About Me

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I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 53 years, two years after we met at college. I taught in both middle and high schools as I really love teens and in-betweens. I was also a certified Lamaze instructor, and for a short time a volunteer chaplain at Howard County General Hospital. I am a two-time cancer survivor, ovarian (2003), and breast (2019) I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs with great parents, in a bilingual household. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, the Orioles, and sometimes the Ravens. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy (Kath), and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader, cook, photographer, lover of languages, music, and four-footed furries.

Translator!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Part I - The Patio

We'd been experiencing a plethora of problems with our paved patio and had a few estimates to replace the pavers with blue stone.  We received an estimate from a nursery that had done some work for us before that was so angering and outrageous that we refused to even look at the plan.  I could have built an addition for what he proposed.   He wanted to pour concrete over rebar and set the blue stone on top.  Total overkill.  And it's not what I wanted.  I wanted sand and finer crusher run with the blue stone placed on top.  Just before we were to begin the project ourselves (yes, ever-testing the bonds of our marriage!), Jen, who works with us, suggested a friend of hers, Jeff Gaeta of Gaeta Scapes (get it?).  His estimate was more than fair and we engaged him.

A new friend has breakfast before work starts...sorry about the glare

Jeff and his crew begin clearing the old beds

3 comments:

Gigi said...

I can't wait to see the finished product! Gardens are good for the soul. :)

HappyK said...

The finished project turned out beautiful. I am honored to be the first guest to sit out there with you!! :-)

Gin said...

How fun to get a new patio. It's projects like that, that keep us going!

P.S. I love the big guy in your intro photo!! He must have been curious about your little turtle stepping stone. How cute is that!!