The Dream Team

Help came to my house yesterday in the form of my son-in-law and two grandsons, a team of good workers who whipped through some heavy-duty chores in spite of the scorching heat. My daughter came, too, intending to visit, but, not one to sit still, she got out and ably assisted the men.

The main item on their project list was trimming the big live oak tree in the front yard. Some of the branches would have soon been dragging the ground; others had grown enough to extend almost to the peak of the roof--not a good place for them, especially now that hurricane season has begun.

No more big branches touching the rooftop ...

... and a pile as tall as I am to be hauled off today.

Their next project was to lay out the stepping stones that have been stacked by the garden shed since the sidewalk was laid two years ago. It's taken me that long to figure out where I wanted to put them. I finally decided it would be great to build Levi and Gimpy a little patio in the front corner of the backyard, right at the spot where they like to visit the next-door neighbor's dogs. They've tried to dig under the fence at that spot, so yesterday my grandsons filled the holes with dirt and laid stepping stones over that area. Let the dogs try to dig there now; they can't make a hole, and they might give themselves a pedicure.

Levi, checking things out.

There were enough stepping stones to make a walkway clear across the front fence and connect to the sidewalk. Levi and Gimpy can now visit their friends without getting their feet muddy--if they'll only do it.

While my grandsons laid out the stepping stones, my son-in-law fixed another problem I'd surprised him with yesterday: a leaky toilet. Every time I flushed, water inside the tank would shoot so forcefully it would hit the lid and drip down the back of the tank. Not anymore, it doesn't. (Thanks, Troy!)

I feel lucky that I don't need a lot of help--and blessed that there are good people in my life who'll step in and help with the jobs I can't handle. I hope they know I'll never take that help for granted.