 |
| View of the Side Yard from Inside the House (Love those flowers!) |
This is the view of the side yard from inside the house - from the dining room windows:
 |
| From the First Window: Euphorbia Plant Blocking Part of the View of the RV |
I moved the lace curtains aside to take the picture; I usually keep the lace curtains drawn even when I open the drapes during the day.
This is from the second window in the dining room:
 |
| Another Euphorbia Plant Providing Privacy |
The black thing behind the wall is a tarp covering the RV to protect it from the rain; I usually keep the drapes drawn closed on this window. Why am I so concerned about privacy? The RVs (there are two of them) are not just parked on the driveway until the neighbors go on a trip. There are people living in them; they are being used as rental units, I believe. The windows in the RVs are high enough for people to see over the wall. I like to think that the euphorbia and the lace curtains block their view at least partially.
Oh, Bless, how you do go on about that side yard of yours!
In other news, today, Monday, I woke up with a slight headache (blocked sinuses, probably due to the pollen count being high) and took it easy in the morning.
In the afternoon, I had an opportunity to be a helpful neighbor! Neighbor S's mother-in-law has been in ill health and in and out of the hospital recently. Today, there was a truck delivering some medical equipment to them, except, no one was at home to accept the delivery! Neighbor S called me to ask if I could accept the delivery and keep the items in my house until her husband comes home in the evening, and of course I said yes. So, the delivery truck driver brought the items in and there were eight pieces of equipment, including a wheel chair, a shower chair, a walker, a bedside commode, an oxygen machine and an oxygen tank! I quickly moved the sofas and coffee table to make room for the items and signed for the delivery. Later in the evening, neighbor S's husband came over and took the equipment to their house, making several trips to get all the items. Still later, neighbor S called to thank me for agreeing to take in the delivery for them and I told her that I was happy I was able to help. They are always bringing me food and it was neighbor S who took me to the hospital in the middle of the night when I had my sciatica pains a couple of years ago; I will not forget that!
I started the car in the afternoon (I really need to drive that car, even if I have no place I need to go right now) and walked for 20 minutes. Later, I cleaned the fridge, emptied all the waste baskets and kitchen trash can, took the yard waste bin, the recycling bin, and the trash bin to the end of the drive way for trash collection on Tuesday morning, and ran the dishwasher. Made a meal plan for the week, too, although I was rather uninspired when it came to deciding what to cook!
If anyone is joining me in the cleaning cycles, this week's room/area is the dining room and laundry room. My dining room is at one end of the living room (open plan house) and the laundry room is a closet sized space adjoining the family room. I plan to clear the dining table (I have my sewing machine set up on it, currently), change the table cover, dust the furniture, and see if I can declutter a couple of cookbooks! The laundry room doesn't need a lot done - just wipe down the appliances and sweep the floor; maybe declutter some hangers, although I tend to use them all when I hang up the laundry to dry!
Brunch today was the last of the leftover ramen noodles. I was going to make fried rice for dinner, but, when it came time for dinner, I settled for scrambled egg on toast instead! There was cake, too!
Today, I am grateful for:
- An opportunity to help neighbor S and family
- A sunny day
- The car started!
- Weekly trash collection services
- Working appliances
Today's joyful activity was video chatting with my daughter.
Plans for Tuesday include some housekeeping and watering the houseplants.
How was your Monday? What are your plans for Tuesday?
You have nice views out your windows into your side yard. I hope you pull the curtains back and take a peek every now and then.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do, June. :) I open the drapes of the first window every day and I can see our through the lace curtains(but, it's harder for anyone to look in through them, unless it is evening and I have the lights on).
DeleteI am glad you went on about that side of your yard:) I will write about neighbours today. And i do love that Euphorbia. To have a cactus tree... i love it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jozien. :)
DeleteI totally understand about guarding your privacy as my garden is overlooked and we became acutely aware that we were being watched last summer when we used our new garden furniture. I've just bought a large parasol so we can't be seen from the neighbour's upstairs windows. It's nice for you to have those good neighbours who will help each other when needed.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you bought a large parasol to screen you from your neighbor's view, Eileen. The house behind me has an upstairs and they have full view of my back yard, too. I haven't noticed them watching me, though.
DeleteMaybe you could plant a row of euphorbia along the wall to block the RV view? It's a lovely plant, I've never heard of it. It and the flowers make a pretty view.
ReplyDeleteNow that's a good idea! I currently have 3 of the euphobia (E. tirucalli - also known as pencil plant and there is a reddish version called 'firestick') growing along the side wall, but, I can plant additional cuttings in between! They grow fairly quickly.
DeleteThe above is from Celie! Forgot to log into Google.
DeleteHi Celie! I wondered who it was! :)
DeleteI can see why you want to have the Euphorbia and lace curtains drawn so no one can peer in from above in the RVs. The flowers are sweet. That was good that you could help S by taking in that large delivery for her. Were you surprised at how much there was?
ReplyDeleteI didn't do a lot today, just little jobs, including making up hummingbird syrup and putting out one of the feeders. I feel sure they will show up soon and I will put out the other two feeders when they do.
There have been times when I've looked up from sewing at the dining table or sitting outside to see a face looking back at me from over the wall! It was a bit disconcerting!
DeleteI was happy to help S. Yes, I think we were all a bit surprised at the number of items! S told me it was an oxygen machine and I was expecting one item, not 8! Even S's husband was surprised, so I don't know who ordered the supplies! I suspect his sister did or perhaps the doctor did.
All those little jobs add up, though, don't they? I'm sure the hummingbirds will appreciate the syrup you provide, especially after their long flight north. :)
Nice views. Like you, I'd keep that curtain closed. Are they supposed to have people living in them? Glad that you were able to accept the delivery for your neighbours.
ReplyDeleteOur housing situation is so dire here that there are whole neighborhoods with RVs parked on the sides of the road with people living in them, Sharon.
DeleteI was happy I could help out my neighbors by accepting the delivery for them. S and her family have been such wonderful friends to me over the years.
You were a good neighbor and friend to take delivery of neighbor S's medical equipment. It really helped them out.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it was quite the delivery!
The Euphorbia do a nice job of adding to your privacy. I would certainly be taking the same efforts to aid in my privacy especially with people living in that RV.
I like privacy too! Everyone is different though. My old boss preferred no window coverings on any of her windows. We would often talk about it since we had such opposite preferences - she would tell me stories of how her son would hide behind his cereal box in the morning to keep the bright sun out of his eyes while eating his cereal lol. That's how she prefers it as she feels almost claustrophobic with curtains on the windows while it just makes me feel cozy and happy.
It's quite common in this area of the country to have uncovered windows. I would feel like someone was always watching me but that's just me. It is interesting to ponder how different home environments evoke different feelings for different people.
You are so good to stick to your cleaning schedule like you do.
I'm finishing up my month-long mulching effort so I'm just doing the minimum in my house. It's all picked up and straightened and pretty much clean but No extra deep cleaning efforts have been made on my part lately.
But the end is in sight and I am thrilled. I feel like my time will be my own again in just a couple of days and that will feel like a gift.
I've kept with my plan to get it all done while it's still nice and cool in the mornings. It's 52 now. Time to get to work.
I was happy to have been able to help out by accepting the delivery. The delivery driver considered it very irregular and was very apologetic; I told him it was OK.
DeleteWe planted 3 more euphorbia cuttings along the rest of the side yard wall, yesterday. I like to have the drapes open (with lace curtains in place; I'd feel a bit too exposed without them) during the day as it lets in light. In the evenings, I like to close the drapes. Back in Sri Lanka, it was common to have drapes in most of the doorways, as well. :)
Thank you, re. sticking to the cleaning schedule. I'm a bit behind on the daily cleaning, but, the dining room has been dusted, vacuumed, the table cleared, and a new table cloth has been spread. I didn't declutter any cookbooks, though!
Sounds like you are very busy with the garden! Well done on all the mulching! I'm sure it will help in the summer. I still have three bags of mulch up on the patio roof! :D I'm sure it will be a matter of time before something starts growing in them and I'll have a roof garden! :D
It was good of you to help your neighbour like that. They do say that if you show kindness it will be returned to you. X
ReplyDeleteI was just being neighborly, Jules; we need to be good neighbors and help each other from time to time. :)
Delete