How to Recycle Concrete

We're done

Finished

I think

We went from a grassy

slippery slope

to this

And I was OK with it

It was better than

a 3ft deep pit between

the house & garage.

We could work with it.

Then the new floor cracked,

they re poured over it

it cracked.

So to make a long

2 yr project a

short story

I have a new,

courtyard

between the house & garage.

With the exception of the

new umbrella &

$3.00 fabric on clearance

and about $200.00 (maybe)

of building materials

Everything is repurposed
The table was Larry's Grandmothers

The Stump we carved out for a flower pot..



This area is large enough area to create seperate

cozy spots.....

The 4 green chairs & table I purchased at a yard sale

for $5.00


The stone slabs we hauled

by hand

from a friends

crumbling 1800's barn foundation

in the woods

The tan chairs... I bought 8

for $2.00 ea at a yard sale a few years ago


My oldest daughter Danielle has the other 4

We have a slab of the tree we just took down

to make a small table for under the window &

2 logs curing Mr Fix it will split & use to make benches
to go with it


These chairs are for the Grill Master

& his supervisors

They can solve the worlds problems

in the shade

We would like to give special thanks
to Dr.Steve Hoffman
...........our chiropractor

Yeah, I'm pretty sure were done.

Our 2 year Project Completed & so Much Love

2 Years ago, we started building a courtyard,

it runs 40 feet long, 9feet wide at one end

and opens to 22 feet wide on the other.

It started from a dream,

a someday, wouldn't it be nice to...

you know,

that type of thing.....

A new garage floor that was full of air bubbles

and cracks

when torn out and replaced

We were left with ....

Now keep in mind,

we're talking about a big garage & work shop..a big boy play house.

15 cubic yards of concrete.

Which, weighs out to

22 and a 1/2 tons of concrete rubble.

In our yard

after a few months we started calling it

Yard Art.

Last night we planned on completing
the last 8 ft of the floor

And then the thunder storm rolled in.
We waited it out.
The job Completed,
We put the shovels away at 10pm.
After 2 years, WE ARE DONE!!!
Bet you thought There would be a picture
Tomorrow,
after we get things set how we want them

We're stubborn like that.


We came inside and had homemade
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Isaiah, started talking
about all the love in his heart
He was so serious.
He told me he has so much love,
God gave him a 2nd heart on the other side.....
He calls it his love box,
that's where he keeps all the love
people give him.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all felt that way?

Recycled & Repurposed Yard Art or, Garage Floor

Hope you had a nice break with the 3-day weekend. Saturday we accomplished quite a bit around here. We worked on the rock wall. We actually have the wall completed and are adding the top cap or, the seating top layer. YAHOOOOOOOO. This has been quite an experience. To give you an idea there is 22 yards of concrete in this wall. It was a garage floor that cracked and we had replaced then, became what I call Yard Art. A huge mound of chopped up concrete in the front yard. A yard of concrete is roughly a TON of weight. We did have a tractor bucket to scoop and bring the chunks to the area we were constructing the wall but, we still had to handle each 40-100 lb piece, fitting them together like a huge puzzle. The narrowest slab is 3 inches thick We still need to work on the steps down but the wall itself is done. We will be hosting Erika’s wedding reception here on the 27th so the plan is to have the floor laid by then. This 90-degree heat is slowing us down so we shall see!

I think I like this back side best :)

Hit the Wall on the Wall

Then---------->

I’m beginning to think building the wall for this patio is never going to end! I belive the wall is shrinking or, someone is removing rocks when were not looking!

I had to pull up some photos of what it did look like. Hard to see but, if you look at the trim under the window of the house, you can see how high it has had to come up.

We added a little over a foot today & The yard art pile is shrinking. Our oldest daughter Danielle came and gave Larry & I some major help. Excuse me, I for got Isaiah. At least it wasn’t as hot, mid 70’s and overcast. If I had the energy I would tap dance. Only one more row on the base wall, and then the upper knee wall,finish filling in and steps…..then we get to start on the floor. Boy will it be worth it! No knitting for me today, my fingers are to stiff.

Erika’s boyfriend Chris was coming over to help again but, while practicing his domestic abilities (he was washing dishes), sliced his hand at the base of his thumb on a glass. Now he can’t move his thumb. They spent the day in 2 Er’s. First one said it was beyond them and sent him to Jewish hospital in Louisville. For now he’s in a temporary cast & has surgery in the morning to try and find and then reattach the tendon. Looks like it slipped up into his wrist. We were teasing him and said he could have found a better way to tell us he didn’t want to haul rocks. And, obviously he needs more practice washing dishes! Have to find humor in the bad stuff!

Now ----->

Projaholics, Yard Art & Lemonade

When we had to pull out the old garage floor, we had a HUGE mound of concrete I refer to as our “Yard Art”. What size do would you like, I can offer anything from 1 inch to 6 inch deep, and just about any size of slab! Hmmm….lemons….Lemonade!

Later this summer we were planning to create a court yard/patio area between the garage and house. It’s shaped like a slice of pie and just not quite big enough for our size family. Weeks ago, Larry & I were talking and agreed if we could extend it out “just a few feet” it would work. So yesterday morning we began pulling apart the Yard Art and started building a retaining wall. It will allow us to extend the patio area an additional 10ft in length and 12-13 ft in width!
We were going to purchase rock slabs to do this but…with a little bit of creativity we’ll work with what we have. Had a great crew, my husband (the mastermind) of course, daughters Erika and Danielle, Erika’s boy friend Chris, Larry’s dad and my grandson Isaiah. 4 generations playing with big puzzle pieces….big HEAVY puzzle pieces. And a lot more to go!
4 generations! Can you taste the Lemonade? I think we will enjoy the memories of this as much as the use of the area we are creating.

Projaholics R Us!

I think we are projaholics, we go from one project to the next. I am married to a world class do-it-yourselfer. I meant that in the best possible way. He finishes what he starts, and is not to proud to ask for guidance if he has questions. 2 years ago we built a garage. I say we as my husband, grandson and I. The house did not have one and my handman-jack of all trades husband was working out of a small room in the basement. So, after many years of waiting we built this. His dream, a 30 X 40 garage. We plotted it out, took down a tree or 2. We spent most of the summer preparing, doing it ourselves. A friend of ours was good enough to lend us a back hoe. We leveled and dug footers. Are we cheap or frugal? Depends on whom you ask but, neither of us like paying for things you can do yourself. At long last, up she went. A contractor poured the floor and put the actual building up with hubbys help in his off hours. I think Isaiah our grandson had as many hours as Larry did in the building. That kid can shovel some dirt! After breaking 2 kid shovels we bought a small gardening one. You would have thought it was a Pony he was so excited to have a REAL shovel. (wonder how long that will last).

So, At long last the garage was done, hand prints in wet concrete, doors in place, tools placed and work areas planned. He moved in. Just like a kid in a candy store! That is until my grandson was playing with a bouncy ball and we heard the most horrible sound. Thump, thump, thunk, thunk, thunk!
Huge air bubbles in the floor! It started cracking like a shattered window as soon as cold weather set in. What a mess! We were just sick! So this fall we had it dug out and re-poured. So, now we have “YARD ART” I ask you…………. how many people can claim this size of yard sculpture?