Good luck

Spring is finally settling in to stay.  These irises are blooming in my south flowerbed.  The hollyhocks are trying hard to keep from getting swallowed up.

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My hubby surprised me with this bottle tree that he had someone make for me.  It stands near our front gate.  Having a bottle tree protects your property.  Evil spirits get caught inside the bottles and can't find their way out.  Superstition, yes; but a charming old southern tradition that I have always wanted in my yard.  The bottles are usually blue, but can be different colors.  The man who built the tree supplied the bottles as well.

 

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The permits came through for the septic work this week.  We will not need a new tank, as long as the old one passes inspection; but we will have to add more lateral lines because two of the existing lines will be under the foundation of the addition.This is the hole they dug for the perk test; in the background are small red flags marking the position of the new lateral lines. This is all outside the yard in our back meadow.  The leaning tree will have to be removed.

 We hope to have more news in a few days.

More markings

The construction company sent a guy out to mark the footprint of the addition.  The inner lines mark the actual heated space, the outer lines are the porch and deck.  The septic work should be starting soon.

Hubby is traveling to Stillwater later this week to visit his dad and some of his high school friends.
Once he is back, chemo can get started.

Oncologist report

Most of you are aware that my hubby recently underwent emergency surgery to resect part of his colon, and that the path report showed adenocarcinoma, stage 3C.  Today we saw the oncologist.  Hubby's blood work is improving rapidly and is almost back to normal.

We also asked several questions and got positive answers.  For instance: Is it okay if hubby sleeps 12 hours a day?  Answer: if he feels like it, sure. No problem. Hmmm. I was looking for a different answer to that one.

Hubby has decided to go ahead with chemotherapy.  He will have a PICC line inserted on Monday the 29th of April, and will get his first dose of 5-FU on the 6th of May.  Oxaliplatin will be given over the following two days by infusion.  If he tolerates it well, he will repeat both treatments every two weeks for a total of 12 treatments.

On the home front, we decided to put our two duplexes up for sale.  They were listed on the 11th, and both are now under contract.  The money from the sales will pay for the addition with some left over. This means we will not have to pay on a mortgage, which is a big relief to me.  We also will not have to pay insurance, taxes, and maintenance on the duplexes. Closing is on May 15th and 17th.

Strange Markings

A man came out yesterday and left these strange markings on the lawn. They have something to do with the utilities-- telephone, cable, electricity, and gas-- and the area where the addition will be built.  I assume it means that there are no lines buried underneath that would be disrupted by digging.

He also said the perc test for the septic field will be done in a few days. Small steps, to be sure; but at least we're moving forward.

This bed contains spring onions on the left, asparagus in the center, and garlic on the right.  We also have abundant wild onions/wild garlic growing in the yard and surrounding fields.  It is edible and mild-tasting like chives. I may try using it in some cheddar biscuits to see how well it bakes.

We just got 6 ricks of wood delivered for next winter.  We will have to stack it ourselves, but it should be well seasoned by this fall.  We have two woodpiles, this one for the house, and in the background left you can see the other pile for the shop building, which has a wood-stove. We used an awful lot of wood this past winter, but we probably won't use the fireplace as much next winter because of the mess involved. It never hurts to be prepared--and we got this wood for a cheap price due to it being the end of the season.

Introducing...

This is a journal meant to chronicle the changes my husband and I are making to our home over the next few months.  We are planning a new addition to our modest ranch-style home this summer, and I thought it would be fun to show the changes as they happen. There will also be some life changes to deal with, and they will be chronicled as well.

So far, we have chosen a contractor, had the plans drawn up, and arranged the financing.  We expect to begin the construction in late May, when the weather should have stabilized.

In the meantime, enjoy some photos of the beautiful spring flowers we have been blessed with!