Summer Projects

When you are a kid the prospect of summer arriving is sort of like waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve or the expectation of getting some great present for your birthday. But when you are the mother of three little kids and you are trying to figure out what to do with them during a summer break, well that is not fun. Nor is the reality of facing a summer without the resources to entertain or educate your kids. If you aren't able to take the traditional summer vacation this year either I can understand feeling kind of grumpy about the summer solstice rolling around and that goes for all ages. I'm irritated because I'd love to be headed for an exotic vacation too.

Instead this year I'm thinking of really tiny goals that don't cost much money. These are mostly items that involve my home and are activities instead of relaxation. First, I would love to re-landscape the back yard but I'm pretty sure that it could eat up $100,000 because it is very large. So instead, I am going to dig up a part of my front yard and plant drought resistant shrubs that bloom. What does that have to do with the backyard you might ask? Absolutely nothing, but if I can coax the front into being as attractive as I can make it by myself then I won't be so discouraged about the wild state of my back lot. I can't do it all at once because of physical issues, but I began tonight by soaking the spot that I have in mind. I want a kind of wild South of France garden and fortunately we share similar climates where native plants of delicious varieties thrive.

Next, I have a garage that is literally dangerous to enter. It holds the remnants of my office and for months I could hardly even look at it. I began to simply toss things on the pile instead of putting items where they belong. Now I have a garage that resembles the people I make fun of on those programs about hoarders. Organizing that disaster is my next goal. I will not be able to clear it out, but I can make an improvement in how it functions. That little bit of progress will be enough for me.

Finally, I need to paint the entrance to our home and dining room of the house. The baseboards are scratched and the paint is worn off thanks to my enormous Labrador Retrievers. This task I think I will leave to the professionals and I will at least begin by getting a quote. Many painters are surviving in these times by accepting smaller projects so I know that they will be grateful for this small project.

Just to prove that I'm not all work oriented another goal for the summer is to get a tan! It's been forever since I've even had the time to sit out in the sun and generally I find it a waste of good time. However this year I'm gifting myself the idea of just sitting outside in my completely destroyed back yard for about 20 minutes an afternoon. It doesn't cost a dime!