Mission Impossible- Front yard Landscaping

Okay, cue the Mission Impossible theme music... Today I am talking about the front yard. Yes, that utopian paradise that welcomes each guest with a big leafy hug and the aroma of fresh peachy love or gardenia elysium. Screech on the brakes!! Wait a minute, I must be talking about YOUR yard, because staring out my front window does not conjure up any of those feelings. There are some gorgeous front yards in Dunmovin. I mean, "stop-the-car-take-a-picture" yards. Then there are yards that are in transition, where the homeowner has a vision, but because of time, funds, or life getting in the way, maybe has not fully come into fruition yet. Lastly, there is the front yard that just says "nature, hardcore wild nature." I fall into the second category. I have a vision in my head that has been in play for 9 years, but I'll admit that it hasn't been my highest priority. After wresting and bodyslamming 10 boxwood bushes and evicting the 20 generation bee families that resided in them- I am just plain tired! And shamefully, I don't know the difference between most plants other than colors. Most of my efforts have been trial and error, which leans more to the side of error. In the last couple of years, there has been a boost in front yard landscaping in our neighborhood and this has motivated me to bite the bullet and make some definitive plans. So while I am saving up my pennies for the event, I like to walk around Dunmovin and look at all the plants other homeowners have chosen and daydream them into my own yard. I do face certain challenges, such as the crazy forest that surrounds me, blocking all the sunlight. And the sinkhole, that has formed since the last flood. I think there should be a landscaping fairy godmother who comes over and holds my hand to teach me front yard 101...So neighbors, what are your front yard tips or concerns? Inquiring minds would like to know! Oh, and that photo at the top is our Golden Delicious apple tree from Ellijay. If we die before it starts producing apples, please feel free to pick as many as you want.

Where are we anyway?

Have you ever wondered why driving 10 minutes in any direction from our driveway lands us in another town? Well, I have! Our neck of the woods has a little bit of an identity crisis. We are sorta that in between area, dividing a few different towns. We're the leftovers. The bounty. However you want to label it. So I did a little investigating and found that Dunmovin once was the site of the Garden of Eden mentioned in Genesis...okay, I'm fudging the facts just a little bit... Actually, our little area including Bells Ferry Rd, Shallowford Rd, Canton Rd and Hawkins Store Rd was a community once known as Noonday, GA. Most of the activity was surrounding the Noonday Baptist Church, off of Canton Rd, that backed up near the Noonday Creek. There were several families living in that area during the 1840's and on. Some of the family names carry on through local subdivisions. For example, if you ever pass the Gresham Cemetery and Gresham Ridge on Shallowford Rd, you are driving through the area that was once owned by the Grison Family (later changed their last name to "Gresham.") And Lake Latimer? Yup. The Latimer's lived in the area and ran a small mill on the Noonday Creek. When Sherman came through with the Union army in June 1864, there were several encounters at Noonday Creek. Our guys protected Noonday like a mother bear protects her cubs. After a few attempts by the Union soldiers to cross over the creek, the Confederate general prevailed and ended up staying at the McAfee house, another local family, for awhile. If you have ever sat at the stoplight on the corner of Piedmont/Barrett and Bells Ferry Rd, then you were parked right next to the McAfee house. There is a historical marker right in front of it for your reading pleasure. Knowing this makes me proud to be a part of Noonday, GA.

Back from the Dead...

I was thinking yesterday...I used to have this great blog...what happened? Well, life happened. Kids and responsibilities happened. I'm sure many of you have been there. You know, a lightbulb turns on in your head and you embark on this fantastic idea, only to be overwhelmed by "real life." Everything that is not essential to everyday survival falls to the wayside. Well, that's me in a nutshell. But enough about me. On to today's post, which I have been wanting to write for quite awhile. If I had to title this, I guess I would go with "A sense of belonging." Everyone wants to belong to something. In college, I was always amazed at all the lengths (and money) classmates would go to, just to be a part of a sorority or fraternity. I'm not knocking their decision, because although I never joined a sorority, I completely understood the human need to have a sense of belonging to someone or something. That is the feeling I have struggled with for quite a few years now. Backing up to my childhood, I lived in the same place around the same people for most of my life. We were a close-knit village kinda place. I loved it. Of course I realize that for some people, this would be an absolute nightmare; the past mistake that you can't run from, little sense of mystery or adventure, everyone poking their nose in your business. Well, I loved it, but once I went to college and got married, I saw a big world out there and I was itching to see it. This is what brought us to the Atlanta area. With a giant mess of college loans to pay back and a small Uhaul truck, we came to Atlanta with the hopes of a new sense of belonging. Flash forward to today. We have been living in Dunmovin for 9 years. In that time, we have seen some changes of neighbors and landscapes. I have watched our babies turn into toddlers and into "big kids." We have become very active in our church and helped out with many school activities. We have hung out with neighbors at the bus stop and in the street, just chatting about the comings and goings. We have slowly developed that sense of belonging that we dreamed about when we came to the ATL metro 12 years ago. I have to say, it was not easy getting here. I had to eat a whole humble pie before achieving my own Mayberry. I have compiled a helpful list below if you are struggling with the same issues of belonging. Please don't be offended. These are items that I personally dealt with and told myself on a regular basis. 1. Get over yourself. Really, you are creating a lot of drama that just isn't there. 2. Stop waiting for someone to initiate contact. Most neighbors value your privacy and assume that you want to get settled in for awhile. If you want to get to know someone right away, invite a neighbor over to your place. 3. There are a lot of religious organizations around here and some are fanatic about selling you Jesus. It's okay to not answer your door. (I always felt guilty...) 4. Hang out in your front yard. There are tons of walkers and runners in our neighborhood. If you are constantly inside or in your privacy-fenced backyard, how on earth can you meet these wonderful people? Heck, just throw on some running shoes and walk around the block with them. 5. Be assertive in getting to know people. Have a party or invite the bus-stop moms over for drinks. This is the South, and there are still some of those bring-over-an-apple-pie-the-day-you-move-in kind of people. But the reality is, a lot of us work full time jobs and deal with kids, commutes, home renovations, elderly parents, school activities, etc. We care about new members of our community, but may not be able to plan a get-together that week/month due to current responsibilities. Like I said, these are all things that I pulled together from my own experience. And I will eagerly attest, that there are some awesome residents in Dunmovin who have played a part in helping me find that sense of belonging. Please share your experiences! -Dunmovin neighbor

Protecting our little slice of the pie

Sorry I haven't posted for awhile. Hectic holiday activities, as I am sure everyone can relate to! I wanted to take a minute to write about something very important to me.
I have noticed a few houses in our neighborhood popping up for sale. Some have been on the market for quite awhile and others are newbies. At first I wondered why someone would try to sell in this economy- what a dumb idea with the way things are right now. But it is not for me to judge, as you never really know what the situation is just by living down the street from someone. I thought how aweful it would be if I HAD to sell right now, either a job transfer, family emergency or loss of job and money. That is happening to many people I know! Is there something I can do to help, you ask??? Of course!
If we want to protect our little slice of the pie, and by that I mean, OUR neighborhood, we are going to have to work together. Sounds corny, right? But it is so true! We want these houses to fetch a great price so that our houses retain their value. If a potential buyer drives through the neighborhood and sees ten cars parked on the curb with missing hubcaps or a giant pile of debris in the front yard, they will most likely pass on by to the next house. There are so many to choose from so why waste time? Out of frustration, the seller drops the price to lure in more buyers. Bad news people!! The 4 bedroom 2 bath house around the corner from you sells for $165K- what do you think will be your comp when you want to sell??
So here is the action plan...keep up your exterior. Get those kids away from the TV and hand them a rake. Turn the thermostat down so low that the kids think outside is warm and have them do a yard makeover. No kids? Borrow one from your neighbor. I have two available. There are 6 across the street and 2 nextdoor to me. Maybe someone would be willing to organize a neighborhood-wide yard day where everyone gets out there and rakes, cleans, bags leaves, etc. I would love to know if there are any elderly or disabled neighbors who simply cannot participate but have a yard that needs some TLC. There was an overwhelming response to the yard cleanup on the little neighborhood poll a couple months ago. Maybe after the holidays? What do y'all think?

Dun "roamin"

This past week we received a letter from the Cobb County Animal Control warning that they have had complaints about our animal running loose. I was perplexed by this, considering that I have a 12 lb dachshund that lives indoors. When he is outside, he is in enclosed by a 6 foot privacy fence. Any escapes are immediately thwarted by me- sometimes running down the street in my underwear to keep him from being hit on Shiloh Rd. I must admit, I felt betrayed too. Who would turn me in without so much as a word or anything?? Of course, calling the animal control office was a waste of time. The case worker (yes, I now had a case number), was out of the office and would not return until Sunday. I had to wait four long days to solve my dilemma! Today, we got an email from the case worker. It was a mistake. Someone has reported a grey cat who is apparently not "dunroamin" so if it is your's, claim it. Moral of the story here? It is OKAY to confront a neighbor with a concern before calling authorities- cats, dog poop, leaves, car in the street, rusted out dishwasher next to the mailbox, etc. You will find that 9 times out of 10, the person you consider the perpetrator, is totally clueless about their offense. I mean, hey, until last week, I had NO idea I even had a cat....

Garage sale pictures

It was neat to walk around the neighborhood this past Saturday and see all the merchandise for sale. Hope everyone made a few bucks!

Celebrating Neighbors

Here are some pictures from the Dunmovin Halloween party. I want to personally thank everyone who was involved in putting on this event. What a great job!!