Rockin' Out!

It's finished! Well, almost . . . .



When Chris and I began talking about our backyard garden as we moved into this house, it always felt like a "someday" project. Then, this spring we decided to get it together enough to plant, which we did just in the knick of time. Through the summer we added the fence, the trees and some additional landscaping.

It has always been our plan to put rock veneer over our existing concrete retaining wall, but that was on our 2011 list. Until, a few weeks ago, when we had a "what the heck" moment and decided to just do it.

Before we began working with the stones, we had to level out the face of the concrete wall with some concrete blocks. Boring work, but fun to get over with and onto the next step!





Once the wall was level, we bought our first load of stone veneer.



Each stone was unique, so we had to trial and error through the process to find the best fits. It was tricky, but very gratifying to puzzle everything together.



The concrete slowly disappeared . . .





until it was gone.



Now came the fun part. I hate to brag, but I am quite the mortarer. I think I may have missed my calling.

Chris was pretty good at it too.





And that's it! So, much to our surprise we're a few simple steps away from having our garden FINISHED! We never thought this would happen, but very much look forward to the feeling of completion.

We plan to build steps in the next few weekends - that's the only remaining major project left. We decided not to use the stone steps we originally bought - so you'll soon see what we've opted for instead. Then, next spring we plan to landscape the area around the steps, and get a fountain to enjoy while we sit in our little garden.

At Home

I've very much enjoyed following a blog another local couple is writing about fixing up a home they recently bought in Hyde Park - a neighborhood we considered when we were looking for a house. I love their description of how they ended up making the decision to purchase their urban fixer upper, and frequently reference it when people ask how we ended up settling in this neighborhood that we've come to love so much over the past 18 months.

Once upon a time -- that is how all stories with happy endings begin, so we hopefully and earnestly proceed -- a man and a woman, very much in love, dreamt of dwelling in a home with slightly more space. More space to be, more space to raise a family, more space to host friends and family. Longing for space, they were challenged by the roots they had planted in carving out their place in the city -- a street of good neighbors, in an urban neighborhood that felt like living in a small town.

A place where people know one another, not just because they live close to one another, but because they live closely -- invested in one another’s lives and well being in a place of both rare beauty and occasional danger. This useful setting, with the tension necessary for actions difficult and improbable, is how slightly over a year ago a crumbling 122 yr old house became our odessey. This is our story.

Dwelling: 3918 Holmes St.
(http://web.me.com/webslingermd/Dwelling_3918Holmes/Welcome.html)