Evan was sitting on the floor flipping through the newspaper and tearing off pieces to chew or toss to the side. He was happy, and Jen was more than happy that he found something fun to do. Then Evan took a small piece of paper and handed it to Jen. She thanked him for sharing [...]

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This is the second installment in the ongoing description of our 2006 home improvement blog entries.
The Patio - Before
Our back patioOne of the real eyesores that came with our house was the patio in the backyard. We’ve wanted to replace it from the moment we saw it. But other projects — like re-fencing and relandscaping [...]

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Here’s another photo from our yard — this time in the back: Amethyst astilbe (or False Spirea) with Hydrangeas blooming in the background.

Both plants were planted just over a year ago and have, thus far, survived — not always an easy feat in a yard regularly patrolled by a 70 lb. lab-mix. Yes, Gauss tends [...]

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As promised, here’s the first installment in our 2006 home improvement blog entries. I’m going to use this first entry to get some of the smaller items out of the way.
Trees and the Roof
Where three once stood, now two remainTree Pruning/Removal. Every couple years, we have Blue Sky Trees come out and do some work [...]

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One year ago today at 6:45 in the morning, our sweet little boy, Evan, was born. The hours and days that followed his birth were unexpectedly stressful as he was transported by ambulance to Portland where he spent the next several days under careful observation. Ultimately, everything resolved on its own, and we were finally [...]

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Thought I’d share a photo I took of the blossoms on the Spirea japonica bush in our front yard. I think I’ll start posting a larger image like this once in a while.

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If you’ve filled up your car at a gas station lately, you know first-hand that gas prices are high. Imagine what it costs to fuel a large passenger jet.

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On Memorial Day, the four of us visited Alsea Falls. We had originally set out to hike the Mill Hill Loop Trail in the Finley National Wildlife Refuge, which is located about 10 miles south of Corvallis. However, upon arriving at the trail head, we discovered that dogs were not allowed on the trail. (And [...]

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Our first harvest from this year’s garden was… radishes, of course! These are so incredibly easy to grow, and they always taste better than store-bought radishes. I love the spicy, peppery aftertaste that a fresh radish leaves in your mouth. Of course, my favorite way to eat them is with a little butter and salt [...]

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The term “home improvement hell” is used to describe the inconvenience, unexpected complications, and inevitable delays associated with home improvement projects. However, setting aside all alliterative advantages, I actually think purgatory, defined as “a place or condition of suffering, expiation, or remorse,” is a more appropriate description of this mayhem.

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