Saturday Project

Each year I try to do something productive with my tax return money rather than just whittling it away.  Last year I did landscaping and got new blinds.  The year before that I put my tax return money toward a new motorcycle.  This year I had a major car repair and got a new fence on the side and front of my house!  I have wanted to get a new fence for a few years now... the wood was dull, there were several broken boards, and I really wanted the fence moved out to the sidewalk so I could enjoy the extra space in my backyard.  Before, I had a 5' wide strip of grass outside the fence that I wasn't able to enjoy.  Now it is enclosed in my backyard, and I had room to have a second raised-bed garden put in.  I'm excited to be able to double what I can grow in my garden.

Staining my fence once it was installed seemed like a daunting task, but I knew I needed to do it in order to preserve the wood.  I solicited help from my mom and dad, and we spent several hours yesterday staining both sides of the fence (one of the downers of living on a corner!).  We lucked out with absolutely gorgeous weather.  Thanks mom and dad for all of your help - I would still be out there working if it weren't for you guys!


I love how everything turned out.  I have extra space in my yard, a new garden bed, and I love the color of the fence.  I have learned over the last couple years that doing outside projects is a fun way to meet new people!  I had at least 6 or 8 neighbors (most of whom I had never met) stop by while I was staining my fence to say hi, to ask about who put up my fence, what color of stain I was using, who did my landscaping last year, or just to compliment me on the work I had done.