The yard, in its current state

I’d like to take these random pink tulips.

And move them next to this random pink tulip.

I also want to move some of this groundcover around. There’s Sweet Woodruff, Vinca and Geranium Johnson’s Blue:

This Grape Hyacinth is cute but sparse. I’d love to fill in with more of it.

I tried to cut this Spirea completely down last fall but it came back all springy and vengeancey this year.

There are also groupings of Irises which only bloom intermittently, apparently they’re stubborn like that.

I really like this Jack Frost framing the gate but, overall would like for the fenceline to be neater and feel more purposefully landscaped.

I’m not a natural gardener. My grandmother was, and my mom has built an adorable potting shed to support her habit, so I’m thinking, with some research and gumption, I COULD become one. Turns out, most things I need to wait until Fall to move. But, I’m taking note of them now so, when September comes around, I can remember what was where and contribute to making next spring even more fabulous.

No, my biggest issue with our kitchen is its almost complete state of disrepair.

• The cabinet fronts are peeling away from the fiberboard underneath.
• The countertop has popped up in at least 2 places.
• There is layer-upon-layer of viscous paint on woodwork and trim.
• The ceiling is falling down.
• Where we had air conditioning installed above the cabinets on the back wall [the one you see first when walking in the front door] you are greeted with a feeling of suspended neglect: glue-covered drywall, insulation, an exposed pipe…

Those are just the cosmetic things…

• The track lighting (which you may remember is not my favorite anyway) has pretty well stopped working. This time of year, forget being able to see anything in the kitchen or pantry come 5 pm.
• The appliances are on their last legs. The refrigerator pre-dates Spencer. The water heater has outlived its life expectancy by half.
• The downstairs bath opens directly into it. While practical from a plumbing perspective, it is yucky to me for reasons unnecessary to outline.

All of those things are facts, not complaints. What if it had recently been re-done in varnished oak cabinets with shiny brass hardware and pristine green granite, and there was no practical reason to re-do it? The fact that it looks ok, and needs to be re-done because it is quite simply worn out, is actually good. I see tremendous, exciting potential here.

And, yes, back in the 80′s, someone thought it would be a good idea to allow a house to be built like 3 feet behind ours, resulting in the view out of my kitchen window being smack into my neighbor’s siding/our garbage cans. But the fact is, property in Boulder proper is at a premium, our location is within walking distance of everything fun to do in town, our street features lovely old houses shaded by mature trees, and, since the upstairs offers gorgeous views out of every window, I refuse to grouse. Besides, I have an idea of something to do about it anyway.

Ooh, and would love to hear your ideas as well, of course.

I DO dream of a complete and costly kitchen do-over, but I know there are things that can be done in the interim to improve its current disposition. I’ve started with a thorough cleaning and would love to move on to some minor repairs to the countertops, ceiling and lighting. Maybe some wall paint and a temp solution for the wall behind the AC unit above the cabs involving black foamcore and white milk paint and perhaps a stencil? Still thinking on that one.

So despite having big ideas (more on that in an upcoming post) I recognize the casa’s cucina as serviceable, light-filled, and happy. Pantry’s up next. Followed by one of my favorite rooms in the house, as is. And, seriously, what would you do with that view? Or that sad area above the cabinets?

A lot happened this year. Good stuff I’m happy about. I finally made it to Europe. Jay started a new company. But I feel, in so many ways, I fell short of much I had planned for 2011. It’s a new year, though, and I decided to stop self-flagellating back in ’08. So, for 2012, I have just one goal:

I’m hoping (just short of vowing) that all of the writing and decorating and creativity and love and goodness and fulfillment I seek comes out of this simple approach.

Side note: More before pictures of the kitchen coming soon.

I found myself at this website that is at once amusing, encouraging and an assault to the eyes. But the good news is it looks like it might be the answer to our problems. Since we sodded the yard toward the end of the summer, girthy raccoons have been making middle-of-the-night trips to flip over pieces of it to feast on the grubs and worms and whatnot living underneath.

Our neighborhood raccoons are not cute and cuddly.

They live in the sewer and are disgusting, ill-tempered and ambling. In addition to uprooting our yard, they eat our neighbor’s roof shingles and glare menacingly at Spencer when she comes in at night. If it’s going to take a purchase of coyote pee to deter them, I’m up for it.

I’ve posted before about my battle with the squirrels. And I’m fully aware that I live in Colorado where there are wild animals. They were here first. I’m cool with that. I just don’t want them messing with my stuff. I don’t throw apple cores on the floor of their tree nests or show up unannounced around dinner time at their sewer dwellings, have they no common courtesy?

Somewhat interestingly, one can purchase the urine of coyotes, wolves, foxes, bobcats and mountain lions-apparently certain types of pee work better in certain situations. And, for those of you who are wondering how in the world they collect it, well the site shares that too, although in a confusing, editorial manner. Read it and tell me what you think, are they really giving the animals beer and pretzels?

So I’m off to procure some pee. Will let you know how and if it works. And, just so you know.