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Going out each weekend with our realtor, we saw almost 40 houses before two great places jumped. Benefit of a buyers market. The first had charm with a beautiful yard in our desired neighborhood, but it was barely steps bigger than our apartment and over budget. The second was spacious with a large kitchen, on a quiet street in our second choice neighborhood, but only had two bedrooms and the back yard was junk.
We originally chose the first house because of #1 A.OK. location, but when that couples realtor insulted us by saying "their offer doesn't stand a chance," we said well fuck you and your small... square feet*. The second home accepted our offer right away, even with an under-asking price and all closing costs paid. That's right bitches! I can negotiate!!! * That couple got theirs: that same realtor called 30 days later, wondering if we were still interested because they were dropping the price because no offers had come in. HA!
house 1
house 2
We knew cosmetic elements were needed inside - paint, curtains, art, the Clarks' touch, etc. The floors are in great shape, walls solid and everything is well constructed. It's just the kitchen cabinets and bathroom counters wouldn't be the finishes we'd choose today. But again, nothing was wrong and those changes will come later. My focus was the yard.
During this time, my mother in law offered to help us plant, tidy and reinvigorate the outside living space that had been dutifully neglected. She had many years of experience and at one point, studied to be a geologist! I credit her with giving me two things I totally dig: foliage and Travis. awww... gross. I fell for both though, hard. After her tips & tricks, I set out on my own. You'd find me in the front / back every weekend, trying to keep up with the green Jones'. Today, I can truthfully say, I've been working in that yard for more time than I care to think about. And I'm done.
The last 12 months, I've fought a 100-foot rage tree which housed 20 pound seed pods, spawned two giant rage logs, got poked numerous times by one nasty, bitter old mediterranean palm, chopped 4 misguided & diseased queen palms, unearthed AND moved thousands of pounds of white sparkle rocks (with thousands more to go,) destroyed weed city in the back lawn, had the front lawn die, manually trimmed all 9 of our old timey awesome Camellias plants, busted up oodles of strange bricks, removed the spikiest succulent cactus' one could imagine, found random painted blue objects buried in the dirt, had all 5 rose bushes kink out because of something, plus about 100 other things. And after all this, it still feels like I've done nothing. Like I look at the yard and think WTF Brandi, it still looks like junk. That stinks.
Then there's the detached garage. It's had numerous bouts of termites, mold within the walls, the back wall is half missing, and we continually snip hundreds of vines growing up from our neighbors ground, each who have fould their way into the rafters. mother fu...
But there are positives my friend! I LEARNED so much. I'm talking ginormous amounts of information. About time management, the care of plants, growing habits, organic vitamins, herbs, bulbs, sun influencials, mulch, scale, layout and thinking I may go to school for landscape design one day. That's a pretty rad, unexpected outcome! Do I wish I could have gained this knowledge not having been through all the above - YES - but a couple years of pain is the springboard to a lifetime of knowledge! Plus, when I can sit back and peek at the things thriving, I am way proud.
limes
zucchini and mega hot peppers
I have become so invested, almost obsessive, in this vision to better our home. I think about it all the time; I want to talk ideas all the time. I want to be the envy of the neighborhood instead of the gentle eye sore. But it's not a fleeting hobby, it's about enhancing the time Travis, Leroy and I can spend together that pushes me. Spending time outdoors, which Leroy loves, or indoors in a comfortable space - I don't want to feel beholden to the dirt by spending hours each weekend, working towards an unknown game plan. I am slowly learning to let go of feeling I must do everything myself or be some sort of failure.
I don't want to resent it; I want to enjoy it. So I had an idea...
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