We have now lived in our current house for about 3 and 1/2 years. We built it and for the most part I have been very pleased with the house and the choices we made. However, our backyard concrete pad is very small and I would really like to expand it, so we can put a patio table on it. I was raised eating the majority of my meals outside in the summer and I want to pass that onto my kids.
So, this the year to expand the patio, purchase a table and as a side note, buy a play set for the kids. I have spent countless hours outside rethinking how big to make the pad. I want it big enough for fun but not so big that it takes up too much grass/play space. I don't want stamped, colored concrete, just a plain normal big useful pad. I am losing sleep over this. How big to make it?!!
My other frustration is the patio furniture. I was raised with a flagstone table. It was wonderful because it was left outside all winter and no weather could destroy it. Come rain, snow, strong winds the table was solid and indestructible. I want that kind of table and I am having a very hard time finding it. I have gone to all of the patio furniture stores and they all look at me like I am crazy. So, Monday morning starts the calling of all the local stone places to see how much it is going to cost to have one custom made. If I lived in Colorado, I could go to a place in Lyons, CO pick out the table I wanted and they would deliver it. So far, no such luck here but hopefully, Monday something will turn up in a reasonable price range. And reality is that if I get too many distractions from my kids, it might be more like Tuesday or Wednesday before I can make the call.
Oh, last but not least, I have an annoying backyard neighbor who yells directions to me over the fence. He is an older retired gentleman who has plenty of time to be annoyed by anything me or my kids do. He has reminded me more than once, that anything we do, he will have to look at. He currently HATES our "just grass" back there and has already told the Home Owners Association (HOA) that our backyard is too plain and not up to his standards. So, on top of all of this, once my decisions are made, I have to submit it all to the HOA for approval, so the backyard neighbor, when he submits his complaint (which he will do regardless of what we do), will just have to deal with it. Wish me luck.
2 comments:
I have a great iron table. It's sturdy, will not blow over in the frequent wind, and I leave it out all year.
How did I miss this post?
Ugh. Sometimes I think old people have nothing better to do than complain--and I mean that in the nicest way b/c some of my favorite people are very old. But that's all they do--complain.
Good luck with deciding what to do and on your table search. Aunt Robin has a table in her family room and a matching one in her dining room that is iron (?) with removable rock slabs that are pretty solid and heavy duty. Do you know which one I'm talking about? Anyway, that came to mind.
Post a Comment