timmyjimi

When I moved back home at the beginning of the Summer, I jumped into several projects around my parents’ house.  Between work and travel, those projects eventually got put on the back burner.  Now, with my Summer job over and Kristen’s wedding quickly approaching, we have been digging in once again.  I recently had the chance to hang out with my old high school classmate, Miranda, and her family.  I realized that I have much to learn from her when it comes to getting things done and documenting it simultaneously (all while producing and managing offspring), but here are a few shots taken over the past week.

The first thing I tackled in May was an ailing garden with a dead rose bush on the west side of the house.  The thorny remains were uprooted and replaced by a host of gladiolus bulbs that have finally decided to bloom more than three months later.

Another job that I had been wanting to do for years but significantly underestimated was the paint job around our front patio.  I had initially gotten the go-ahead to repaint the trim, but when we discovered rotten wood underneath the railing, suddenly half the wall need to be reinforced or replaced; and if we were going to go that far, why not just repaint the whole thing?  I’ll tell you why: because painting lattice work is a painstakingly meticulous, back-breaking, knee-crunching chore that I would never wish on anyone.

During her daily watering routine, mom has been keeping tabs on our pet mantis.  When I was a kid, I used to be awestruck by these insects because of their rarity and beauty.  However, after reading about their reproductive habits in Pilgrim At Tinker Creek, my regard for this species moved from awe to grotesque fascination.

Meanwhile, Kristen is convinced that even the sunflowers know there is a wedding on the way.  Love is in the air.