmed. Especially if you’re not sleeping. We’re expecting mid to high nineties all this week. The heat gets to me, too. I feel for anyone who is suffering in the heat. I read how bad it is in France, too. Years ago, when my husband and I were first married, our realtor took us to see a house out in the country. It was very small, plain and not for us. But next door was an elegant white farm house. I remember it had French doors leading to a patio. Years later, I tried to find that farmhouse. I drove down every country road I could, but to this day I have never found it. Now I’m wondering if it was a dream. I asked my husband if he remembers it, but it was so long ago and he doesn’t. I’ve imagined us living in that house for years. Truly a dream house!
Hire someone with a bobcat. That person will be done, the area with the gravel will be even and no one will have a bad back. Our driveway is 400 feet long and we had a tail gate drop. It was perfect. No fuss.
Your plans sound just wonderful. Have a great time. Sweltering here already.