Rotting Away

My deck has to be replaced ASAP! The neighborhood woodpecker did a good job alerting me to the rotted wood by pecking away and leaving sawdust on the patio. The Alumawood shade, (an aluminum product made to look like wood) is connected to the deck and has to be removed. Depending on what damage has been done to the deck itself will determine what changes I can make. I want to extend the deck and add a covering over the upstairs window. I am holding my breath for the for estimates--I need new screens and to replace a few leaking windows, as well as some some roof repairs. I mentioned in a previous post about having to replace my granite, and my air conditioner is 17 yrs old and needs to be updated! What happened? Well, it all fell apart about the same time. We patched and covered for years, then, like the corporations and Washington, it had to finally come crumbling down! Now I'm now paying for my designer rose colored glasses, and I don't have anyone to bail me out.

It's those same glasses the rest of the country has been wearing for the last few years as they bought houses they can't afford, sold by RE agents who encouraged them to make 'Liar Loans', brokers who also encouraged the RE agents, and mortgage companies who bought the mortgages assuming the loans were honest. Or maybe they didn't care, as they sold the mortgages to other companies. Maybe. I'm no economist but it is frustrating that we are going to pay for this and have a 10 trillion dollar national debt--plus all the promises of adding another trillion on with giveaway programs the candidates are promising. Who is going to pay? Not just rich people. It's going to be everyone--and they are going to be shocked. S--t, in this case, rolled uphill instead of down and here we are, bailing them out on our dime!


After the recent windstorm that blew over 6 potted cactus plants, I decided to plant them altogether. The pot is 6 inches deep so I don't think they will blow over as easily. I made it into a miniature desert turtle garden. Pretty cute, don't you think?


I just planted this gorgeous hibiscus--and just put the sweet pea seeds in the ground. I cannot wait for the February blooms! We are still hitting around 100 degrees but something in the air that makes me feel like I need to get outside and dig! My swing will be being delivered Tuesday and I can hardly wait! Hoping hubby finds all the parts intact and easy instructions. Some of those instructions written by China are hard to deal with, and it seems everything comes from there!