The Story of Shiva

Shiva appeared on the curb in front of my friend Mary's house around the corner. Sarah and I were walking by and thought it odd that Mary would have him sitting on her little patch of grass facing her home. So we knocked on her door to get the scoop. Before Mary could answer, her next door neighbor poked her head out and asked us what was up with the statue. Apparently, she'd noticed it, too, and was on stakeout. So now Mary, her neighbor, Sarah and I are all on the stoop staring at Shiva. (I know his name is Shiva because I went to the Rhode Island School of Design Museum last year. They have a lovely Asian Art collection, and I read all the little tags next to displays, so there you go. There was also the biggest Buddha I've ever been in a room with there. I have a pretty good idea of the difference between Buddha and Shiva now.) Mary's wigging over her mystery visitor: Is it a gift? From whom? Is it an omen? Of what? Why is she the recipient of a Buddha? This can't be good. She wants it to go away, but is hesitant to even go near it.

Note: no one is even slightly interested that I know it's Shiva, not Buddha.

So, what should one do with an unwanted item on one's curb? Call Tim! He's the Mikey of the curb-shopping set. He skedaddled over, admired the lovely patina, serene expression, and suitability as a garden accessory, and instantly claimed Shiva as his own, saying "Oh, look, another Buddha for the yard". *sigh* He was obviously NOT reading the little tags in RISD. Shiva now chills on the rocks by the gazebo.

Before Photos!

As promised, before photos! I found these up in the attic. First, looking at the pond-to-be from where the deck will be. Some people just can't get enough of chain link fence.



This is the first version of the pond taken in 1999. We used a plastic liner that eventually deteriorated and got holes in it. We replaced the liner with a molded plastic pond-it's smaller than the original. Notice the red maple on the left. Tim found it in a pot next to a garbage pail on Clinton Street and brought it home for a second chance at life. The rocks came from train yards up in the Bronx. Apparently the Bronx is pretty rocky cause there was no shortage of 'em.



I took this pic from the dining room window, but now I think the above shot was from the second floor. Oh well. You can see the red maple has grown considerably. Tim's trying some bonsai techniques (see the ropes?) to train the branches a little more horizontal. He also cut back the red twig dogwood that's smashed against the bamboo fence yesterday. According to my handy BBG guide to Shrubs :"Shrubs such as red-twig dogwood, which are grown primarily for the decorative effect of young stems in winter, should be pruned hard in early spring to produce as many new shoots as possible"
Well, yesterday was technically still Spring (by the way, Happy Summer to you!) so we at least got the season right. Have to wait till winter to see our young stems' decorative effect!

Tune in next time for a found deity!

Hi!

OK, so Karen has pushed me over the edge. I've been pondering a blog lately with all the Web 2.0 going on at work, and her blog http://houseofcakes.com/ made me decide to do my own. I hope to document changes and improvements we've made. Relying on my memory just doesn't cut it anymore.

When we bought our humble abode in 1993, humble wasn't the word. Woeful was more like it: a weed filled yard, garage without doors, a weird rusted shed, and a house begging for some TLC. When we walked in the front door, the house was full of natural light and there was a great big yard out back. We were hooked.

Since then, we've planted trees, removed trees, planted shrubbery, removed shrubbery, you get the idea. It's been kinda hit or miss, but after 14 years, we're finally getting the hang of being Mr & Mrs Farmer Brown and enjoying our yard. Every day something new has begun, and I look forward to my morning walk round the house to see what's happening.

Some of today's pictures: We added the gazebo,brick pavers and stones last fall. That bed in front is geranium, iris, black eye susans, hosta (and an annual you can't see yet that might be castor bean? I saved the seeds and started it indoors this spring) that was planted in the fall, too. The lilac to the left was hauled over from next to the deck, and before that it came from my neighbor Debbie's yard when they put in their pool ages ago. Everything has a story, and I'm getting ahead of myself...

Now we're moving alongside Al's fence. Hate the fence. But my plants need the morning sun that comes through, and Tim & I can't agree on a fence, so that's how the view is for now. Grrr. The big hydrangea came from my sister-in-law Sharon's front yard. We found the urn behind my Uncle John's shed-he'd salvaged it from an old estate- and he let us drag that home. The stones are a story in themselves.

Lastly, here's the pond on the side of the house. Currently home to a goldfish and two turtles. I'll save the story about them for another post. Daniel just Thoro-sealed the foundation for us, so the red Buddha by the bench hasn't been put back properly yet. He sits with his legs folded and his foot is a little obscene looking where it is if you look quick, so I like to keep it PG and cover his lap with mulch. I'll be doing that real soon.

Close up-see what I mean??

Sorry to leave you with that image.

Tune in next time for some before photos!