Big Doings At The Bassett House

 1/11/2021

After months of waiting, due to schedules and weathers, the tree man came today! So to my neighbor, who is afraid of one of our trees falling on her house. How do you like me now? There is a lot of noise, when you take this many trees down.

We have used this tree company before, and they are nothing short of amazing. By the time they leave today, there will be evidence that our trees were ever in the ground. I haven't gone in the backyard, because I don't want to have the girls running away, when the gate is open. So, I'm watching through my windows, and now they are feeding branches and trees, into a grinder. Such fun. This kind of fun, unfortunately, is costly. But, in the end, definitely worth it.

Our kitchen window is quite long as well as high. When we moved in, some 30+ years ago, the neighbor behind us, had his kitchen window facing ours. Totally unacceptable to this California woman, where privacy is key.

So, to fix this problem, Jeff and I planted Leland Cypress trees across the entire backyard. And, for many, many years, the trees gave us privacy in the kitchen. Flash forward to the here and now, and all of those trees are being taken down. When we moved here, everybody toted that these trees, would make a nice and high barrier against our neighbor.

What they didn't tell us, and it's a biggie, that these trees should be topped off at some point, to keep them from growing too high. Since we didn't know this, the trees kept growing and growing. From time to time, Jeff would cut off a dead branch, but that's all the maintenance, we ever did. 

We learned our lesson about this type of tree, which is shallow rooted, when a tree company came out, to look at the trees. It was deemed that the trees, all of them, had to be taken down. This was a bummer, but this wasn't a verdict that we didn't see coming. Jeff says that only two trees have been taking down completely, and it changes the look in the yard. So no privacy now. 

I think Jeff and I will wait until spring, to plant something in the yard. Perhaps a wall of holly plants. We have a holly bush tree in one corner of our backyard. It's still thriving. Downside? trimming a holly bush is near to impossible. Oh, you can trim it, but then you have to pick up the fallen branches. And, that my friends, is not an easy process.

The other news, is that I can't manage my new  iPhone. When Scott joined AT&T, he bought his family, and ours, new phones. I had an iPhone, oh 4 or so years ago. This was Bella's puppy stage. At that time, anything she could reach, or pull out of a trash can, belonged to her. When we discovered that my cellphone was missing from the counter, way in the back, then a search began. Yes, we did find the phone, but she had chewed on it, and put into dirt. This was a phone that wasn't coming back. My old phone was (a) smaller; and (b) easier to use. I knew that technology of a cellphone was newer, but didn't believe it would be hard to use. And I was wrong. I even bought a dummy book for seniors using an IPhone. First thing, was this new phone was waaaaaay bigger and heavier than the one I had years ago. But, initially I sat down with phone in one hand, and the book in the other. Unlike, my old phone that had a button the bottom, for turning on and off the phone. This one doesn't have that button anymore. And, try as I might, just couldn't understand any of the function buttons. I finally called "Uncle", and the phone is now put away. Jeff reminds me, and he's right, that, for the most part, I'm never alone. And, therefore, have no reason to have and/or use a cellphone. I just wanted one.

For the last few days, I've been cleaning out my closets. And, I have several large plastic bags to donate. I had many clothes that were just too big, some I didn't like anymore, and unfortunately, some that were still too small. I decided, that keeping clothes that were, at the moment, too small, was not a reason to keep them. When I donate these clothes, whoever buys or gets these, will be very happy.

Next project, shoes. Ugh. Over the years, all of them, I had small and narrow feet. Currently, somehow my right foot is now bigger. It makes no sense to buy shoes that I can no longer wear, so I'll just donate them. It's not like my right foot is magically going to get smaller! I wish.

Have to close now. I have a doctor's appointment in a few minutes.

P