the parsonage in santa cruz is 2,000 square feet located in the 'banana belt' ... it is a wonderful home in a quiet neighborhood, within walking distance to the harbor, a small safeway, the post office, and easy on/off to highway 1.
i rattle around in this 4 bedroom, 2 bath, formal living room, formal dining room, family room, eating area and kitchen -- enough space for a large family; lots of storage, and an over-sized garage.
as I am told by neighbors, the spacious backyard has experienced many transitions; a garden, a play-yard for families with children and their pets, among other things.
the weather in santa cruz, unlike where i was raised in daly city, affords opportunity on a regular basis -- this past year, it was really all year long! -- to spend time outdoors.
so i spent some time exploring how i might want to utilize this space.
it wasn't difficult to realize, with the drought in california, that i needed to shrink the size of the weed-patch (i mean lawn area). and so i set to work to decrease the area in a house that requires the most amount of water-use. so i have become the shredded bark consumer!
when i entered the nursery where i purchased the back on a regular basis, they knew by my look that i would be purchasing somewhere between 20 and 25 bags of bark, which easily fit in my vw cabrio with the top down. purchasing bags rather than in bulk, while less environmentally friendly, allowed me to place the bark with less labor, and more accuracy!
and, i got smart after awhile, and began to use the empty bags to cover the grass-weed patches before i placed down the bark, making it, in fact, more environmentally friendly! or so i hope!
not being a landscape technician, and having several people give me their suggestions and opinions, i ended up doing the 'make-it-up-as-you-go' style of landscaping.
and before i knew it ... ok, i worked on this on my day off for months! ... the yard took shape, and became a 5th ... room!
one of the things i needed assistance with was the pergola. calling on the congregation, i in fact had a number of people willing to help me move that (not-too-heavy) piece into the corner; ultimately, it was a team of youth and their fun-loving driver who came and 'did the deed' and they also moved a very heavy marble baptismal fount (formerly from the grace united methodist church sanctuary) into the yard; it now serves as a bird bath -- so much more useful than collecting dust in the garage!
and with the coming of spring, and with the help of a great sale at costco, the yard took on a personality.
the lemon tree up and died when i first moved in. rather than pulling it out, it has the amazing ability to serve as a centerpiece which holds solar color-changing lights. who knew bed-bath-and-beyond would prove so useful?!
as easter came, and before my trip to alaska, the decision was made that this project needed to be completed.
and so, even though the grass/weeds might be a sight for sore eyes, this yard, in fact, requires much less water than when it started, and since the remaining lawn area is uneven, it also requires weed-whacking only once every three weeks ... wha-hoo!
actually, this is a delightful new "room"; i can sit and enjoy, listen to the sound of recycling water which hasn't had much issue with evaporation, and i can find renewal for my soul -- which, at this time of the year is really great because often i can't find a single parking spot on west cliff drive ...
i'm hopeful this will be a spiritually renewing site to be shared with others for years to come. the roses bloom on and off, the honeysuckle fills the air (and will eventually grow to become the covering for the pergola), the water fountain trickles, and the birds come and find refuge. i get to read and on many sunny days, an umbrella and sunscreen are all that are required.
so come, share in the renewing parsonage in santa cruz ... and don't let the bishop know this is "paradise" -- just over the hill at the end of 17!
