"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a pivotal stroke of luck." -Dalai Lama
^ We planted this paperbark maple in Year Two when it began its life by casting a tiny puddle of shade for the babies' sandbox. Now at its mature height, it's just the right size and I adore it.
^ Though the patio has changed several times, this winding path of step stones goes way back. I installed it during the first summer we lived here, and the little ten year old girl who had become my neighbor and constant companion complimented me on the way I'd laid out the curves. "That makes it look more mysterious,' she opined, and I often remember her feedback and smile.
^ This back section of the garden along the back fence has been through many changes, though the same old flower friends turn up again and again in its composition. Those shasta daisies have been falling over from the rain for decades now, just like my mom's and my grandma's always did, and I don't know which one of us was the more exasperated.
^ Our first-born was almost a year old when we bought a truckload of "one man rocks" with which to build this retaining wall. My husband spent many weekends that summer puzzling over how to best fit the rocks together, and when his parents came for a visit, he and his dad spent hours moving this one and that, aiming for German perfection. I love that my father-in-law's handiwork lives on in my yard.
^ This purple clematis is a wildly cascading lady, and in her earlier days, her vines piled up on top of the trellis, making a nifty little cave in which the cats loved to sleep. My husband built the trellis with his own two hands, using plans drawn up by yours truly.
^ During midsummer, the flowers in this part of the garden take a breath, and gear up for their mid August displays. The climbing rose survived the house painting, and in other news, despite many other easier options for watering holes, Gracie prefers to drink from this fountain.
^ In her lake house, my mother's entry way was covered in fairly large, naturally shaped pieces of slate and it was her pride and joy. With the gift of her inheritance, I had our patios rebuilt with similar stones, and every day as I cross back and forth across these stones, I think of her and her beloved slate floor.
* * * * *
"Well, here's the thing," the pool guy said. "All in, you're looking at $250 to $300 grand."
And the most shocking thing about that statement was that I plowed on, undeterred by the fact this man just informed me that the in-ground pool of my dreams would cost me somewhere around a third of a million dollars. My husband would die if he knew how quickly I began mentally calculating which assets could be cashed out and how much this expenditure would affect retirement plans: I was still very much in the game.
"That includes our construction costs," he continued, "and also your electrical work, your gas hookups, disposal of the dirt we remove, and landscaping costs after we're done."
"Oh, haha," I responded with a cheerfulness edged in mania. "At least I can save a little money there. My backyard is already landscaped so I don't have to worry about that."
"Umm," he replied carefully. "I don't think you understand. Putting in a pool is a major construction project, and the existing landscape is going to be gutted. That's flowers, grass, bushes, possibly trees, as well as your pavers or patio stones. We'll try to protect your driveway but we can't make any promises."
Annnnd that's where he lost me.
Yeah, I want a pool. But at the cost of the thirty-six years of blood, sweat, and overspending at the nursery that I've invested in my beloved gardens?
Absolutely not.
We chatted on for a few more minutes, but as if a switch had been flipped in my brain, I had already moved on.
An in-ground pool is now officially out of the question. I don't even want one, if it means losing a single flower bed.
So now I pivot.
Stay tuned.
* * * * *
I'm a lake lady and I need water.
Follow along as I try to make my pool-owning dreams come true.
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