Moving a Copper Beech, Country Life, Dec. 24, 1904 

Friends and acquaintances often ask, "how do you do it?"  And I must admit, there are times when I wonder the same thing.  Single, working full-time and running a household without a staff except for Esther who comes in every once in a while to clean up the worst of it and rearrange everything so it takes until her next visit to find where she put everything (Note to Self: where is the toaster?).  I also wonder how my mother managed with five children.  I wonder how any of us do it, these days, quite frankly.    

The beauty of the past was all that lovely cheap and available man-power.  

Legend has it that when Bryanston House (Dorset, now a school) was built, "Lady Portman landscaped the garden from an upstairs window; signalling with flags where she wanted the trees in order to obscure the view of [the local village of] Blandford." [Source].

Haven't you wished sometimes you had a tree you could move to blot out some unfortunate eyesore?  We all have.  The landscape and the view would be the better for it, unquestionably, and we would all certainly be happier.  As you can see, however, it takes at least 18 men and two rather smartly attired supervisors. 

Of course I realize you may still be able to wave a handkerchief out the window and have 18 men do your bidding, but I find myself in reduced circumstances these days.  It's a simpler existence, but I get by.  It's a living.  I'm grateful.  And yes, I have a very nice view.