Spring is coming and it’s finally time to dust off the old patio furniture and put it in the backyard! Your perennial flowers are about to bloom and the grass shows just how green it can be. Cherry blossoms tinge pink all over your garden, and the snow crab tree makes the ground white as fresh snow. You clean the gutters and spray the roof and think, “Maybe this year we’ll repaint the house?” and check it off your tremendous “to do” list for spring. Maybe you will, maybe not. After hosing off the house, you may decide you don’t need it.

But looking back at the old yellow plastic patio furniture from the early ’80s, you wonder, “Did I like this when I bought it?” the Formica table has a crack in the top near the umbrella hole that you remember happened four years ago when Uncle Marty tried to use the table as a lectern. It’s been so long that there’s dirt in the crack that won’t come off. The woven plastic chairs sag and the metal spring joints are rusty and squeak when you sit on them. In fact, it looks awful next to the rest of your fresh, green garden and healthy, blooming trees.

Looking at the yard game, you think: “You know, I should throw this garbage in the trash.” It’s something you’ve been telling yourself for about 5 years, ever since your sister came over and pointed out that the table is almost beige on top but gold around the edges. “This year” you say to yourself, “This year I’ll finally do it!” And you don’t even ride the umbrella this year. You call the garbage service and tell them there will be large items to pick up this week, and you place it on the front lawn with a sign, “Free or Trash” taped to the side.

He stays until the garbage guy comes on Thursday.

Now, however, you’re stuck without patio furniture. Not sure what you’re looking for, you search online for new styles and ideas. What’s up now? All the garden furniture now looks so nice, so modern! You think, “Hm, maybe it’s not glass. Uncle Marty will want to stand on it, I’m sure,” but there are plenty of attractive options. “I like the ones with a charcoal fire in the middle of the table,” you muses to yourself about not being able to stand by the fire, “The matching chairs are made of durable, UV-protected faux wicker out in the open. I guess real wicker would rot in the rain…” Seems comfortable. As if you could invite people over and they wouldn’t flinch to sit in the chair or absentmindedly try to dust the table before putting down a plate or resting their elbows on it. You know what you want, but you wait. “Maybe they have it at the local hardware store?” you think to yourself. Being especially proactive today, you get in your car and drive there.

When you get there, you find that they have a lot of things, but not exactly the one you fell in love with online. Disappointed, you return home. You also realize that your little fuel-efficient vehicle couldn’t haul all those things home today anyway.

So, back home, you go back to your computer and wake it up with a good movement of the mouse. The browser is still open to the backyard game of your dreams! You take the step and ask for it.

Two weeks later, your perfect patio set arrives. They called before they delivered so you could be home to receive it. All set, the patio set looks beautiful! Framed by your trees and your perennials…

But then remember, you have to clean the INSIDE of the house too!