The formal living area is just off of the grand entry and features custom woodwork around the windows, crown moulding, a wood-trimmed fireplace and gorgeous white and gray marble floors.

Home has enough space to entertain, yet is still perfect for a family

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© 2013 Corpus Christi Caller Times. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Master Gardener Janice Sather has overcome many challenges while landscaping her property.
(Full-size photo)

Janice Sather was a frustrated gardener while living in Alaska. The short growing season and temperature extremes made it awfully hard to pursue her love of plants.

When she and her husband, Curt, moved to the Painted Hills area of Spokane Valley in 2007, she traded that frustration for a new challenge:

How do you create a pleasing landscape on a barren, sloping three-quarter-acre lot that has rocky soil and is frequented by deer?

“We basically started with nothing,” Sather said. “There were ponderosa pines, grass and weeds in our backyard and that was it.”

She had a few ideas about how she wanted the yard to look but knew she needed some help. That came from Nate Lynch, owner of Special Additions Landscaping, who was referred by a local nursery. He put in a rock staircase, paver sidewalk and rock walls, which provided the structure she needed. He also installed the rock features needed for an attractive waterfall that cascades into pools of water.

Other help has come from Sather’s brother, who built a deck, and her husband, who is a welder. He made a 7-foot-tall steel fence to enclose their front yard and many sturdy plant supports. And the three of them teamed up to make a few raised beds.

Sather became a Spokane County Master Gardener three years ago and has used a lot of that knowledge when choosing plants for her garden.

“I was so excited to be in Spokane because it has a lot longer growing season than Alaska,” she said. “I’ve tried just about everything I could get my hands on but have focused on native and drought-tolerant plants because I don’t have an established irrigation system in the back.”

She has planted a wide variety of drought-tolerant plants that includes hummingbird mint (Agastache), beardtongue (penstemon), mock orange (Philadelphus), ocean spray (holodiscus discolor), oakleaf sumac (Rhus trilobata), spirea and yarrow.

Then there is the problem of deer, which come freely into the unfenced backyard.

“I have a lot of deer, so that’s been a learning experience through a lot of trial and error,” Sather said. “I’ve done pretty well finding a lot of plants that are both drought-tolerant and that the deer won’t bother.”

The deer have primarily nibbled on the shrubs, so she has put wire cages around them to help them become established. The only shrub the deer have left alone is an oakleaf sumac.

The plants they haven’t bothered at all include those in the sage (salvia) family, stonecrop (sedum), Apache plume (fallugia paradoxa), globe mallow (sphaeralcea), buffaloberry (shepherdia rotundifolia), catmint (nepeta), rabbitbrush (chrysothamnus nauseosus) and skullcap (scutilleria), which is a groundcover.

Despite the deer problems, she has intentionally planted for wildlife. Sather has put in plants that provide nectar and cover for different animals to enjoy. Hummingbirds apparently appreciate those efforts.

“I have more hummingbirds this year than ever,” she said. “They’re constantly around and even land on me. I think I must have the happiest hummingbirds in all of Spokane.”

Her main sources for native and drought-tolerant plants are Desert Jewels Nursery in Spokane, Plants of the Wild in Tekoa, Wash., and The Friends of Manito plant sales.

Sather has sage advice for others with challenging landscapes:

“Work with what you have. If you think this is the type of landscape you might want, be patient because native plants take time to get established,” she said.

Susan Mulvihill can be reached at inthegarden@live.com. For a more complete list of drought- tolerant and deer-resistant plants, visit susansinthegarden. blogspot.com.

Back when I was a county agent, I learned a trick to help farmers and ranchers save 75 percent of their time, effort and water by establishing alfalfa with seeds. The trick was to delay planting this perennial feed source till late August. Think about it, in August, the soil is warm. If you apply water to this warm soil, the alfalfa seed quickly germinates, and by October an established crop is ready to go into winter. If farmers and ranchers plant in the spring, they had to water and care for their crops throughout the heat of the summer. This trick can be applied to gardening and landscaping as well.

If you’ve been procrastinating putting in a new lawn, now is the time. Your soils are warm. With a little water, grass seed germination takes place much quicker than in spring when the soils are cold. Most lawn grasses, and especially Kentucky bluegrass, performs at its best in the cool of the season. Sure, it’s hot now, but we’re heading into the cool of autumn, and by October the lawn you planted in August will be fully established. The same goes for sodding a new lawn. Planting now will save you enormous amounts of time and water compared to a spring time planting.

This is also an excellent time to be planting trees, shrubs, perennial flowers and ornamental. Plant food is made by the plant itself through photosynthesis – the conversion of sunlight into glucose (plant food). Most plants are done growing for the season, but they are still photosynthesizing and storing this plant food for the long haul of winter. Their energy levels are at their highest levels of the year right now, making for a wonderful time to plant. They will easily establish themselves before winter sets in at a fraction of the water and your time. As a garden center owner, I know that the 2014 crop of trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses are ready now at a time of year when most people are done gardening.

In other words, right now you have the pick of the litter, so to speak.

And if you want a late autumn harvest of veggies, consider planting spinach, radishes and other cool season crops like carrots and lettuce now. The same trick applies: warm soils, quick germination and heading towards the cool of autumn. Late season veggies, by the way, are much tastier than spring grown veggies because in late autumn they store their plant sugars for the onslaught of winter. That means sweeter food for you and your family.

So whether you’re a savvy gardener or a procrastinating one; now is the time to do some late season gardening for great results.

The Saugus Economic Development Committee held a public meeting at Fox Hill Yacht Club Aug. 19 to hear resident input on the future of the town’s waterfront area.

The brainstorming meeting was the first phase of the planning process for the redevelopment of the waterfront area, which includes Ballard Street from Eastern Avenue to Route 107 and Route 107 from the Belden Bly Bridge to the Revere line.

Economic Development Coordinator Bob Luongo described the area, which is bordered by both Lynn and Revere, as a “gateway” into Saugus. He emphasized the importance of public participation in the planning process for the area, which he described as “not very large but important.”

“The hard part is getting a plan in place that everyone can agree on,” Luongo said.

The room was filled with well over 100 town officials, representatives from different organizations, business owners, and residents.

“I’m overwhelmed by the turnout,” Luongo said. “It shows that the residents of Saugus are concerned about what happens with the community. I’ve been doing this for a long time and this is one of the best turnouts I’ve ever seen.”

Those in attendance gathered into brainstorming groups by table, with one person at each table chosen as the presenter. 

Each group discussed the strengths of the area and the opportunities for development, as well as the weaknesses of the area and any threats that could affect development.

Some of the strengths that most parties agreed on included the strong public interest and community support for the area, Vitale Park, the connection upriver with the Iron Works, access to the Saugus River from the ocean, access to the MBTA and access to Boston.

Speakers mentioned improving views of the Saugus River and historic value of the river as strengths of the area, as well as the natural state of the area and Wheelabrator’s wildlife sanctuary as positives.

As the representative of her table Selectman Debra Panetta pointed to the improved infrastructure of the area including the recently paved Route 107 and the opportunities for recreation such as boating and kayaking as positives.

Among the opportunities for the waterfront discussed were the possibility of rehabilitating distressed properties, improving the appearance and landscaping of the area and improving infrastructure down Route 107 to spur development.

Many saw the potential to encourage small retail shops and a small fish market as ideas to explore. Others suggested building hotels and setting up restaurants in the area.

Some thought that connecting the town’s rail trail to the waterfront area could prove valuable.

State Rep. Donald Wong, R-Saugus, spoke about the potential to set up fishing and lobster businesses along the waterfront.

“We used to be the lobster capital of the East Coast… what happened?” Wong said.

Another suggestion was a casino on Route 107, which was met with a largely negative response from the crowd.

Some viewed the economic opportunity for increased property values and tax revenue for the town as a positive, while others saw increased taxes for residents as a negative.

Weaknesses of the area the groups touched on included the river’s need for dredging, distressed properties, illegal dumping and litter, flood-related issues, pollution from and the physical appearance of Wheelabrator, the cost to taxpayers, lack of parking for commuters and visitors, the current lack of restaurants and retail shops on the waterfront with the exception of a tackle shop and the lack of regional and community cooperation between Saugus and Lynn.

Another concern raised was the lack of fuel docks and other facilities to support recreational boating.

Saugus River Watershed Council Executive Director Joan LeBlanc brought up the disturbance of the natural flow of the river and elevated water temperatures from industries along the waterfront as weaknesses.

Other threats to the area brought up included flooding, traffic, the loss of wildlife, the search for funding for the project, the possibility of adversely affecting property values and the possibility of eminent domain takings.

One of the most agreed upon threats was the mosquito problem. Several groups brought up concerns about mosquitoes in the area, particularly at night.

Speaking for his group Selectman Stephen Horlick said West Nile Virus is “one of the biggest problems” in the area.

Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian agreed, saying it was important to tackle the mosquito problem so families feel comfortable coming out of their homes at night.

Some speakers expressed concern that unfavorable businesses might come in if the town established mixed-use zoning on the waterfront.

Luongo said the ideas from the brainstorming session would form the foundation for the planning process. He added that the meeting was the first step in the process of establishing goals for the waterfront area, devising a concrete plan and implementing the vision.

Town Meeting Member Jean Bartolo said the area is “long overdue” for revitalization.

“I personally would really like to see condos just like in Pickering Wharf,” Bartolo said. “Throw in studios for young artists and restaurants… the possibilities are endless.”

Horlick said he was impressed with the turnout and the fact so many residents shared their thoughts on improving the waterfront.

“I want to thank everybody that came out today,” Horlick said. “When the community gets together like this it shows they care about this area.”

Panetta also pointed to community support and involvement as one of the greatest strengths of the town.

“I was really excited when I walked in and saw the number of people here interested in the betterment of the area,” Panetta said. “People were engaged tonight.”

Other officials in attendance were Board of Selectmen Chairman Michael Serino, Selectman Julie Mitchell and representatives from the offices of state Sen. Thomas McGee, D-Lynn, and state Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein, D-Revere.

The redevelopment of the waterfront area is one of the first major projects the Economic Development Committee, which was formed in May under the direction of Town Manager Scott Crabtree, has decided to pursue, according to Luongo.

Luongo said the cost of the project depends on the plan for the area and any issues that arise as the plan moves forward.

Once a plan is developed and all the issues are hashed out there will be an opportunity to look into different sources of state and federal funds, according to Luongo.

 

Burnt grass patches around neighbourhoods are a common sight during the seventh lunar month, and landscaping companies say they increase the workload by at least 10 per cent in terms of man hours to re-turf these patches for town councils.

• PHOTOS

SINGAPORE: Burnt grass patches around neighbourhoods are a common sight during the seventh lunar month, and landscaping companies say they increase the workload by at least 10 per cent in terms of man hours to re-turf these patches for town councils.

These landscaping companies need to have an extra pair of hands to tide them over the month. 

Work includes having to replace soil and plant new grass to turf over the patches, which take about a week to fix.

Meanwhile, Monday’s haze scare has prompted a temple to put in place contingency plans to control air quality. 

It has put up banners to encourage people to burn less paper offerings, and discourage them from burning plastic bags that hold these offerings. 

Cho Peng Weng, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery’s project manager, said: “Normally, what we’d do is that we’ll stop for a while, basically, until the haze condition gets better. Then only will we continue with the burning.

“We’ll stop, maybe, for an hour. If after stopping for an hour, it’s still bad, we’ll still continue to stop maybe for another half hour or so, then we continue with the burning.”

– CNA/al

MINNEAPOLIS — Another summer racing by; so many plans, so little time, but this summer is different for Janie Waldron.

“My neighbor he goes, ‘What did you win the lottery or something?'” she says. “I sort of did. I won the time lottery.”

While her neighbors toil at their jobs, Waldron has been home most of the summer transforming her simple Linden Hills yard into a showplace, complete with rock wall, stepping path and a rain garden.

Now the clincher: She did it while earning her full salary and benefits from her employer.

“Oh, it’s a total gift,” she says. “It’s a huge gift.”

The gift giver seems delighted with the reaction of his employees.

“I think people were stunned more than anything else,” says Stuart D’Rozario, president and executive creative director at Minneapolis advertising agency Barrie, D’Rozario, Murphy.

Last spring, as the agency headed toward a cyclical lull in business, the agency partners gathered their employees and gave them something quite remarkable — time, KARE-TV reported (http://kare11.tv/14c313E).

D’Rozario’s message to his workers: “You have 500 hours of your life back, figure out what you’re passionate about and go and do it.”

BDM’s workers were told the 500 paid hours were theirs to use. The one option they weren’t afforded was to do nothing. Instead, they were told to seek out something they’d always wanted to do, but hadn’t had the time.

D’Rozario smiles, “That’s like four years of vacation in one Minneapolis summer.”

BDM partner and executive creative director Bob Barrie admits to skepticism when D’Rozario first approached him with the idea.

“My initial reaction was, ‘You’re crazy, right? Are you seriously suggesting this?'”

D’Rozario reasoned the agency had built up a comfortable cash reserve in its first seven years. BDM’s existing clients would still be serviced, but the agency would delay efforts to attract new business until the 500-hour project was complete.

Barrie says it wasn’t Stuart, but his wife, who finally brought him around.

“I said, ‘Why do you think we should do it?’ And she said, ‘Because you can.’ And at that moment I realized that was the best reason of all.”

With Barrie fully on board, BDM employees were off to pursue their projects. One of them was Kim Schmitt, the agency’s finance controller, who grew up in the city always wishing she could be around horses.

With her 500 paid hours Schmitt spent her summer volunteering at Sundown, a shelter in Hugo for horses neglected and abused.

“So why now?” she asks rhetorically. “It’s because I had the opportunity. The opportunity was pushed on me.”

The opportunity was “pushed” on all 18 of BDM’s employees, who spent the summer doing unexpected traveling, making music and putting paint to canvas.

Barrie, the initially skeptical partner, picked up a brush for the first time in years and renewed his passion for painting.

BDM account director Andrew Langdell designed a hands-free dog leash he hopes to market.

Mary Pastika, an agency project manager, made pottery and furniture.

Art and creative director Steve Rudasics — who commutes to the agency from Seattle — instead stayed home for the summer recording on video moments with his three children.

“My project is basically replacing ‘I wish I had, with I did,” he said in video chat from his deck in Washington with a son and daughter by his side.

Rudasics still did some agency work from home. D’Rozario says the expected ratio was 25 percent agency work and 75 percent personal project. In fact, the agency was buzzing only on days when employees gathered to present ideas for their projects and share their progress, which happened every few weeks through the late spring and summer.

A couple of times BDM actually turned down opportunities to make pitches for new business, which Barrie says was difficult, “but we had made the deep dive into this.”

Even BDM’s freelancers were included in the project. Freelancers like digital designer Natalia Berglund were “hired” for 100 hours, only to be given that time back for their projects.

Berglund used her 100 hours to create her first sculpture, using her two daughters as models. Her emotions showed as she spoke of the opportunity given to her by the agency.

“It’s just the generosity,” she said, “trusting the people to do something good with this time.”

D’Rozario spent his 500 hours working on three projects: a squid cookbook, a musical album and a book he’s calling “3 Bits of Advice,” in which he solicits random secrets of success from high achievers in various fields.

“If the only thing that comes out of it is that everyone got time to do great things and have an amazing four months which are the best times of their lives then that would be well worth it,” D’Rozario says.

The 500 hours came to an end the first week in August. The BDM office is again buzzing; the race of commerce back on.

But scattered about are subtle reminders of the rarest of summers — a bandaged blister on a keyboard from landscaping, callused hands on a calculator from wrangling horses and videos of laughing children pulled up on a work computer.

D’Rozario believes the 500 hours will make the agency better, but that was never the explicit purpose.

“Honestly, my big hope for this is now that they’re back, people realize, the things you wanted to do, you could always be doing and find a place for it in your lives,” he says.

Year after year we let the sun go down on dreams because we can’t take time. Maybe it’s time to start giving it.

___

Information from: KARE-TV, http://www.kare11.com

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Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tags:
business, minnesota, updates

Now, Santa’s Battle Wagon and a team of 12 robot reindeer occupy a patch of lawn near the pool, while a 50-foot-tall, 54-ton robot made partly of junked electronics diverts attention from the tasteful desert landscaping.

And forget about playing a few sets on the tennis court.

“Now it’s elf village, with post-apocalyptic extraterrestrial nuclear elves,” Kenny Jr. said, leading a visitor on a walk through a landscape resembling the set of a Tim Burton film. Wearing a beige shalwar kameez and a long, untrimmed beard (he became a Muslim a decade ago), Kenny Jr., 39, had the gleeful smile of a child given a very large sandbox to play in.

Georgia Eisner, his older sister, recalled how, years before he took over the backyard, he would appropriate her possessions as material for his art while she was away at boarding school. “It was clear my typewriter ended up in one of his structures,” she said. “My shell collection disappeared. He glued it to the wall.”

Remembering her exasperation, she added: “I would think, can’t I have a normal brother who plays sports? He was the weirdo that was always off playing by himself and talking about outer space.”

Kenny Jr.’s ideas come in a geyserlike rush, he explained, inspired by vivid dreams of aliens and distant planets. His main challenge is keeping up with them. “The amount of energy that goes through me is absolutely, utterly relentless,” he said. “Think of it as the floodgates are unleashed and the flood doesn’t ever stop. It’s been that way my whole life.”

For several years, his creative energy has been channeled into Robo Lights, the ever-expanding holiday display he began in 1986, at age 12. Last year, 20,000 people visited the sprawling installation, which features Santa’s Pink Robot Store and a manger scene with baby Jesus wearing a Sumo-style topknot and wise men bearing gifts of toy microwaves.

Twin Palms, the estate Frank Sinatra owned one block over, grows paler as a neighborhood attraction every year.

In October, an indoor version of Robo Lights will be on display at the American Visionary Art Museum, or AVAM, in Baltimore, said Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, the museum’s director and founder. Kenny Jr.’s work will be part of an exhibit on technology called “Human, Soul and Machine: The Coming Singularity.”

“Kenny is one of a handful of people who continue to fascinate me,” Ms. Hoffberger said. “There’s a lot of sci-fi work out there, and it tends to look alike. His work looks like no one else’s.”

LIKE A ONE-MAN RECYCLING CENTER, Kenny Jr. collects old phones, cassette tapes, wood, the innards of slot machines, garbage can lids, pool filters, a neighbor’s wrecked glider, an air compressor from a commercial building — anything he can get his hands on, basically — and using multiple cans of Touch ’n Foam sealant, gives form to his visions.

His sculptures have a Seurat-like quality: a pink Clydesdale looks monumental from a distance; up close, its hooves are revealed as boxy computer monitors, its noble head a printer and fax machine glued together, its mane a tangle of power cords.

Aliens, robots and monsters appear in Kenny Jr.’s work with obsessive frequency. But he maintains that his inspiration doesn’t come from comic books or B-movies. His robot sculptures are “instantaneously generated creations that go through my mind,” he said. “I know exactly what they look like, and I make them.” (An interest in the far-out is perhaps hereditary: Kenny Jr.’s paternal grandmother was a singer and bandleader whose 1969 album, “Into Outer Space with Lucia Pamela,” a jazzy account of her “trip” to the moon, is a cult classic for its wacky naïveté. Tony Kushner wrote a play about her called “Flip Flop Fly.”)

Kenny Jr. beamed into the larger culture briefly in 2010, when Conan O’Brien asked him to design the holiday set for his talk show. The host appeared delighted with the results (Godzilla wielding a candy cane; a Christmas U.F.O.), though it was hard to tell if the creator was in on the joke. In a backstage interview, Kenny Jr. answered Mr. O’Brien’s sardonic questions about “Mr. and Mrs. Sanmagnetron Claus” with deadpan sincerity, seemingly oblivious to the incongruity of a man in full Islamic dress designing Christmas decorations.

Judged against its current surroundings, Ron Druker’s
proposed building in Boston’s South End fits in about as well as a spaceship in a cornfield.

The 11-story office and retail building at 80 East Berkeley St. is designed to be modern and bold, and it would tower over the low-rise industrial and residential buildings that surround it.

But within three years — about the time it would take to build it — this corner of Boston is slated to be transformed. Scrubby lots will be replaced by several large-scale buildings with more than 1,400 new homes, restaurants, shops, and a Whole Foods grocery store.

“Our building will be contextually compatible with the new zoning and all of the proposals under consideration in the neighborhood,” Druker said of his $150 million project.

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“We intend to be the gateway to a new part of the South End.”

Redevelopment of this part of the neighborhood between Washington and Albany streets was painstakingly planned during three years of community meetings held by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. The process resulted in new guidelines to allow buildings as tall as 200 feet. Now, Druker and several others are following through with proposals for major developments.

Some projects have already been issued permits and construction has begun.

National Development is building
Ink Block, a multibuilding complex with 471 residences, a Whole Foods supermarket, and shops at the former Boston Herald headquarters.

Work is to start soon on 380 homes and stores at 275 Albany St., and another developer is seeking approval to build 560 apartments at 345 Harrison Ave., currently occupied by the Graybar Electric building.

Each of those projects would feature multiple buildings between five and 20 stories, meeting many of the goals of the planning study, which called for “opportunities for a broad range of business development, including retail, office, manufacturing, and related commercial uses.”

Druker, who hopes to start building next year, is the only developer so far to propose an office building. During a community meeting Wednesday, his plan did not sit well with everyone. Several people complained the building would overshadow their homes and create more traffic problems. Others praised the proposed design and said the building would bring welcome activity to a dead spot.

Druker previously developed Atelier 505, a residential and retail complex on Tremont Street in the South End, and Heritage on the Garden, residences and stores on the edge of the Public Garden, among other projects.

His plan for 80 East Berkeley St. fits within the new zoning limit of 150 feet. The property sits on the corner of East Berkeley and Washington streets, where the residential South End meets parking lots and buildings from a bygone industrial area. It is currently occupied by an auto detailing business.

Druker and architect David Manfredi, of Elkus Manfredi Architects, outlined plans Wednesday for a 308,000-square-foot building with ground-floor retail spaces. One or more of those spaces could house restaurants, with seating spilling onto the sidewalk.

No office tenant has been signed, but Druker said the building is designed to attract a technology or “creative economy” type of company whose employees would be drawn to nearby retail, entertainment, and cultural amenities in the South End.

He said the building would include 5,900 square feet for start-up companies. “Our hope is to spawn new ideas in the building,” Druker said, adding that it could serve as a magnet for companies looking for alternatives to Kendall Square in Cambridge or the South Boston Innovation District.

The project would also result in new landscaping and street trees, although several neighbors urged Druker to add more green space to the project. The building would also contain two levels of underground parking with about 200 spaces.

The BRA has set a Sept. 30 deadline for public comments on the proposal. It will then go to the authority’s board for a final vote.

Between noisy neighbors and misbehaving kids, your home can feel more like a madhouse than a personal sanctuary. If you’d like to reclaim some peace and quiet, here are four DIY projects to give you a calm place of your own.

Green House

For green thumbs looking to extend the growing season, a greenhouse is a must. Fortunately, a greenhouse can also be an affordable and easy project for those with a little DIY know-how. The Door Garden has an simple step-by-step guide on how to build a basic hoop-style greenhouse for around $50. Rather than rely on glass, which can be expensive and difficult to install, these greenhouses rely on clear plastic sheeting, which makes construction a snap.

If you do want a traditional glass-based greenhouse, many people have turned to old windows as an affordable DIY option. By heading to a salvage yard, or turning to a contractor with a surplus of old windows, you can stitch together a bunch of frames into a makeshift greenhouse.

“Man” Cave

Long the refuge of the domesticated male, man caves are a great way to create a place where you can kick back and relax. Fill a garage with an old couch, a TV and a little insulation for the winter months and you have yourself the perfect retreat from the stress of family life. But increasingly, women are looking to set up a “man” cave of their own in the home.

 

If your man has already claimed the garage as his own retreat, worry not. Many people are turning to tiny structures, like the ones built by Tumbleweed Homes. These 100 to 200 square-foot structures are the perfect size for a sanctuary or a home away from home. And because they are so small, they often don’t require a special building permit, making them an easy addition to a back yard. For those looking for a truly DIY option, the company also sells blueprints, allowing you to put together one of these quaint little cottages on your own at a much lower price.

Bird-Watchers Paradise

A easy hobby to pick up, bird watching is a great way to relax while gazing out the back window. If you’re a bird lover looking to transform your yard into a avian sanctuary, you can turn to simple backyard additions like bird baths, houses and feeders. But to step things up a notch, you’ll want to invest in a little landscaping to help attach the right kinds of birds. For instance, by adding small trees to your yard, you can start to draw robins and jays. Fruit-bearing shrubs like elderberry and sumac will attract thrushes and tanagers. And taller canopy trees will bring in birds like warblers and woodpeckers. Take a look at a few websites that specialize in bird-related landscaping and see what will work in your area.

Of course, once the birds start flocking to your yard, you don’t want to miss a moment. By attaching a weather-proof camera — like the Hero GoPro — to your feeder, you can keep track of your feathery friends even when you’re not around.

Bathroom Spa

Upgrading a shabby bathroom to give you a spa-like experience at home doesn’t have to cost a fortune or even require a ton of DIY know-how. While a low-flow fixture can shave a few bucks off your monthly bills, those looking for a more luxurious morning ritual should consider upgrading to a more immersive experience, like the Blue Ocean Shower Panel. The panel features multiple shower heads and multidirectional mist jets for a fully immersive showering experience.

For longer soaks, DIYers can turn to plug-and-play hot tubs. Unlike the hot tubs of old, these ones don’t require a plumber to install, making them truly do-it-yourself options. Simply fill them up and plug them in to a typical wall socket, and you’re ready to relax.

My husband does most of the cooking around my house. He is a better cook than me. Sure, I have a few recipes that are absolutely delicious that I can make with my eyes closed. I am a hit at potlucks. However, for the day-to-day meal planning, I am lost.

Being able to plan and shop for meals for a whole week at a time is not a skill I possess. How on earth am I supposed to know on Sunday what sounds good for dinner Tuesday?

Thankfully, I don’t have to. My husband and I go to the store together and he picks out the necessities and I pick out the snacks.

This system is not for everybody, but it works for us.

I thought I could overcome my limitations in the kitchen with the purchase of some cookbooks. I figured I just needed some help coming up with ideas, a little inspiration.

This plan was flawed. I bought the cookbooks and even got a recipes app for my phone, but the only time I have used the cookbooks or the app is to find dessert recipes.

I can bake like nobody’s business. Unfortunately, it would be incredibly unhealthy to serve cookies or cake for dinner every night.

My family, especially the older women, constantly tease me about my lack of domesticity. In their generation, a woman who wasn’t a master in the kitchen would have been highly frowned upon.

My grandmother and her sister were shocked when I brought them a plate of food my husband had prepared. They were impressed by his cooking skills, but quite disappointed in mine. They asked me if I realized how “spoiled” I am.

Actually, I do. I rather enjoy listening to my husband whistling in the kitchen as he prepares me a delicious meal. Love is definitely his secret ingredient. He enjoys cooking and likes watching me try out his new creations. I enjoy eating without having to plan out meals or slave over a hot stove. It’s a win-win.

My sisters think I married the perfect man and I tend to agree. When sitting around having “table talk” and commiserating about husbands who don’t help with the cooking and cleaning, I am at a loss of complaints. Not only does Eric cook, but he also helps with laundry and other chores.

My sisters often tease that I should let Eric take my place at the table because they are certain he could add to the conversation. I don’t doubt it — I give Eric plenty to complain about. For starters, I am messy.

Like with cooking, Eric is better with the day-to-day upkeep of the house. When I clean house, I do a great job. In fact, with my attention to detail, I can clean the house even better than Eric can. However, I am a slob and Eric keeps things neat.

I like to clean the house top to bottom every weekend, but throughout the week I can’t be bothered to even put my dirty clothes in the hamper.

Housework is about the last thing Eric wants to do with his time off, but he will pick up after himself and me every day.

I think my only saving grace is the fact I help with the landscaping. I love being outdoors, especially with the weather we’ve had recently. I don’t mind doing outside chores such as mowing and pulling weeds and Eric certainly doesn’t mind the help.

Jeanette Anderton can be contacted at community@couriernews.com.