Finally some decent weather and Mom was able to work on the yard a bit. Shown here are some pics from the work done and we think it looks fabulous. Ironically while posting these pics, Mom’s facebook showed what she posted a year ago and it was pictures of the yard from 2017. One of these plants actually grows strawberries and in one of the pics you can see that at least one of the strawberries is getting ready for picking. This should be a great season as we finally begin enjoying the spring weather. With Mothers day just ending we still had flowers inside which made for a great spring setting!
Category: Home Improvements
Home Improvements
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Spring 2018
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The Wall Is Down 2016
After about 18 years the fence to the backyard was taken down and for the first time we saw the neighbors back their instead of just hearing their voices. We estimate the fence was put up in the mid nineties around 96-98 by James’ Grandma (on the Kleiber side). The neighbors behind us have lived their 17 years and have never seen our side of the fence so we know the fence is at least 18 years old, probably older. Speaking with our neighbors on this side of the “wall” we were all amazed that it has been almost two decades since seeing that side of the block. -
New Bed For James
James will be getting his new bed delivered toward the later part of the week. This puts him and Thelma on notice that the days of their small bed is limited so they are enjoying the last few days snoozing in the bed they both grew up on. The new bed (besides being bigger) has storage space under the bed so we hope this extra storage space will help keep his room a little more organized. Check out the pics to see the bed in action. -
Grandma’s Garden 2012
James and Dad visited Grandma’s house while Mary stayed home working a garage sale. Grandma showed us her garden which is on the tenth floor of the Garden City Tower. You can see the garden from ground level outside (as the last picture shows). Grandma has several different plants growing including peppers and tomatoes and does not have any worries about squirrels or chipmunks getting into her garden since she is so high up.The first few pictures in this gallery are of the entrance to where Grandma lives, a real nice lobby with fireplace and water fountain.
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Late Spring Snow Fall 2011
When you live in Michigan which is surrounded by the great lakes you can get snow almost anytime except summer. This is one of the reasons you can’t really do much gardening in April and according to the farmers almanac, you are not out of the woods regarding snow until Memorial Day (and I remember some close calls regarding snow even on Memorial Day). James took a break from his Easter activities and shoveled the snow which was nice, especially on Easter weekend. This little blast kind of took us by surprise and the snow just does not work with the Easter decorations.
However the people in the neighborhood who still have Christmas decorations are saying a big and collective “told you so” to the rest of us.
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Vinyl Siding 2006
I remember the day a salesperson (known as tinmen and they actually made a movie about them) came into our house and sold my father aluminum siding and awnings. It was a pretty good move, the awnings would keep you dry when going in and out of your house during rain storms, and the aluminum siding protected the wooden areas of the house and garage, protecting them from the elements. However after about 25 years, even the aluminum begins to fade and dirt becomes embedded in the metal so much that it cannot be scrubbed out. Sure enough, another tinman came around and sold us some more aluminum siding so we should be good for another 25 years.
I do like the new drains as they pivot up and down and can even be removed if you like for cleaning.
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New Cement 2005
For years we have been dreading this day since it is one of the biggest expenses you can incur when redoing a home! I remember when my father had it done, we used to have hardly a drive way at all, but my dad took care of that and had everything paved. Ever since that day it seems it has been my job to shovel the snow of it but thats another story. The cement was buckling from years of hot and cold weather so its something that really needed to be done. Hopefully this cement will last as long as the one my dad put in. After the cement hardened, James wasted no time setting up his play area on the new foundation.
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Leveling The Back Yard and Sprinkling System 2005
Years of different style gardens and trees had made the back yard a rolling terrain till we finally had it leveled. Another enormous job since just the year before we had a sprinkler system installed. The best thing was we were able to make a nice play area for James in the back, complete with wood chips just like they have at the park (we heard the rubber chips get too hot in the summer and can actually burn a child on a hot day).James seems to enjoy the new yard and it should be easier to maintain being level. Also there is grass to the fence so it should cut back on the amount of weed wacking that needs to be done. Got a big thumbs up from the neighbor on this one.
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Tribute to House on Tulane
The house on Tulane was purchased in 1956 by Charles and Loretta Kleiber who moved there from Sherwood Court in Dearborn (near the Beaumont Hospital on Oakwood). There are over 50 years of memories in this house. James’ Grandma and Grandpa Kleiber bought the house before it was even a city. It has undergone many changes such as aluminum siding, awnings, back porch, addition and various cement work and has always served the family well. The basement has always leaked, as many in the area have and it is technically in a flood zone, although the threat of flood is super remote at best. A creek about a mile away that we used to jump over as kids technically counts as a body of water which makes this home currently a poor investment since it requires flood insurance, a plan the Clinton administration came up with to finance the homes on the Mississippi that were constantly getting flooded out.To solve the leaking problem om the basement we have added Bee Dry system to the corners so that any excess water will go into the sewer. Since then there has not been any leaking. Bee Dry is not cheap, but it works.
