A look back a summer

September 27, 2015

I love everything about autumn. Cooler temps, cleaner air, beautiful colors. I get energized by autumn. It's usually the time of year we do a lot of home and garden projects. Note the word "usually." This year was very different, and I say that with gratitude. As of yesterday, we crossed off another major item on our To Do List and now we will enjoy the fall with little to do except sit on the patio or a porch and sip a beverage. 

The projects began back in May with another visit by the tree trimmers and then swapping out a tub for a walk-in shower. It was a necessity for the man of the house and I confess I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I knew I'd adjust but after four months I admit I rather like it. I'd thought I'd have to get a smaller dog, one I could wash in the kitchen sink, but with the walk in shower another Lab is possible. Yes, if any dog wants to sleep on the bed, they must be bathed on a regular basis. 

The shower was quickly followed by new shingles on the shed roof, removal of the roof ridge vent on the house and repairing the roof (no more leaks! and no more fucking ridge vents EVER!), new gutters and downspouts, a new sliding glass door for the sunroom, composite deck boards on both front decks, burying a discharge pipe to carry rainwater father away from the house and down the hill, painting the trim on the shed, and lastly, painting the house shutters. 

Oh, and don't forget setting up the pool and then taking the pool down. And buying another Charger. And the man's cataract surgeries. 

No wonder I'm tired! 

Surprise! 

My slush fund is down thousands and I don't mind a bit. The money was well spent. Yesterday morning we enjoyed our coffee on the sunroom porch and agreed that, come next summer, we won't have a lot to do. Of course, we know that living in the woods is full of surprises. Mother Nature can drop a surprise big limb in your front yard while you're in the middle of composing a blog. 

Next summer will surely bring something. Thankfully, the slush fund should have time to recover by then. And with any luck, we'll be recovered, too.  

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks

ACBW - Who has fleas??

August 28, 2015

I'm working hard today. I had a big shipment come in yesterday, so today is see how much I can get listed. I need some $$$. I want to go to the fleamarket this weekend and I won't go unless I have some cash. I'm not into browsing.  - Brenda Williamson

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I haven't been to a real flea market in ages. Mostly because I don't have any money either :( .  I blew my wad of cash on the John Deere.  - KC Kendricks

Waiting for snow

January 24, 2015

The weather reports sounded dire. Snow. Sleet. Freezing rain. It was to begin at 4:00 pm on Friday. Then it was 7:00 pm. Then midnight. 

I went to bed without snow. 

Yesterday, my beloved drove the John Deere onto the patio and parked it, this so neither of us would have to trudge about in the snow behind the shed to get it started this morning. We anticipated putting that four-thousand dollar snow blower attachment to good use. After all, the Weather Channel predicted snow. 

It's now 6:45 am Saturday. I'm still waiting for the snow. And daylight to see the snow.

Dear Jim Cantore - I won't be pleased if when the daylight arrives I have no snow. 

KC
http://www.kckenricks.com 

The Kendricks 500

May 11, 2014

This is blog No. 500 here at Between the Keys. I wanted to mark the occasion with something special but several weeks of serious consideration hasn’t produced many suitable ideas. Between the Keys is where I lay it all out – all the personal stuff, all the opinions, all the gripes, all my hopes for those I love and for the future. I wanted blog #500 to be something profound.

I’ve concluded I should tell myself “Good luck with that” and move on, so I will. At least a wee bit. Bits and Pieces that is.

It’s Mother’s Day here in the US of A and I plan to go see Mom and take her a card. I generally search the racks for the perfect card but I never seem to find one that satisfies me. Mom loves every card I get for her just as I love (and keep) every card from her. I don’t think it’s a prerequisite for her to like them just because she’s my mother but maybe she thinks it is. This year it’s a Hallmark card, but some year’s it’s been Dollar Tree. If the message comes close, then I don’t care about anything else.

Changing gears, we’re now the proud? owners of a John Deere 1023 sub-compact tractor. I’ve bought cars with 15x more horsepower for a lot less. The spousal unit is happy. Me? I can see where it will make life on the mountain easier, but damn. There’s gold plating somewhere on that bitch. Has to be for the amount of money we shelled out on it.

A few years ago one of my sister-in-laws gifted us with a yellow lilac bush. It’s blooming and it’s purple. Go figure.

I just finished a story called Dreams to Sell . Dreams to Sell is about finding your dream house and someone to share it with.

If you’ve followed along you know I like American muscle cars and NASCAR. I’ve watched Danica Patrick with interest and she’s doing pretty well this year. It’s tough to be a lady and like fast cars. People think you’re crazy. No. It’s the vibrations. (just kidding) Being backed by Tony Stewart is a plus for her, too.

The sun is shining and the front porch is calling to me to take a cup of coffee outside and watch the grass dry. So this is it for the Kendricks 500. Maybe by the time we reach 600, I’ll find something profound to share. 

KC Kendricks

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