The Front

It was a one word response from the father to the question from his oldest daughter Nancy if the shrubs were going to be cut down and removed if the siding job was green-lighted.

"No," he explained.

You'd have to know the backstory to appreciate the question and the response when it comes to the size of the shrubs in front of our house. They are HUGE. They pretty much hide what I always claim is an ugly house. The house is pretty nice inside, but outside, it is camouflaged.

The shrubs were fairly large 28 years ago when he bought he house. So, imagine what 28 years of growth can do to the appearance. Plus, there a few I planted that have taken off. There are window boxes in the front that have pretty much not seen the light of direct sunlight for 28 years. They go unused, one section discreetly holding an FM radio antenna that is not all that needed.

The hidden appearance of the front of our house is a running joke in the family—and perhaps the neighborhood. I tell my wife the fate of the shrubs rests on who comes back from the funeral parlor first. If it's her, then go ahead, there are some things I'm probably not going to know. The phrase "over my dead body" has some meaning

If I'm first, then the status quo remains until the next set of owners decide what to do. It is unlikely to be any of the kids, but, you never know. Something else that I may not ever get to be aware of.

So, here we are, in need of a new roof and not really in need of siding since the asbestos shingles are in good shape, and might really only need a paint job, which would translate to a fraction of a siding job. Decisions, decisions.

There is no difference of opinion over the roof. It is over 20 years old, patched in places, and would not be missed when replaced. The same red color would be chosen, and the three-dimensional shingles in use today would look really nice. They simulate cedar roofs, no longer seen, but remembered by some. (You've really got to be old and breathing regularly on your own to remember those.)

I'm not in favor of siding, but a good part of the back is already sided due to some renovations, and I will admit it does look good. My wife, who has vacillated from being certain she wants to side the rest of the house, to thinking maybe it's not something septuagenarians need to do, has once again floated back to being emphatic that we should proceed.

Will that mean the removal of the shrubs—even a little bit?

"No," he explained.

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