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Our backyard

Yes, this is the sad state of our backyard…

The ground cover


Agreed. Our backyard could use a comb over.

Why is our yard in such a curious state?

We have this great big hill as our backyard. The top of the hill can look over our roof. We decided wisely that we needed a ground cover that is low maintenance. No one would enjoy mowing a lawn on such a slope.

We found the perfect ground cover known as the Red Apple (Aptenia cordifolia). In addition to being green year round, the red apple has these pretty little red flowers.

Pretty tiny red flowers


We quickly discovered a problem. These pretty flowers attracted bees in the summer. These bees put everyone on edge during our summer BBQs. We decided to take the red apple ground cover out.

We didn’t immediately take up rakes and shovels to get them out. Our laziness convinced us to just turn off the water and let the great California drought to take our plant out very slowly.

Our patience was paying off. Sort of.

The left side of our yard has rid itself of the plant completely, but the red apple on the right side of our yard has survived its ordeal. It is rapidly making a comeback, aided by the start of our raining season.

I stared at my backyard often and shook my head in puzzlement.

The mystery was solved on a Sunday morning.

A loud sounding of gardening work woke me up on Sunday morning. I was annoyed at whichever inconsiderate neighbor. I peeked out the window, and saw that we were that inconsiderate neighbor. It was our gardeners making all that raucous mowing the lawn and blowing the leaves. Our gardener rarely showed up on the weekends, they usually do their yard work unseen on a Monday or Tuesday morning.

I decided to go down and get some coffee.

I looked out the kitchen window, and saw the boss gardener standing steady on our hill and spraying generous amounts of some liquid all over the condemned ground cover in a very systematic manner.

I ran out into the yard, and asked, “What are you doing?”

My gardener turned, and replied, “Fertilizer!”, then announced with a big smile,”Your plant was dying. I saved it for you!”

Related previous posts: Our Apple Tree
Wildlife Reservation in our Backyard

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Category: Humor, Parents  One Comment

1st Diaversary dessert and candle

What is this diaversary, you ask.

Well, it is the first anniversary of my baby’s diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes.

WHY would anyone want to celebrate a disease!! You ask.

Well, no one asked if we wanted this disease, but no one said that we had to be sad about it either!

December 4th, 2013 was a date that my family will never ever forget. The diagnosis was earth shattering, emotionally traumatic, and mixed with sky high anxiety. Life was never the same again, and it took us a long time to find our new norm. But we learned to be comfortable, and even happy again with our new norm.

When December 4th, 2014 loomed close, I knew it was to be an important date that we can’t just pretend to forget. I have told my children that if they get to chose between being sad or being happy, always choose happy! So, we celebrate.

We went out and splurged on a fancy dinner at our favorite Steak House. We didn’t stop here either.

The following Sunday, we invited the baby’s close friends over for a Christmas party in honor of her 1st Diaversary.

Sweets!

The healthier table


The kids played games, painted each other’s faces, rode skateboards out in front of the house, then they made sugar cookies, cut them into Christmas shapes, baked, and painted them with icing.

Home made Christmas cookies


As I watched these kids all giggling and smiling, I looked toward the future. I pictured my child away in some college campus, and on a perhaps cold December day, she would hold a hot drink in her special cup, and will look back on her memorable Dec 4th date, and find something to smile about.

Cup with engraved diaversary date

Previous related posts: A Bad Ass Sickening News
Walking Can Cure…
Sweet for Your Money

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Category: Parents  One Comment