Ta-da It's A Bench, Sort Of

What incredible luck. I didn't have to leave the yard to find the final piece for my garden bench. I found a piece right in my own workshop ... and trust me, it must have been cosmic karma because so much stuff got tossed in there over the winter that it's hard to wade through it. (I sometimes think my workshop is the dumping grounds for all the stuff the Hoarders TV show tosses out.)

I also found these hand-painted flower pots in there. I did these about six years ago and used them for a couple of years. They look kind of sad, don't they? That's okay though because I'll spruce them up sometime soon.

Meanwhile, I'm heading off to Lowes to see what kind of desert friendly potted plants will look good on my mistresspiece (That's the female version of masterpiece, in case you missed it.)

The Garden Bench Takes Shape

Remember what it looked like? That old art board? And those bits and pieces from a discarded garden bench found waiting for trash pickup?

Well, they are kind of pathetic looking still but any day now, they'll be recycled and reused in the garden areas outside my home.

After removing as much of the grit and grime and pieces of wallpaper covering as possible, I used some left-over Christmas project red paint to cover the drawing board another friend was discarding.

Unfortunately, the screws and bolts didn't quite fit in all the right places, probably because the original bench was made with slats of wood and the way the armatures are set up, they didn't like one big piece of flat board. But I worked around it, using wood screws in places where the original bolt-type screws didn't work.

They are refurbishing a place just a short block away from me so I'm off to see if I can find a piece of wood to use as a back for my new garden bench. As soon as I do, I will attach it and put the project to use.

Wish me luck.

Close to the Finish Line

Most people panic when their job ends. That's not unreasonable. Not only do people identify themselves with their jobs (I'm a bookkeeper; I'm a teacher) and losing that causes an identity crises, but also, most people need jobs to keep food on the table. Plenty of reason to get anxious!

I'm happy to say, being unemployed on my part, is a totally welcome situation. It's not like I have a ton of money but I do have enough to pay the bills, eat, and occasionally do something special for myself.

However, the best part of being without a job (some people call this being "retired" but that sounds too much like you're getting tired again...) is finally, finally having enough time to finish a half-dozen projects.

First up will be using those bits and pieces of the old garden bench salvaged from the landfill by my former co-worker and friend, Mike.

Look for a photo of the progress later today.