Celebrating achievements big and small...

10/24/2021

Hello blog friends! I'm super excited and want to share why.

Last month my husband and I moved to Chino Valley, a quiet area near Prescott, AZ. We finally have a home to call our own. With boxes unpacked and pictures hung, this weekend I focused on the back yard.

The prior owners had a water feature. Though it looks good in the photo below, there were serious problems. After much consideration, I decided to create a vegetable garden instead. I didn't know if that was possible, but I wanted to try and in the end, I surprised myself.

I moved all the rocks, gathered up the artificial plants, siphoned the water from the pond, shoveled out all the gunk on the bottom, then dug around the edges of the pool, and finally lifted it out. This 4 x 8 foot monster nearly crushed me. But I did it!

The next step was to fill the hole. Well...after several trips to the local nursery and Home Depot, the hole is now almost completely filled. Hubby tells me it looks like a grave, but I think it's a jewel.

By the end of the week, there will be a 4 x 8 foot raised bed over the old pond area. Then next spring, it will hopefully look like the photo below.

My excitement? I actually did it - created an area for a vegetable garden. I didn't know if I'd have the strength to pull it off, but I did.

You may not have fought with a buried pond like I have, but I suspect you've faced similar challenges - maybe your WIP, or a new oil painting, or some other project. And if you're like me, finishing feels soooo good because you did it!

Have a wonderful week and let's celebrate our achievements big and small.

32 Comments

Priscilla Bettis link

10/25/2021 03:43:10

All your hard work paid off! Enjoy your veggie garden.:-)

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 05:40:37

Thank you, Priscilla. I will for sure. 🙂

Pat Garcia link

10/25/2021 04:43:51

Hi,
IIt is amazing how much strength rises from within us when a vision of something that comes from our hearts forces us to step out and do what we thought we couldn't do.
Your vegetable garden looks delightful
Shalom aleichem

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 05:42:32

It is amazing. Once we decide on something, energy appears. I'm so happy and will love the vegetables it produces. 😊 Thank you. Shalom.

Staci Troilo link

10/25/2021 04:44:30

Kudos to you, Gwen! That's quite an achievement! I hope it produces a bountiful yield for you.

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 05:43:20

Thank you, Staci. I haven't been this excited for quite a while. 😁

Harmony Kent link

10/25/2021 04:54:18

Fantastic job, Gwen! Well done you! Huge hugs and a pat on the back 💕🙂

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 05:44:36

Thank you, Harmony. I'm so happy it's done, now comes the fun part. 💗

CS Boyack

10/25/2021 05:07:23

That’s a cool project. Hope it produces well for you.

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 05:46:47

Thank you, Craig. With all the great soil and organic stuff, something's going to grow. 😊

Mae Clair link

10/25/2021 06:51:11

That was a BIG monster to wrestle out of there.

A vegetable garden sounds delightful, and I know you'll enjoy it even more for all the effort you've put into creating it. Congratulations, Gwen!

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 07:42:45

Thank you so much, Mae. I'm looking forward to enjoying it in the Spring especially. I've had gardens before, but this is the first one that I've created out of a pond footprint. 😊

Elizabeth Gauffreau link

10/25/2021 08:20:55

Kudos on your accomplishment, Gwen! My house had a similar water feature when we bought it, which we turned into a cutting garden for flowers.(My husband did the bulk of the heavy lifting.)

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 08:29:41

Thank you, Liz. My husband has a bad back, so the heavy work fell to me. But, YAY, that part is over. After this is set, I'm thinking of a flower garden as well. And I have just the right spot for strawberries. 😊

Elizabeth Gauffreau link

10/25/2021 10:59:39

Flowers and strawberries are always good!

Jan Sikes

10/25/2021 08:33:54

What a wonderful idea, Gwen!! Congrats on your creative thinking and you'll enjoy your vegies for years to come!

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 11:33:20

Thanks, Jan. I'm hoping to do just that. 😊

Pete Springer link

10/25/2021 09:35:41

Everyone can relate to the satisfaction of finishing a project and looking at it with pride. Good job, Gwen!

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 11:34:09

Thanks, Pete. You are so right. 😊

John Howell link

10/25/2021 10:27:59

Congratulations, Gwen. You can spend the time this winter planning your garden. I can't wait to see how it looks when planted. Thanks for sharing.

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 11:36:30

Thank you, John. I've already got a couple of organic gardening books. It will be fun, I'm sure. (and hopefully tasty). 😀

D.L. Finn

10/25/2021 12:27:05

Yay, Gwen! That looked like a lot of hard work, but how exciting to prepare for a veggie garden in spring. We were considering putting a small pond in for the animals water, right now we put out buckets for them. We might do the wire and cement though, don't think plastic will survive.

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 13:41:25

You live in the perfect area for creating a pond. Isn't it fun? As hard as it was, I thoroughly enjoyed this project. 🤗

Miriam Hurdle link

10/25/2021 16:21:19

It was a creative solution, Gwen. I'm sure it was a hard work to undo the water system, remove the basin, clean up, and put the basin back in its place, fill with soil and get ready for planting the vegetables next year. You did all of the work by yourself, wow! We want to celebrate with you!
Hope your husband's back will get better. I also have a bad low back problem and decided to visit the spine doctor later next month. I'll se what the doctor says about my condition.
Enjoy your beautiful new home and your garden, Gwen!

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 17:29:12

Thank you, dear Miriam. As hard as it was, it was also fun. Larry has struggled with his back for some time and now it's really bad. He's trying to avoid surgery. I sure hope yours is not so bad. Your grandbabies need you strong. 💗

miriam Hurdle link

10/27/2021 12:47:28

My husband tried to avoid surgery for year. He didn't tell me how bad it hurt but I noticed he always walked with a stiff back. He tried not to move his back when walking. When he finally saw a spine doctor, he had a surgery to fuse the L5 and S1, and had screws lifting up the L3 and L4. It took him three months to recover.

You're right, Gwen. My daughter and Grandkids are my motivation to stay strong. I think mine is stress pain from sitting, working long hours in my whole life before retirement. It is the accumulated pressure. The Spine Center has pain management program. So if I don't need surgery, I may take part in the pain management.

I hope your husband finds a way to reduce the pain. <3 <3

Joan Hall link

10/25/2021 16:39:17

Just thinking about all that work makes me tired! But it will be worth it. There's nothing like home grown vegetables.

Gwen Plano

10/25/2021 17:30:49

I'm still tired, Joan, but it's a good tiredness. The whole process made me very happy. Wish we lived closer, I could share the harvest. 😊

Karen Ingalls

10/26/2021 04:55:46

I once had a water feature in our previous home. I loved it! I gave clear instructions to our home's new owner who nodded and listened. Within a week, he tore it out, removed all my beautiful flowers and shrubs, and cut down a 100-year-old tree. The backyard is now just a small patch of grass and a large double garage! Lesson for me: what brings joy to each person is unique and special. We are not all the same.
I LOVE what you did, Gwen. Despite sore muscles you can enjoy the fruits (vegetables) of your labor.

Diana Peach link

10/26/2021 09:27:04

"It looks like a grave." Lol. Great job, Gwen, and next summer your husband can eat his words along with the fresh vegetables. A wonderful accomplishment!

Yvette M Calleiro link

10/26/2021 15:26:25

I can't wait to see the pictures of the garden once it's grown. I'm playing around with the idea of creating a vegetable garden. I tend to kill anything green, but I still want to try. Lol! :-)

Jill Weatherholt link

10/28/2021 05:10:18

Wow! Go Gwen! You did a fantastic job. It goes to show, we can do most anything with the right mindset and determination. Enjoy the fruits of your labor, but watch that back. You don't want me end up like me with two back surgeries under your belt. Thanks for sharing! xo

Celebrating achievements big and small...

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