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Sweat & Anxiety

The sweat would be Hank for all his hard work and the anxiety would most definitely be me.... well... because I'm that type of person.

The lot our house sits on is 1.5 acres and we have quite a few pine trees.  It has been said there were even more, but over the course of time I guess some people cut them down and we know a few have fallen.  One fell over the dining room a few years ago... which is why we have our new roof (we think).  Well, for some reason, the HUGE pine tree right over the driveway was still going strong.  Who would get rid of trees, but leave the one that is going to fall on the cars?  Hank and I have been saying we need to have a tree weekend.  Get all the dangerous trees out of the yard before our cars or house gets damaged.  Not to mention that our little neck of the woods is notorious for small tornadoes... oh... and hello hurricane season!  So, we finally set a weekend aside and decided to tackle the big one beside the driveway.

Meet Mr. Big Pine.

I was so dreading this...

I wanted no part of this...

But somehow, by being married to Hank, I'm kind-of married into helping with this...

So, we rented a man lift for the task.

Hank started cutting the limbs from the tree and I'm down on the ground (thank goodness) just waiting for my orders for the day. 

I guess I was too busy running around and doing what I was "told" to do, that I didn't take too many pictures during the cutting of limbs.  You see, in this Watson household, there is NOTHING worse than being needed for a task and NOT being one step ahead of the person who needs you.

Insert Example:  Hank is finished cutting a few limbs and needs to move the man lift.  He gets off the lift and limbs were not moved.  

Hank:  "Why are there limbs still here?  I need to move the lift and I can't because there are limbs in the way.  So now I have to move those?"  

Celia:  "I was taking photos... and you didn't tell me to move limbs."  

Hank:  "You can take photos later.  Now we're wasting time moving limbs when they should have been moved already.  You should always be thinking one step ahead of me."

Celia:  (thinking to myself... "I don't care... I'm not a man... this is men's work.")

So, Hank got as high as the man lift would take him, he removed all of the limbs from about 40 feet down and now it was time to top the tree.  Hank told me that he would cut the tree in a way, that when we attached a rope to it, attached the rope/chain to the truck, and I pulled the rope tight... the top of the tree would fall where we wanted it too.

I guess this is typical tree cutting stuff, but for someone like me, the first thing I can think of is... when I hit the gas to pull the tree down it will somehow swing and hit Hank... who is still 40 feet in the air... in the midst of sawing another 15-20 feet off the top of the tree... while I'm tugging on it.  

My anxiety is starting to rise at this time.

Celia:  "I'm just scared that the tree is going to hit you."

Hank:  "How can the tree hit me if you are driving away from me, pulling it down with the rope and chain?"

Celia:  "Well, what if it swings down funny and one of those limbs hits you?  Then what... you go falling down from 40 feet!"

Hank:  "Celia, I've done this my whole life and that is impossible.  Just do what I tell you and it will be fine."

Celia:  "You don't understand.  I have never done this and I don't know what to expect.  And don't get smart with me... crazier things have happened!  Freak accidents!"

Hank:  "It's my life up here... if I didn't think you could do it... do you really think I'd be making you do this???"

Celia:  "I'm sweating... I think I might pass out... I can't do this..."

Hank laughs... (not nice Hank)

Hank:  "You get in that truck, put tension on that rope, keep your eye on me.  I'm going to start cutting the tree.  When I yell at you go "GO!"... you floor the gas and "GO!".  That tree will fall away from me.  Oh, and if at any point you see the tree starting to fall before I do... you just gas it and go!"

Celia:  "Oh my goodness... and you are going to make me decide that?????"

So, I had no choice.  Marriage says for better or for worse, right?  Blah.

Hank started cutting the tree.  He stops and tells me to put tension on the rope.  I move the truck a little forward.  He cuts more.  He tells me to put more tension on the rope again.  He starts cutting again as I keep tension on the rope... and then he screams, "GO, GO, GO!!!!!"

Seriously... I'm not exaggerating... I was so petrified... and literally sweating with anxiety... I floored that truck!  And when the top of the tree fell down... the limbs stuck into the ground so hard, that it jerked the truck so hard... I felt like I had whiplash!!!!  Hank said he could hear the truck being jerked to a stop!  OK, I'm actually laughing right now... but I'm not kidding.... 

Here is the tree!!

And here is my mark on our yard.

And here is my husband laughing....

I don't know if this gives you any idea of how big this tree was?  Maybe you had to be here...

And then he made me do it all over again for the rest of the tree.

He has no mercy. 

Love,

Survivor

I Won!

I. Never. Win. Anything.

I really don't.  Some people just have the luck... they run into famous people in airports, find money on the ground in the parking lot, win things.  Well, that has just never been me.  Until now.  Well.... not "now"... just twice in one week.  I'm sure this will last me a lifetime.

My first score?  A whole book of stamps on the floor in Target.  I grabbed those bad boys up and didn't look back twice.  I needed those and have been putting off buying a whole book.  I'll just pretend the Stamp Fairy dropped them right in my path for me.  (thank you!)

The second thing I won?  A pair of earrings!  Ashely's blog, Under the Sycamore,  has a group of sponsors each month and they each do a "giveaway".  You look at each sponsors Etsy shop and enter by leaving a comment stating what your favorite item is.  I think everyone pretty much enters with each sponsor, but I won with Elizabeth Williams Jewelry.

And... my earrings finally came in the mail today!

The box was packaged very nicely with a handwritten "congrats" on the back of her Etsy business card.  That was a nice, personal touch!

I chose the Rosalie earrings with the black quartz about the leaves.  They are perfect!  I love them.  She also has the same earrings with clear or moss aquamarine stones above the leaves.  It all depends on what you like!  I like the black because you cannot see the hooks underneath.

 

I love them and cannot wait to wear them soon!  

You can visit the Etsy shop here... Elizabeth Williams Jewelry.  

And, thank you, Beth!

Time to Plan

It's time to plant a Spring garden!! We have gotten a little behind on our garden planning this year and are quickly trying to decide what we want to grow.  With everything going on around here, it's easy to get distracted!  We've been cleaning up the yard a little bit and attacked our grape vine a few weeks ago.  I hope we didn't kill it.... it has thick, old roots and hopefully will produce good grapes this year.  Also, we have two pear trees and an apple tree.  Yes, an apple tree in way down here!  They are very old and were absolutely full of fruit last Spring.  Unfortunately, we had not purchased the house in time last year to properly fertilize them and prune them.  Then, when we signed on the house, we had to immediately get to work on the interior, etc.  This year we hope to take care of them and see how well the fruit do.

Hank has found some great raised bed plans online and we are deciding which one we like best.

Here is The Sussex.  I really like the simplicity... just a square, uniformed shape.  Very simple.

This one is the Stafford.  The top left corner bed is not only a raised bed, but has another raised bed within it.  I like having a bench in the garden, but I'm not so crazy about the small bed in the center.  We could just leave that one out.

Next is the Westminster.  I just love the shapes of these.  Again, I really like the bench on one edge and the small circle could contain the herbs.  I don't really know what I think of the small rectangular bed, but we could decide on that as we go.

And lastly is the Trowbridge.  We like the shapes, still has room for a bench, still has the small circle to keep the herbs separate, etc. 

I think our favorites are the last two... the Westminster and Trowbridge.  We really like how these look neat, clean and orderly... season in and out.  Our yard is plenty big to do this, so size is not an issue for us.  The beds are not too big or wide and therefore should make the planting, weeding, etc easy.  I like how I should be able to reach in and get to everything... and not have to step in and ruin anything.

Which design do you like?  And what are you planting in your garden this year???  Any ideas and tips would be helpful!!

Happy Wednesday!!

This is what I want to be like when I am old. I will have to learn to play the piano... but this is what I want to be like nevertheless....

Happy Thursday!

Spring is in the Air!!

Clematis flower