Pilings, a Shed & Love. Oh my!

Our first priority, to make America secure. Hurricane season has passed, and our basin is a hurricane hole. Regardless, Tom wants to protect his girl. Well, I should say girls – which includes America, Me, Midget, Georgia, Tiny and Mookie. Funny, if you know him, you know he has always enjoyed his girls. I digress. Storms and winds are our primary concern, we need taller and sturdier pilings. Of course, Tom expected we would do it ourselves. What?!? This made me wonder, should we tackle that job ourselves?? After a little research, he estimated the range to have them installed at $500-$1,000 a piling. We needed at least five now, but will have to install at least 21 more. My perspective changed, of course we could do it ourselves!

Tom watched You-Tube videos. If inclined, you can learn to do anything (or learn what not to do) by watching a video. He purchased the materials, set up the equipment, got the excavator ready, and called me out. I don’t ask many questions, which is beneficial to both of us. He doesn’t like to waste time explaining, and I really don’t want to know what I have gotten myself into.

With a little excavator leverage and our determination, Tom’s plan should work. To me, it sounded simple enough, right?? Now, for any of you that know me….you know I have a very difficult time being told what to do. This was going to be interesting. With a bit of a learning curve two pilings went in without a hitch. It was the third that gave us the test. I flunked….I almost fell in and ended up marching off muttering under my breath. After that, Tom hired someone for a few hours and sunk that impossible one, plus another. It was a success!

Next, a shed. We need it to house Tom’s beloved zero-turn John Deere, his tools and my garden supplies. He designed for temporary storage use, but his end vision was as a cozy mini cottage floating on the river. On a Friday, he asked me to find old windows and doors. That weekend, I discovered a yard sale around the corner selling the ideal materials. We didn’t need it all, but couldn’t pass up vintage stock. After stuffing the back of the Ford Edge and my trailer full…..once again, we felt blessed and led.

The shed features French windows, a nine light glass door, tin roofing, and port hole for an attic window. How fitting. As most of our plans are fluid, the future use of this shed has changed many times. Our final decision, it’s going to be MY future potting shed/ chicken coop. I can already see the front workspace with chippy painted furniture, a chandelier and vintage art and the rear being a cushy chicken haven. Here’s to baby chicks in the fall!

Tom and I are task masters and have a habit of working all day long attaining our goals. We make an effort to remember to recognize beauty, participate in hope and celebrate life. We are sure to take time to read scripture to one another, enjoy al fresco lunches and marvel at the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Most of all, we are grateful for our time spent together and love each other every day with full hearts.