Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and lately next to impossible around here.....

the original deck laughs at safety

 the post holes were started on July 1

with the new deck that has been in progress since July.  Time off has been meager for my husband, Dave, the brawn and carpenter brains behind this soon to be lovely outdoor living space.  Of course, I've had my part in it as well.  We brainstormed the design, as well as tweaking it along the way.  My physical contribution has been with the post hole auger, digging thirteen rocky holes.  Holy Hannah, were we sore!!  After that, I've mainly supervised and given either kudos or criticism - depending on whether the design is becoming what my minds eye has already envisioned or if it has started to veer off course and needs to be stopped before it has to be ripped apart and redone.  We've kept it simple.  A small upper area for barbequing, including a small seating area for just the two of us and a larger

the bones of the lower deck

the upper deck is taking form

deck for the large dining table and chairs, as well as two chaise lounges.  Off of the lower deck will be a long low step, down to a gravel pea stone patio.  This will be where the outdoor fire place will make it's home, surrounded by four big comfy chairs under the old cherry tree.  Because we didn't want a railing around the lower deck, we've decided to build it up with a garden bed that will be enclosed with fourteen inch high armour stone.  That stone was to have gone in this past Saturday.  OMGosh.  I honestly don't know how men run anything, let alone a business.  How does anything get done without communication!?  I'd rather have my wisdom tooth pulled again than have to deal with the coordinator of this job any longer.  Unfortunately though, I'll have to if I want to see this done.  So the furniture for the stone patio will have to stay in storage another season.  Major bummer.  I'm praying for a long warm fall and that

 a challenging sloped yard

we'll be able to at least use our deck and maybe even entertain.  We've had literally no one but family over for the last year and a bit.  Pretty pathetic, considering I've got just about every thing ever needed by a hostess "for when the people come".  That was a phrase coined by my good friend, Michelle, that used to come with her husband for an annual weekend visit in July.  I would be showing her what we had done on the house that was currently under renovation at the time of their visit and the purchases I had made to accommodate any visitors that we might have, or as I liked to say "for when the people come".   Over the course of a few years, she finally asked who we had that summer by way of company, that had come to visit.  Well, besides family - they were it.  "So", she said, "We're your people then."  I laughed. I guess they were.  So anytime you want to stop by for a visit, I'll have my people call your people and we'll see what we can arrange.  What ever we do, you can rest assured that it will be beautiful.......