Patio Dream

Prep (the blocks were just set out to see the design)

One snowy evening last winter, I decided to start researching "how to build a block patio." When Amy and I first toured the Cookie House, we were impressed with the acre of lawn, gardens, and trees. I dreamed up the idea of one day having a block patio where we could host dinner guests and also enjoy ordinary summer meals outside. The location, I decided, would be directly over an old bonfire pit, between the pine trees at the west property line and the kitchen garden. This spring, Amy revived the cute, stone-lined path leading from the kitchen door to this part our yard.

I had the patio dream, but wondered when (if) it would ever become reality.

After I researched the method and price of building block patios, I figured my patio would have to wait for a future year. Then, last spring our family went to a large auction in Clare. "Hey, Julie," my siblings said, "you should buy a pallet of blocks for your patio."

When the auctioneer hollared down the row of pavers, Dad held up his number and won the bid on a pallet of pavers!

Brian unloaded the pallet with his lizard (Duetz Allis loader tractor), and... my pallet of pavers sat right there near my future patio all summer.

One day while I was at work this summer, Betsy and Naomi came over and prepped the sand for my patio.

Last Tuesday, Betsy insisted we start the patio project. Time is running out for me to work on projects around my house. So, we got busy.

We're not professional block layers, and my patio isn't perfect.

But it's done! And it's just what I dreamed of (well, almost... it still needs additional top soil around it, plus the table set with a yummy meal, a lighted candle, friends visiting, and the sun going down in the distance at the end of a perfect Michigan summer day...).

Amy and I have twenty-three more blocks to use for another project.

The design is three/two/three/ repeated fifteen times.