Random 5 for May 29, 2022 – Landscaping, funerals, docs, re-use, Memorial Day

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This canna lily from last year survived the winter in my garage. This is last year’s picture. I have a lot of growth but no flowers yet.

Yeowza! – Our home has looked barren since we cut down three trees. We had no choice. One was dangerously close to the foundation. Another one was a threat to the house and the third was growing into the old deck (which we are making larger). The cutting was done in the fall and the back yard has looked bare ever since. We have already planted two large trees and yesterday the tree next to the deck was planted. It’s a tree that will develop a canopy over the deck rather than into the deck. There were also some shrubs planted to help with privacy issues. Everything looks wonderful. I wasn’t here for the planting but they did a great job. Starting to feel like home!

A wet farewell – Yesterday, in torrential rains, we laid my brother to rest. After a week of warm sunny weather, it was a truly lousy day. We were rained on several times running between cars and buildings. By the time we had the final service at the cemetery, my patience was thin and my hair was wet. Every time the priest finished a prayer, I yelled “amen” with my whole heart hoping that it was the end of the service, but it wasn’t. The umbrellas were not enough. I was sure there were mushrooms growing in my ears.

A new doc – This week I have an appointment with a new eye doc specifically for my dry eye. She was recommended by my favorite eye doc who left the job and went into teaching several years ago. It’s just like a new hair designer. You go full of hope that something wonderful will happen and end up coming home the same person with the same issues. I’m still being hopeful (but I won’t let her cut my hair!).

Something good – When we put in our new kitchen, my grandniece took the old cabinets to fit into her really old kitchen. Her dad did all the work. Some was straight forward but a few cabinets had to be reworked to fit into the space allowed. I saw it this week and it looks wonderful! Now she can cook for our reunion!

Memorial Day – This is the weekend we honor people who died in active military service. Too many people think it’s the first sale of the summer season. (I’ve been known to buy a new tee shirt or two during the holiday sale.) Our family has been lucky. Although many served, none lost their life. One cousin, who served in World War II, found his delightful wife while stationed in Great Britain and brought her back. I remember her British accent. Even as a child I was mesmerized by it.

So how was your week?

49 thoughts on “Random 5 for May 29, 2022 – Landscaping, funerals, docs, re-use, Memorial Day”

  3. I agree about the barren look. We’ve planted counted trees and bushes since we moved. One large tree just kind of died overnight recently. I have no idea why but it is in a hard place to cut down. We’ll have to figure that out in the next year or two I guess. Sorry about your brother. And the rain. I hope this is a nicer week.

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    • Good luck with cutting down that tree. When we moved into our last house which we built (think no trees or shrubs) we factored in the cost of planting trees with building the house so we could get them started right away. I hate that barren new house look.

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  4. We lost three trees to Carpenter Ants about twenty years ago. The two oaks in the backyard provided shade for the entire small yard and the locust out front was a real loss as it set off the house. We finally got rid of the ants. A friend uses Restasis for her severe dry eye syndrome. She says it helps some. I had to laugh at you yelling “Amen” to hurry along the services while you waited in the rain. People forget the meaning of this holiday – the fireworks going on into the wee hours of the morning tell me that and, when I read the complaints of the fireworks noise by fellow Lincoln Park residents in the Resident Facebook forum, they are labeled “Karens” by others.

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      • Yes, according to the neighborhood forum, a few dogs jumped the fence when out in the yard with the fireworks. That is what my friend Carol said but she had a severe case of dry eye syndrome and she also said the drops were horribly expensive. Her eye doctor had her on krill oil capsules for a time – better than cod liver oil pills. Her eye specialist has told her he thinks she has Sjögren’s syndrome. A little synopsis of that is: an immune system disorder characterized by dry eyes and dry mouth. The body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells that produce saliva and tears. Sjögren’s often occurs with other such disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The main symptoms are dry mouth and dry eyes. Treatments include eye drops, medications, and eye surgery.

        She drinks water constantly due to dry mouth and must have it while eating as she feels she will choke otherwise. I hope your eye doc gives you some meds or a solution for it.

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        • I share your friend’s dry mouth too. I am being tested for Sjogren’s. I had my new eye doc apt yesterday and I’m pleased so far. Lots of testing and pictures taken to more accurately evaluate. I have steroid drops to bring down the inflammation and go back in 4 weeks to re-evaluate. There are options.

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          • Glad you like your new eye doc. There is always hope when you try someone new. My friend Carol has had tests for Sjogren’s but docs cannot pinpont her exact issue. She has been to many doctors because she will break out into hives over her entire body for no reason at all. Not out in the garden, or having eaten something. She will be sitting at her computer and break out into hives, literally traveling up her body from ankles to head.

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  5. I’m sorry about your brother. Was the outdoor funeral a covid precaution? It seems odd to have it outdoors in that weather.
    I wouldn’t like the barren look, I’m sure. Have you ever noticed how many home owners do like it, though?

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  6. I like your comparison of a new doctor with a new stylist. We always hope the new one will work miracles. One of the worst things about remodeling is all the garbage they cart away. So nice that you were able to recycle your cabinets and spruce up your grandniece’s kitchen. My dad and his two brothers all returned safely from WWII, although my dad had some serious injuries. He spent a month in a French hospital.

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    • My dad was just over the age for conscription for WWII or maybe it was because he had 2 kids at that time but he didn’t serve. Both of my brothers did and most of my male cousins. No one was injured (to my knowledge). My brothers were too young for WWII so they had peacetime service.

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  8. Looking forward to pictures of the deck and trees! Great that your grand-niece could use your cabinets and that the deck guy has someone that can use the old deck. Good luck at the eye doc. Dry eyes are a bother.

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  9. Paws (not eyes) crossed that your eye doctor visit results in something helpful. And enjoy the new trees. You’ll have this new home just the way you want it soon and then what will you do with your time or write about??

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  10. I love that you recycled your cabinets. Too often, perfectly good ones end up in the dump. I was amazed that we were able to “gift” our old composite deck boards when we pulled them out for a re-do. Our local Buy Nothing site proves again and again that one person’s trash is another’s treasure.

    Good luck on your dry eye visit. I predict success but I know exactly what you mean about going to a new hair stylist and expecting miracles.

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    • Our contractor said that he was going to give our old decking to “people who were poorer than us.” (His exact words.) The decking was originally redwood faded to a pink but if you had a cabin somewhere, were less fussy or had a pink and purple house, they would be perfect! Our old stuff was the original Trex and I read someplace that you can paint it.

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  12. Like you, I find any holiday that supports our troops and veterans in anyway to be as sacred as any national holiday. To so many, it’s just an extra day off work and maybe hanging with friends for hamburgers and hotdogs and beers. My dad, both of my brothers and my ex-husband all served this country, one in each branch. While this holiday is specific to those who died in active war Times, and the service person who died serving the country, whether or not we were at war, deserves to be recognized for their sacrifice.

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  15. Yes, equally fortunate here, with military service in the family going all the way back to the Civil War (and fighting on the traitor side, unfortunately). I didn’t fly my flag for 4 years. Not sure I will put it out tomorrow, either. (I’ve been flying a black “DISSENT” flag since the Supreme Court draft opinion taking away women’s rights was leaked.)

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  16. I agree about funerals and rain….they seem to “fit” together tightly don’t they. Sounds like some mighty nice landscaping going on there. I can’t wait to fill the VOID left by having removed our five leylands on one side of the house. Other projects have priority right now though (sadly!). It looks weird over there with no trees! Good luck with the dry eye and new eye doc.

    Hugs, Pam

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    • I know what you mean. With all the trees that were near the house gone, It looked so barren. I grew in a treed yard so I miss them. Some people never plant trees in their backyard and I don’t know why. They are wonderful to look at and for shade.

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  17. I hope for something wonderful to come from your dry eye visit and thank you ahead of time for posting to tell us. I am so very happy to hear about all the wonderfully pretty new plantings and that you think it looks great! Hearing you say it is starting to feel like home is even more wonderful… that is the best feeling after moving and getting settled in a new home. Great news about your old cabinets making the grandneice’s kitchen new and fresh! Good Morning!

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  18. Funerals and rain seem to go together and make the entire event more sad if that is even possible. Your landscaping sounds wonderful and best wishes to that canna. Recycling those cabinets to a family member and providing her an upgrade is a wonderful thing. Good luck with the Doc for dry eyes because I can definitely relate. Yes, Memorial Day has lost its true meaning, but there are still some of us who realize it’s not just a sale day or the start of camping season.

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