In preparation for getting our house painted, we've had to pull away potted plants from walls, trim bushes and roses, pull everything off the patio. It makes our house look disheveled and not in a had-too-much-to-drink way, either.

But it gives me a chance to look at the house with new eyes. If I could, how would I change the entryway, make it more welcoming?

Probably I'd pour a new entryway - get rid of the slabs of cement with rocks tucked in them, waiting to pinch delicate bare feet. Make room for a cafe table and a couple of chairs, with plants (still in pots) on the other side.

The walkway to the drive also needs redoing - right now it's pavers. The original walkway was jackhammered up years ago when the main water pipe needed replacing (by the city, thankfully!), but they didn't replace the cement and we haven't, either.

The front yard I'd like to do in native plants, to conserve water as my sprinkler system is outdated and never used. So I guess I'd rip that up first before resculpting my front yard.

I'd like to keep the white fence around the yard, as it's the only one on our block and makes our house easily identifiable...but I'd like to replace it with one of those plastic fences that look like the real thing. No maintenance. As I get older, that's a big deal to me.

But all that costs money we don't have. So for now I'll make do with getting the house painted, pulling out the weeds, trimming the potted plants and making the front of the house as tidy as possible. And maybe someday I'll be able to fix the fence, too.

One change at a time...