Yesterday I spent many hours puttering in the yard and getting some much needed chores done.  I'm easily diverted from the task at hand, and so my gardening tends to be a little random.  Hanging up a new wind chime led to clipping the dead leaves off the Pink Lady lilies, which led to moving the fire pit which led to cutting up some old branches which led to pulling up some way-too-tall weeds which led to cutting back the dwarf Bartlett pear tree which led to putting up my patio umbrella, etc etc.  I managed to get many, many things done, but if I had made a plan and stuck with it I might have gotten even more done.

Whenever I work in my yard, I always end up with the strongest feeling that all my neighbors are watching me from their windows and they take turns being the one who might have to call 911.  As I came out of my garage, I could have sworn I heard someone say "Betty!  He's bringing out the ladder!  Come quick!  This could be good!  Plus, he's wearing FLIP FLOPS!  Whose turn is it to call emergency services?"

On the plus side, I probably won't have to lay in a heap on the ground for too long, wondering if someone will find me.

What a lovely weekend.  The weather is warm and gentle, the evenings are cool and relaxing and while I will greatly miss the cold weather and rain, I look forward to the days ahead of BBQs and drinks in the courtyard with friends and music playing in the house with all the windows open.  And is it just me, or does food taste better in the summer?  Corn on the cob, summer squash, blackberries, hamburgers, etc etc. 

And does anyone out there have a truly great recipe for sangria, one they can vouch for?  I've only had swill when it comes to sangria and I'd love to know how to make it properly and wow my friends.

It's Easter Sunday and I feel like an utter heathen for not going to church today.  I had many weak reasons, but I should have just gotten myself together and gone.  I decided if I wasn't going to take care of my soul, I would at least be productive and work around the house, so I dragged out the power washer and did some more cleaning of the 8,000,000 bricks in the courtyard.  I have to admit, it's looking more and more awesome all the time.  I should have also mowed the lawn, but it's such a boring chore and I can always do it next weekend.

How to spend the rest of the day?  Maybe music and reading and laying about.  But first...shower.

I recently came across a Karcher K3 pressure washer for a really good price, and I'd been thinking about buying for for some time, so I decided to go crazy and buy it, wild man that I am.  Yesterday was a beautiful day and I was finally able to get it out of the box, put it together and take it for a spin.  Now, I'm not one for power tools because I'm likely to lop off a few fingers or screw my shirt to the wall, so my expectations of the Karcher K3 were rather low.

However...WOW.  It may be the coolest tool I own (which isn't saying much, but still).  I washed all the bugs off the front of my car, washed the side of the house, cleaned the gates to the courtyard, sprayed the driveway, etc.  But the Big Event was cleaning the moss off the bricks in my courtyard.  Parts of the courtyard only see sun for a few minutes a day even in the summer, so much of the moss has been growing since the Eisenhower administration.  No, I'm not kidding.  My new friend the Karcher K3 took off layers of moss and dirt and gunk and I couldn't have been more impressed.  Naturally, I also managed to spray mud and dirt all over the place and make a huge mess because would it occur to me to move the patio furniture first?  No, it would not.  I also ended up covered in dirt from head to toe, and it was totally worth it.  I only managed to get about 1/3 of the courtyard clean because it's a big job, but I eagerly look forward to my next session with the Karcher K3.  Seriously people, it rocks.  

You can borrow it if you like, but I can't promise you won't get a lecture first about its proper use.