Absences

From one absence, hopefully another will spark some work around HoB.

Rich heads off this Saturday to sunnier climes, leaving me to my own devices. Without fail, this means I get more projects done around the house -- unimpeded am I to do as I wish, without someone underfoot/beside me/asking me to do laundry/wondering what's for dinner/telling me I'm doing it wrong.

I dearly love my husband, but how can you miss someone if they aren't gone?

So as Rich departs early Saturday morning, I'll begin the prep work for the yard. I've even been given "permission" to buy a new lawn mower -- with a bag. Leeza's loaner has been great and we're super-grateful, but with the new lawn down, I don't want to rake up fresh shoots once I'm done mowing.

And then I'll get my mulch delivery, and then I'll buy two trees for the front yard, and then I'll plant my "rock bed" on the side of the house and buy planters, and then, and then ...

OK, maybe I'll aim for mowing and planting the two trees this weekend. Mulching might not be a one-woman job, and the gravel will have to wait until Rich's return.

Also this weekend, I'll finish painting the ceiling in the bedroom (didn't do a hot job around where the fan will go). And then I'll put up pictures of the basement progress.

Yes, there has been progress on the basement. The hard part, she is done! There's more stripping-then-painting ahead, but it's mostly the floor, which is obviously easier than corners, walls, etc. Rich hates the runners I put down, but I love them. (He'll get over it.)

Maybe once we get HoB in spring shape, we'll get back to focusing on another project: ourselves. We've let too many weekends of pig roasts, Indian splurges, Thai extravaganzas, porters-'n'-stouts fests and the like get to our bellies, and it's time to get back into an exercise routine and put the kitchen back into better use for home cooking, which is always healthier. Despite the fact that our docs tell us we're pretty healthy, the weight additions can't be denied, and so: Rich will aim for a trimmer spare tire, and I'll aim to get my almost-Michelle-Obama arms back (or "wedding arms," as Rich calls them).

Ah, spring: renewals, hope and promises of change. I think mulch might be the only solid bet here.