A Heavy Sigh

 Life got you down?

I can happily say that that is a rarity in my life.

Life is not perfect, but most days it really is as though I am living with a rainbow over my head.

Lucky you say?

Not really, although choosing the right husband the second time around accounts for much of my good fortune, and I don't feel guilty about being happy considering that I was single for nearly twenty years between husbands.

Those single years were lean years, times of struggle without many rainbows.

You will think this sounds vain of me, but I see myself as smart... wily smart, not so much straight A achievement kind of smart, but a good choice maker in life kind of smart.  My husband says he thinks that I struggle with decision making, but that's only because I mostly allow him to lead the way, and it's not a man-woman kind of thing... me woman, you man, so YOU make the decision, it's really a case of my knowing that he makes VERY good decisions, and most of the time I agree with him, so I just sit back and let him go for it.

 So, last year he had all of this stonework done around the yard.... this wall was added around a planted bed area,

We talked about this together and were in agreement as to what work we wanted to have done.

 and he had the stone layer re-do our flagstone walkway so that it was now all level and no longer a tripping hazard, 

 and a nice wide, deep step was built up to the front porch so we no longer had to jump from the porch down onto the sidewalk.

 and at the back of the house a small patio was laid in flagstone to alight onto when coming down from the steps of the deck.
*this part of the plan was TOTALLY MY IDEA*

Now, back to the decision making; my husband is having the stone layer come in a couple of weeks to fix a few bricks that the basement walkout door sits atop, and also add more stone walls along the driveway as well as two stone columns at the entrance to our drive.  I'm not overly in favor of this idea, but the decision has been made by him.

There are instances when he just wants what he wants, and my opinion won't sway him,

It's not that I have bad decision making skills... it's simply that sometimes it's not worth an argument.

I mean is it really worth yanking on that rainbow?

*heavy sigh*

The Mailbox

Some things are simply over-looked for a VERY long time.

Sometimes it's the very first impression that people get of you and your property.

 Your mailbox.

 Ours was looking sad, abandoned perhaps?  Mistreated?  Forgotten about?  Left to rust?

 It was in dire need of a painting, so my husband took care of that and tidied it up a few days ago.

Now it's taken on a fresh new look, all for the price of... well... the price of nothing since we had a partially used can of black spray paint in the workroom.

I'm certain that our mail lady will be impressed beyond words.

 Rowdy and Izzy trotted most of the way down the lane with me as I went to gawk at the paint job that their dad had done.

 They're good pups and only followed me about three quarters of the way down the lane.  They never go to the road unless invited to do so or if they have their collars on, which signals that they are being taken for a walk on a leash.

 Rowdy stood at the side of the lane and appeared bored.

 Isabelle turned and headed back to the house.

 Then she stopped, turned, looked,

and waited for Rowdy and I to come along with her.

Rowdy simply stood, looking a bit bewildered that she was contemplating leaving without us.

Such a quiet life we lead, when walking down the lane to the road is something we blog about.