bug problem

We have an infestation, blech! Boxelder Bugs have taken up residence on the base of the tree in our front yard. Whenever the thousands of them get disrupted, they fly everywhere, get in the house, scare me, etc. So far I sprayed Raid near the tree, which didn't appeal to the gardener Husband, but didn't want to kill the tree and the grass (all we'd be left with is bugs for our yard), so I quit. Hopefully some insecticide will go down soon, although they are starting to become like pets to me.

La Casa Roja...

Here are the pics of our first house, all are pre-moving in... More before and afters later...

HouseWork

Still looking for ideas for our house, today I found these sites...

We're going to redo the tile in front of the fireplace when we refinish the floors, a combination of these Motawi tiles I think will be beautiful.





And for above the builtin bookshelves on either side of the fireplace, I think we'll remove the windows since they're never opened, and I'll commission some stained glass from this place, Stained Glass of McKinney Something like this, only probably a slightly different bungalow/arts&crafts/geometric design...

I want this

When we redo our backyard and install the pool, the brick patio, the wisteria covered arbor and the new fence... I want these: ambient lighting in the ground, what could be better??? Solar-powered brick pavers

Working: the Foundation

We've picked a contractor, our foundation will officially be repaired one week from today. Whee!! What was originally the "too expensive" item, has, after a year, become the only big item we can even entertain on our 7-page long list of things to do to this house... Built in 1924, the foundation is due its periodic repair. Grand scheme, we're VERY lucky it's only maintenance type stuff. And after myriad estimates for other work that have gone over $10,000, to have this project come in so much lower, is a relief.

And there's something kind of reassuring as well, that we're working on the foundation. Just the word 'foundation' is so strong, and so appealing to really give our house the structural support it needs, and that we need from it. It's almost a ground-up sort of feel, that by doing this we can proceed with so many of our other plans. It's the start of the next leg of this journey.

Basketball

I really couldn't care less about basketball as a sport. It started in California when I was young and my little private school was the state champion in it. I never cared, never was interested, an anomaly then I guess. But now with the NBA finals on, me on my computer showing my support to the home team, I step outside and can hear cheering down the block. I love this. I love living in a neighborhood where I can hear my neighbors, and love living in a town that has a team to root for.

In this old, historical neighborhood where my husband and I are struggling with our 'fixer-upper' - a topic that will duly invite many posts and pictures in the future - I love love love my house and my neighborhood. Love the idea of my neighbors drinking beer with their friends and hanging out on their large wrap-around porches, love that all the walls are so old and thin that we can hear each other in our living rooms. Love that I could hear my husband washing dishes before I walked in the front door when I came home from work. (the love that my husband was washing dishes at all isn't lost on me either) I don't think ever before, in this town that I've lived in for going on 13 years, I've been so pleased with our lot.

Ironically (I never use this word correctly), we got a ticket for violating city code today. Turns out it's our responsibility to keep the alley clear of brush and weeds. We didn't know, it's our first house. We have ten days to get it cleaned up. But I guess I'm happy, that the city even noticed, that even in a small, revenue-generating kind of way that the city is being cared for.