My Little Patch of Green

Well my search for items for my bathroom has turned out fruitless so far. I'm not discouraged, it's just going to take a little longer than I thought to find what I want.

The biggest challenge is finding a vanity and counter top that will go with the existing beige toilet and bathtub. This is a perfect illustration as to why I like white bathroom fixtures, but the beige came with the house so I am kind of stuck. Replacing the toilet would not be so bad, but the tub would be a royal pain in the A**. Getting a tub surround in there presents the same challenge as putting in a new tub. I am also not willing to paint the tub, as I used that trick when I sold the condo and was not very happy with the results. The only saving grace there was that I was selling the place, so the painted tub and tile were not going to be my problem. I will just keep hunting and eventually I will find something that works. I'm estimating that November will be when I finally get everything together.

At least my week off has not been a complete and total waste. As I was walking to the bathroom store, I stoppped off at a garden centre and was inspired to do my gardening. I purchased 24 petunias in a myriad of colours, and 2 begonias - salmon pink and sunshiney yellow. That was the beginning of my gardening odyssey.

I decided to trim the hedge in my front yard, as I noticed it was yet again encroaching on my neighbour Fernando's car. Fernando's side of the hedge trimmed up beautiful and square, but my side had a big gaping hole that was directly attributable to some branches breaking off when I was shovelling snow in the winter. I trimmed and I trimmed but try as I might, nothing was fixing the gaping hole.

I was taking a bit of a break, examining the hedge, and deciding what to do when Dave from 2 doors down came home from work. He asked what I was doing, and I explained my dilemma. He said "well, if you decide to take it down I have a tool that will cut through the branches like soft butter!" I took it as a sign.

After a couple of hours of pruning and digging, the hedge was gone. I felt kind of bad at first, until I was standing in the front doorway and noticed how much brighter the entrance looked. My decision was confirmed by a couple more neighbours when they commented on how much more spacious the front yard looked. They have a bush that grows in a spot that is akin to where my hedge was, and are now contemplating getting rid of their bush as well.

I had to plant the petunias just as the rain was starting, but was glad that I did not have to water them. At the end of it all, it was nice to see colour in my front entrance, and I hope the petunias and begonias will bloom all summer.

Today I finished up my gardening by weeding the back yard, churning up the soil, and trimming the rose bushes. I still have my annual maple key fight ahead of me, but at least the worst is over for this year. I'm glad because I don't think my back and shoulders could take any more abuse. They say gardening is therapeutic, but what they really mean is gardening is followed by a therapeutic massage!