gmayeaux

Going underground…

It’s high planting season around here and that usually means a mad scramble to get the 450 or so plants we put in the ground taken care of. At present, we obviously have the 50 garlic (planted last October) growing and have planted 200 onions and about 75 potatoes. What’s next? We’ve got about 25Continue reading “Going underground…”

Tales from the renovation crypt

Now that the house and yard are nearly done from a whole-property, gut-job renovation, it feels like a good time to take a pause and think about the past – ahem – almost 10 years and what we’ve learned from nearly a decade of renovation. But to start, I will say this: while I absolutelyContinue reading “Tales from the renovation crypt”

When it rains…

Lately, Mother Nature has been on a tear. It has rained the kind of rain that farmers love once the garden is planted – a gentle, consistent rain almost every day. That means that the forest behind us is already filled in and a responsible citizen could mow the yard every 3-4 days. But let’sContinue reading “When it rains…”

Slipcovers anyone?

So, I have these four adorable cats. (Yes, I do know I’m just three shy of crazy cat lady.) Each of these sweet fur babies has a sad backstory. Essentially, they all came to be our pets because we found them wandering repeatedly in our backyard and eventually made friends through food and a littleContinue reading “Slipcovers anyone?”

A glass of wine and a measure of bourbon

We have been through new normal a couple of times in this family. The first new normal occurred after my husband crashed on his bicycle when we were dating. Fourteen broken bones and one ICU stay later, we had to figure out everything again from his recovery to our relationship to what his eventual newContinue reading “A glass of wine and a measure of bourbon”

Decisions, decisions…

So, one of the slight anomalies about my new life is that I still have this very small, thin tether to my old life. In a bit of a safety net move, I rescinded my full resignation in favor of a partial, no-obligation employment status. I work when I want for a negotiated fee. IContinue reading “Decisions, decisions…”

Are we there yet?

I keep asking myself, “have I adapted to being mostly retired yet?” and it feels like if you have to ask the question, you haven’t really adapted. Yet today, I’m confident: I’ve adapted well. The biggest clue? I don’t dread Mondays anymore. In fact, Mondays are really just another day in a list of sevenContinue reading “Are we there yet?”

Moving on…

For the past three years and in particular the last nine months, it’s felt like we have been trapped in a cycle of renovations. Nights and weekends, countless trips to the home improvement store, cleaning around construction materials and somehow fitting in pieces and parcels of life here and there. Renovations have been the tintedContinue reading “Moving on…”

Lawn mower revelations

To mow our rather massive yard, it’s a three-step process, although the order can be switched up depending on the circumstances. But first, there is trimming around all of the trees, gardens, structures and the house itself. The next step is to hand mow both the backyard portion that we use everyday and around someContinue reading “Lawn mower revelations”

Gratefulness as a lifestyle

This past weekend, it occurred to me that if I were to ever tick off the major things I’ve wanted out of life, I’ve been lucky enough to receive all of them. No, we don’t have untold riches by which we can retire and spend the rest of our days traveling and pursuing all sortsContinue reading “Gratefulness as a lifestyle”