In The Middle With No Between

Welcome home Grandma (64) and Pop (66). They just spent about a week and a half on vacation. Some of that was driving to Florida most of it was at a favorite resort. They have done this before, but this time something was different.

For past vacations my brother still lived at the house and took care of it while they were away. Now he has his own apartment and the house he helps maintain belongs to his fiancé's Mother. He still does some little things at our family home and changes the window and door screens but he's not around much so I have taken over.

Starting last Summer, my parents asked me to water the lawn when they are at their Summer cabin and have started talking about the next step. As they get older, home maintenance gets a lot harder and they are thinking about selling and moving into an adult community within a few years. I am doing what I can with the Yard and in the house too. For example, I went and shoveled snow for them when I could this Winter. Yesterday, my plan was to be there when they got home to help carry the luggage in like I try to do over the Summer each week. They got home late the night before but still needed my help with some things.

Since I care for their lawn so much, along with Garden research and planning I have been researching Grass care and other general Landscape maintenance advice. Here at the Condo I recently purchased some basic long handle tools like a Shrub rake, a Leaf rake, a Hoe, a Garden rake (to even soil), a Cultivator, a new broom (you should have seen the old one!), and a Spade Shovel. I wish I had that shovel when I planted the Forsythia last year. I'll be using that to plant the Daylilies and Hosta here at home this year. My parents have their own set.

From Josh's Mom for Christmas I got a nice hand tool Gardening set so for my pruning and shaping needs I'm covered. The landscapers do the bushes. But I found myself eyeing the long handle Pruners and Shears by Fiskers at both Target and Home Depot. The ones my Parents have are my age and very rusty. They weren't that good last year so I finally caved and got replacements at Home Depot ($20 each). They are safer, sharper, and work better so I thought it would be worth it since I am going to be doing all the Shrub pruning with the exception of the very tall Hedges (it'll be great if my Brother offered to do that since it's the ONLY yard thing I can't do).

I also did a lot of other things to maintain the house. My High School friend is their landscaper and after planting beautiful English Laurels last year started to use rocks as a nice border but had trouble finishing it. I found the rest of the rocks to finish it. I got Blood Meal. That's plant food that keeps the animals away without harm to plant or animal. My Mom will appreciate it's effects at keeping the neighbors cat out of her Begonias this year. I used it on the plants that are there and the Deer, who have found my Yellow Pansies, have stayed away ever since. I also got new grass seed (Happy Birthday Dad) but Ted had just fertilized so I couldn't lay grass down while they were away. For Easter, I had gotten a hose attachment with 7 settings for different watering needs. I had been reading about different watering needs and think this will be easier then holding a finger over the hole. It's also better for the plants. We're all set for a great Yard and Garden season!

We also planted White Pansies by the front steps as a "welcome home" flower and Snapdragons next to the garage. I started my pots with pre-bloomed Daffodils. I'll be planting Daffodil bulbs in the fall and have mapped out the containers.

Container Garden both pots at the house:
https://workspaces.acrobat.com/?d=jWMeHXXO8IxynsFIsamQiQ

The big things I did were weed, pull up roots, and till both of my Mom's gardens and the space by the swings I have been talking about (those Pansies are doing surprising well). There were a lot more roots then in sounds. Two bags full of yard stuff were at the curb for pickup last week. They included the parts cut off with Tree and Shrub pruning from non-Spring blooming Trees (none) and Shrubs (3) as the pros recommend doing at this time of year. My Mom's gardens are ready for planting!!!

I was in the middle with no between. Running between houses at least twice a day but not between. I usually enjoy my walk to their house and often on the way think about a lot of things. Most of these trips were by car because I knew I'd be too tired for the walk. The nursery is near my apartment and on the way so quite frequently I stop in thinking of my own garden. But at some point I got so wrapped up in this it became the only thing on my mind, the personal to-do list in both places.

I enjoyed taking care of as much as I could in both places (including the recycling and garbage at my parent's house and other indoor things). Both homes look great because of my hard work. My own garden looks beautiful and during their vacation planted Snapdragons as a placeholder for next years Daffodils. I also planted Daisies and used more of those tools preparing the ground. I used the hoe to remove as much of the wood chips as I could from the sections with plants planted in the ground (or where there will be plants.) That's what killed the Pachysandra it was always wet on the bottom it was too high and led to a fungus. I cultivated that soil, raked the leaves and rocks, and used the garden rake to even and spread the soil. It's all ready for the Daylilies and Hosta next week. The total rang up at 7 heavy bags of just woodchips.

My parents are in the middle. They are getting older and struggling to do these things but aren't too old for a lot of things. For me, there is no between. It's my job as the kid that has the time to be there, thanks to being a SAHM. I do everything I can to make them feel like they can still stay in that house. I enjoyed doing all those things during this time like I enjoy taking care of their place all Summer. I will never be able to even rent a house of my own so this is a place to use my skills and pretend it's my house. It will always be my house. I do these things with love.

I'm 32. I'm somewhere in the middle of my life but I don't know what will come next so there isn't a between. There isn't a "between now and _____" because we don't know what's up ahead. All we have is right now. Right now, I work hard so my home is the best it can by while my childhood home remains a place I can go. When that isn't an option, I don't know how I'll handle it. But I doubt it will go well. I know that decision is up to my parents but I want them in walking distance and living in a beautiful house full of irreplaceable and wonderful memories. As I did all those things I kept reflecting on childhood memories of the younger versions of my parents doing those things. Weekend leave raking was always family fun! That's how it should always be. Maybe it's because I'm a child at heart but I'll leave you with this thought:

"You might be too old to make the leaf pile but you're never too old to be in it"