This Week in The Patterson House

This ol’ house is an adventure! It isn’t a fixer-upper by any means but it’s nearly 80 years old and that presents some challenges.

I’ve previously written about the frustrations of trying to find a reliable contractor, and a few odds and ends I’ve taken on. But I haven’t even mentioned the strangely-placed toilet in the main-floor two-piece, the Bosch dishwasher that’s shutting itself down every three uses, or the puzzling wood-and-screw things we’ve found on the inside of nearly every cupboard door! I removed all but one, just for nostalgia.

A horizontal piece of wood with a bunch of white-headed screws screwed in, in a zig-zag pattern.

And then there’s the S & M tree. That’s what I’ve decided to call it since it’s got a rope around it and I can only assume that its whip and mask blew away.

Large tree whose trunk splits about four feet off the ground and a rope is tied around both halves. .

Do you think it might have been tied on to hold up a hammock? If so, where’s the other tree for the other end? It’s a kinky tree, I’m telling you.

The pieces leaning against the deck fence are the walls of a shed that we plan to put up here. Sometime. Derek says he needs to lay gravel first. First, we have to find out where Wallaceburgers get their gravel. Once the shed is up some of the items from the garage can go inside it, making much-needed room in the garage.

I cut the lawn this week and immediately started researching new lawnmowers. Derek is of the “it still works so it’s good enough” mentality but it’s 10 years old, has wonky wheels and isn’t easy to push. I also believe I’m in the self-propelling mower phase of life. Even though we have a riding mower, I still want the exercise. I just don’t want as big of a challenge as the current mower presents.

View of yellow cultured marble with a white wall, stainless steel curtain rod, brushed nickel curtain rings and white shower curtain. — The ancient yellow cultured marble is the only thing in the room that isn’t white, black or brushed nickel. For now!

If all goes well, by the time you read this, a local contractor will be tearing out our shower and putting in subway tiles and a new shower head up to average adult height instead of down at the child level where it is now. Or he skipped town with our deposit. Either way, the adventure continues!