Tara shared this funny quote with me a few days ago:
Half of home ownership is fixing the previous owners’ mistakes.
Bingo! I recently complained about a few of Dick’s questionable landscaping choices–namely the wild ginger, dead nettle, and lily of the valley, which have spread uncontrollably across large sections of our yard. Removing it has been a chore…but the effort is worthwhile, because beneath all that tangled overgrowth?
There are some pretty nice features. Dick, it turns out, was quite the stoner.
When we first bought our house, for instance, most of the stonework around our lower pond was covered by grass. Only the row closest to the water was visible; I was mowing over the rest, completely oblivious that it was even there.
It’s like that in many areas of the backyard. Like an onion, you just need to peel back the layers. There have been a bunch of accidental discoveries, hidden features that have only recently (and after much pruning and digging) come to light.
Our ultimate goal is to clear this entire area and start fresh:
Will this be an easy task? Hell, no. In addition to the invasive stuff Dick planted, there’s Virginia creeper, horsetail thrush, creeping Charlie, Dame’s rocket, dandelions, poison ivy (of course), and a whole lot more–but getting rid of all that will expose the rocks and allow Tara to focus on planting groups of perennials, i.e., plants that won’t be hell-bent on world domination. There’s also a little waterfall that empties into the pond; we plan to extend it so it runs the length of the bed and underneath the bridge before cascading into the pond. We’re pretty sure Dick had it set up that way once upon a time, until age and invasive plants put an end to that.
My back hurts just thinking about all the work involved, but when it’s done, we’ll have quite the backyard oasis.
I want a Moth Sausage t-shirt
So many bloggers were raving about this Netflix movie called Remarkably Bright Creatures, I decided to give it a try. I was dubious at first; the whole talking octopus angle seemed ludicrous to me…but it works. It’s actually a beautiful film, very emotional and heartwarming. There aren’t a lot of big names other than Sally Field, who is perfectly cast in the role of Tova Sullivan, the night janitor at an aquarium housing Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus whose riffs on humanity are spot-on. It sounds odd, and it is odd, but in the best way possible.
Also, I want a Moth Sausage t-shirt. IYKYK.
That Netflix subscription is really paying for itself these days. I’ve been finding random movies to watch after idly scrolling, and there hasn’t been a dud yet. The Fundamentals of Caring, a 2016 road trip comedy-drama starring Paul Rudd as a disabled kid’s caregiver, is another thumbs-up recent discovery. It’s wildly funny but also deeply touching. Wildlife, a 2018 family drama set in the 1960s, features Jake Gyllenhaal as a prideful but emotionally distant man who impulsively leaves his wife and son to fend for themselves while he’s off fighting a wildfire in the Montana backcountry, forcing the poor kid caught in the middle to walk a tightrope as their marriage crumbles. It’s sad and powerful and moving.
My god, who am I anymore? Back in the day, I gravitated toward action films and supernatural thrillers. If there were a Gyllenhaal in the pic, she’d be showing off cleavage. Nowadays, I appear to be drawn to critically acclaimed human-centered dramas. I’m more into Cannes than cans, you might say. Is this a sign of maturity? Or am I just turning into a big ol’ sap in my advancing years?
Have you ever had to fix a previous homeowner’s faux pas? Are you a fan of Marcellus or any of the other movies I mentioned? What types of films appeal to you?
Mark My Words 
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