“Do what you love, love what you do, and with all your heart give yourself to it.” ~ Roy Bennett

I had a day off and I made the most of it! The weather was a balmy 78 degrees here in Alabama. Besides my regular routine of laundry on a Monday, I spent time working outside in the yard.

My hedge trimmers were buzzing away as I whacked at the hedgerow — well, what bits of it I could reach. As I worked and worked, I got more frustrated. I don’t know what kind of bushes these things are but they send out runners which grow quickly and grow to be quite long. They shoot up from the middle of the bushes, looking quite spindly as they hang over the sidewalk and the driveway. Being a short person, it is difficult for me to reach the tops of the bushes. As I whacked and whacked away, I got more frustrated. Finally, I stood back and looked at these bushes. Bushes that were planted many years ago and had become overgrown when I bought the house three years ago. I made a decision.

I really don’t like these bushes at all. They provide some privacy from the street but that is the only good thing about them. I would much rather they not be there at all. I have decided to cut them off with the chainsaw and dig up the roots and replace them with roses, or a mix of roses and lilacs so that I’ll have flowers in the spring and during the summer. Life is too short to plod along surrounded by bushes you can’t stand in a place you call home.

After venting my frustrations on the hedges, I got my new electric mower out and played with it for a bit. I removed the mulching attachment and side blower and put the bagging attachment onto the back. It did a bang up job of getting up leaves so I can pile them up and burn them. Nothing smells like fall except pumpkin spice and the smell of burning leaves. The heat, the crackle of the leaves burning, the bright glowing embers as darkness sets in — all combine to comfort my soul.

I have realized how much I enjoy and have missed working in the yard. It gives me a feeling of contentment to work on my home and turn it into MY home – a place of rest and relaxation that reflects my taste and style. To that end, I also spent time arranging the furniture in the living room.

I had purchased a sofa to replace the antique one that was irreparably broken by my daughter and her friend. (Note to self: do not attempt to scoot an antique sofa forward while sitting on it.) Now that she is no longer in the home, I feel free to buy nice furniture and accessories without worrying about her purposely breaking it or tearing it up. (Yes . . . she did that.)

I wanted a sofa that was firm but comfortable and easy to clean. Wayfair had just the perfect sofa and it met all my requirements. An area rug from Home Goods and a wing chair from the thrift store complete the sitting area.

Now I just need a sofa table to go behind the sofa and a small spinet piano or even an upright piano to go against the wall and my room will be complete. Guess it’s time to start perusing Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

Do you buy everything and then decorate the room, or furnish the room piece by piece? Where are your favorite places to find bargains for decorating?