#54

He can’t refuse an estate auction.  As a result, he has way too many tools.  It’s probably not the same shovel, but I’m going to say it’s the one I watched him and Grandpa use to build my playhouse with.  That makes it more special. 

#53

The resurfacing made this corner impossible to mow, so I don’t. 

#52

It was the only room that we didn’t paint.  Not perfect, but good enough.  

#51

We got used to leaving his door open a crack.  It’s probably unnecessary now, but I can’t see stopping.

#50

The tree should be too short to cast a shadow on her shed.

#49

The cows are gone, but the fence remains.  It needed to stay.   

#48

I’ve seen identical sets in antique malls.  She keeps hers on the hutch.

#47

He let her keep the board books when he moved downstairs. 

#46

She said she hadn’t lost it.  I doubted; got mad.  I found it 5 years later in storage.  Sorry. 

#45

I don’t know why, but I wanted a floating clock.  Fishing line and screw eyes in hand, I drilled the first hole…directly into my finger.  After a good cry, I tried again. 

#44

I accidentally bought two Silver Surfers 14 years ago.  He’s still my copilot.

#43

They used to buy one every vacation, at least that’s what I’ve been told.  By the time I came around, the tiny racks were full and just a fixture of the décor.  

#42

It was tedious, but a color can really make it feel like home.  

#41

She loves working with them and, believe it or not, we happened upon a going-out-of-business gourd farm auction.  Awesome. 

#40

It came from Arizona, complete with cactus skeletons and an antler.  It was just always there in the kitchen, so I never really considered how ugly it is until I saw it out of context, hanging in dad’s garage. 

#39

Every summer she grows the same variety of tomato plant.  The tiny yellow globes look so good.  They eat them like candy.  I hate tomatoes. 

#38

I always wanted one.  She gave it to me our first Christmas.  I never dreamed how much fun our friends would have when they visit, secretly leaving it in inappropriate poses.  Every time. 

#37

He preceded her years ago.  She still puts out both lawn chairs in their favorite place.  I’ve never seen her sit there.  

#36

He requested it be painted Spiderman red.

#35

The little tree produces every other year.  She’s still around as long as we use her recipe for pear honey. 

#34

We made a good team.  The pile was infested and had to be moved away from the house.  It was the first job he was big enough to really help me with.  Bittersweet.  

#33

He is named Matches.  I don’t know why his two-year old brain decided to name him that, but it stuck.  I’ll make a similar one for his sister soon.  I’m curious to see what she’ll name hers. 

#32

We had the best tea parties.

#31

A passion flower vine used to grow right beside it.  They have these strange spherical seedpods.  We would always throw them against the house, making them explode.  He would always jokingly accuse me of causing the crack to appear with my strong throws.  

#30

She had this thing with touching my feet in the bed.  I hated it at first.  Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed.  

#29

It’s their front door.  I lived there for 18 years and still probably couldn’t pick it out in a lineup.  It really was only opened for specific “front door guests.”  We were side door people.   

#28

When she said she wanted to quit her job and go back to school, it scared me to death.  But, somehow the money was just there through it all.  Now I can't imagine her as anything but a librarian. 

#27

They said to expect an eight pounder, so we picked out her "coming home" outfit accordingly.  When it came time for her to actually come home, she was only five pounds twelve ounces.  At least the dress fits nicely in this composition.     

#26

"I don't think you're happy enough. That's right!  I'll teach you to be happy. I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs.  Now boys and girls, lets try it again..."