Started March 10th,
After another very busy week, we are off for a few days to get away. Yesterday was our one year anniversary. We celebrated it with left over take out Chinese and were in bed asleep early. We have been so busy this week that we had no energy left.
Bug is wearing himself out more then I am. I have worn myself right back down. I managed to get all the wall paper off of the upstairs bathroom. Bug worked on the kitchen a bit, but he can do so many other things that I am not able to do, I took over the wall paper removing. I have half a wall left in the kitchen. It will wait until we get back.
We have electricity in the house, but as we have started our renovation we are falling in line with all the TV shows. Yep, we knew that the Florida room was going to have a new roof and everything above the tile floor would have to be removed. Unfortunately there is a problem with the front wall of the house. We may need a whole new roof. If that is our best choice we will replace the shingles with a green metal roof.
It has been raining and our swamp seems to keep growing. With 5 - 6 trucks running up and down our drive it has turned into an amazing mud bogging site. The mud is everywhere. Sticky, smelly, slimy mud. We love it. But not in the drive. Bug has bush hogged as much property as he could finding springs erupting up through already sogged ground.
I have worked so hard this week and I can not tell you what I have done. Bug works non-stop. He not only works here at Labrun, but even harder at our new swamp, and finds time to help his dad fix their brick walk.
Bug and I finished removing wall paper from the kitchen. The wall paper in the kitchen was so bland and odd looking and feeling. It's width, feel and how it came off seemed more like drawer liner. At least they did not use gorilla glue to hold the seams like they did in the bathroom. I cleaned the cabinets going back in the bath room. I swept and gathered up piles of scattered wall paper and other debris from the electrical repairs.
Each time we go to the house it feels more like our home. The tile as you walk in the door. The big bedroom with the glorious closets. The little kitchen, that once the frig was out seemed roomy and full of opportunity. The bathroom vanity, which was actually a kitchen cabinet is going to make a lovely island and I can't wait for the roof and walls.
Yes, we have learned that we must replace the roof. There is just too much damage. The Florida room was always on the list as roof candidate, but now with the damage at the front window, it is just too much, so a new green roof with a different back angle will be installed. Of course we are not thrilled about all the bills. They are spurting up faster then the blackberry vines, and just as prickly. But this is just like on TV. We have a buffer to help us get through this and have already had to designate some of those funds to fix the air conditioning. The vandals stole the copper out of the air conditioner, the gauges off of the well and the pipes off of the downstairs toilet. Really? That was just being mean. The copper and gauges I can see getting a few bucks to make it worth your energy, but the pipes, only the ones for the downstairs toilet? I don't get it.
Just as the pressure of the house, life, his parents was getting to be overwhelming we packed light, left the trailer at home and joined the journey of the pilgrimage to Daytona. We headed over on Monday and the trip over was sunny and beautiful and a wonderful ride. We stayed with the ever fabulous Bill and Hobby. The weekend had been one of the most attended Daytona in years according to the news and our friends. Fortunately the downtown had quieted for the few days early in the week before it ramped back up for the last weekend. A friend asked me why, how do I go to Daytona. She knows my discomfort about being around drunks and crowds. That is why we went during the week, and staying with our friends outside of the turmoil on the peaceful river. I love all the bikes and noise, if I can get away from the people. So I go to a few things, and then I go home and Bug and friends head out and join the throngs of revelers. No, most of it, is not in my comfort zone, but I have always pushed my comfort zone. Usually to step back and surround myself in my peaceful quiet world. But just because it is not for me, I still love the pilgrimage with the roads filled with bikes and trucks with trailer and campers all drawn to the same place. Drawn to celebrate their bikes, their creativity and a life style. I am drawn from curiosity. The weather was gorgeous and we visited our favorite spots, ate our favorite food, then the weather was to turn cold, so we hugged our sweet friends good bye on Wednesday morning and raced home trying to skirt the storm front roaring across the state. One close call and we had a little spit, but we managed to avoid the worst of the rain and enjoyed our ride home.
While we were in Daytona I realized that I could see the lymph nodes in my left arm pit and arm. I know I was hurting. But in my crazy backwards way of thinking, once I saw them, I knew that was not good, but at the same point, the pain was real. I could see it, not just feel it. Knowing it is real, helps. It was a hard trip in many ways, but in other ways, I did it. I pushed past the pain and pulled up my black cowboy boots, hefted on my Harley Gortex coat that I swear weighs twice as much as I do. I knew going, I was limited on what I could do. But to get to spend time with these two people, even for a short visit, well, it is like choosing to add on the miles on our way home from New Jersey this Christmas so we could spend one night with Marty and Shelia. You know the love will just grab a hold of you and your body will relax. Let go of the things that have to be done. They will wait. Just give in to the joy of friendship and good times. How could I not do whatever I had to. So I did.
My dear friend Karen died. She is the one I was talking about with the dance recital, and she sang Frank Sinatra. I had not seen her in many years. But that is part of friends or pets for that matter. We give our hearts out to others our entire lives. If we are lucky. We give out that love and it comes back in ways we never expect. And yet when one of those people you gave your heart to, maybe years and years ago, it does matter. We were different people in a different life in a world both of us had left. Yet knowing she was gone, this person I have not seen since that other world, I felt such a huge loss.
That night Bug and I went to visit some friends we rarely see anymore. These people and their family was so much of the joy and love and acceptance I have felt in this place. The place I have chosen as my home. Through life and family and illness, I have not gotten to spend the afternoon tea I once considered so blessed to share. I have not been able to just sit and talk and be with them. Those people who have been so important in my life today, let alone so much of the happiness in my life here. But there we were. The two grandsons even more amazing then described in her blog. I know she discusses her chickens and grandchildren a lot. But if you could spend 15 minutes with her and those boys and that gorgeous rooster, you would see that she is not exaggerating about the children's intelligence, lovingness and joy. I was in awe listening to the conversations, the need to understand some things and to be so open to simply ask their grandparents knowing that they will tell them the truth, or a great story. They can tell the difference from the twinkle in the eye, the curve of the smile on those older faces cheeks. I told the older boy about how he laughed at me when I was bald and he was about the same age as his younger brother. He was so upset that he would do something that terrible as to laugh as someone hurt. But when I told him that he had not hurt me, I did look funny. It made me happy that at least one person admitted that I looked silly. He was so amazed at how he had made me happy and was proud of himself. As he should be. It was a short visit, but it was a day where a friend from my past slipped away and friends from a less distant past were back in my heart.
I spoke to another friend that I have not gotten to spend enough time with this past year. We talked for 2 hours. We talked about plays, friendship, houses, gardens and the Stage Company. We caught up. That simple, just talked and caught up. It inspired me to call my best friend from work, Bob and catch up with him. I tried to call and talk to a few others, but even though I did not reach them, it felt good to try.
I am sleeping. I have never been a good nap takers, and now I can sleep most of a day and then go to sleep early because I am tired and sleep through the night. My body needs sleep. Not just rest, sleep. Food had gotten to be something I hardly thought about and my weight was dropping again. I seem to have broke that circle of not eating, but the stomach troubles have also increased as I try to eat more food and more often.
It is hard to explain how I feel lately. I feel a little out of body because I hurt and feel sick. But I feel calmer. I have no idea where I am in the progression of the disease, but having to take a muscle relaxer now to keep my right arm workable. Life is worth living because of all the drugs I take. Hmmmmm. It is starting to sink in. I am adjusting better to my condition and maybe that is why I can sleep. It might just be the added drugs that are making me sleepy. Whatever, I am enjoying going to sleep. Something I can't remember when I actually enjoyed sleeping.
So life is changing.
The house is starting to morph into a home
The Suwanee Spring Music Festival is coming. We are holding off on tickets until after I see the doctor on Tuesday. I don't know, I just want an idea of what is happening before I take off on another adventure.
My batteries are running low and don't charge up as much as they used to. But the Bradford pears are blooming. Their white petals blowing as another front blows through again. The hardy green of winter is giving way to the green of spring. The red of new growth, the blue of spiderwort, the yellow of Jesmine. The pines candles are coming out, Easter is just around the corner. The oaks are starting their spring dance of pollen. The air has the haze of spores and pollen. The animals are moving, those with allergies are sneezing and their eyes running. You can see the life force coming up out of the ground and into the plants and trees. Young growth shoot up from hidden roots of perinneals. Azelleas are blooming in their own sweet time. Camellias still blushing with their blossoms, and my heart feels like it too is thawing from a brutal winter. It is easier to forgot about body pains and aches when the notes of a song bird break forth from a bud heavy limb.
What a joy to be able to start this adventure with our new home in spring and to watch throughout the year what treasures may lay hidden below.
It is a joy to be a live today. It is a joy to look into my sweeties eyes and see the sparkle of excitement of another day.
Another adventure.
After another very busy week, we are off for a few days to get away. Yesterday was our one year anniversary. We celebrated it with left over take out Chinese and were in bed asleep early. We have been so busy this week that we had no energy left.
Bug is wearing himself out more then I am. I have worn myself right back down. I managed to get all the wall paper off of the upstairs bathroom. Bug worked on the kitchen a bit, but he can do so many other things that I am not able to do, I took over the wall paper removing. I have half a wall left in the kitchen. It will wait until we get back.
We have electricity in the house, but as we have started our renovation we are falling in line with all the TV shows. Yep, we knew that the Florida room was going to have a new roof and everything above the tile floor would have to be removed. Unfortunately there is a problem with the front wall of the house. We may need a whole new roof. If that is our best choice we will replace the shingles with a green metal roof.
It has been raining and our swamp seems to keep growing. With 5 - 6 trucks running up and down our drive it has turned into an amazing mud bogging site. The mud is everywhere. Sticky, smelly, slimy mud. We love it. But not in the drive. Bug has bush hogged as much property as he could finding springs erupting up through already sogged ground.
I have worked so hard this week and I can not tell you what I have done. Bug works non-stop. He not only works here at Labrun, but even harder at our new swamp, and finds time to help his dad fix their brick walk.
Bug and I finished removing wall paper from the kitchen. The wall paper in the kitchen was so bland and odd looking and feeling. It's width, feel and how it came off seemed more like drawer liner. At least they did not use gorilla glue to hold the seams like they did in the bathroom. I cleaned the cabinets going back in the bath room. I swept and gathered up piles of scattered wall paper and other debris from the electrical repairs.
Each time we go to the house it feels more like our home. The tile as you walk in the door. The big bedroom with the glorious closets. The little kitchen, that once the frig was out seemed roomy and full of opportunity. The bathroom vanity, which was actually a kitchen cabinet is going to make a lovely island and I can't wait for the roof and walls.
Yes, we have learned that we must replace the roof. There is just too much damage. The Florida room was always on the list as roof candidate, but now with the damage at the front window, it is just too much, so a new green roof with a different back angle will be installed. Of course we are not thrilled about all the bills. They are spurting up faster then the blackberry vines, and just as prickly. But this is just like on TV. We have a buffer to help us get through this and have already had to designate some of those funds to fix the air conditioning. The vandals stole the copper out of the air conditioner, the gauges off of the well and the pipes off of the downstairs toilet. Really? That was just being mean. The copper and gauges I can see getting a few bucks to make it worth your energy, but the pipes, only the ones for the downstairs toilet? I don't get it.
Just as the pressure of the house, life, his parents was getting to be overwhelming we packed light, left the trailer at home and joined the journey of the pilgrimage to Daytona. We headed over on Monday and the trip over was sunny and beautiful and a wonderful ride. We stayed with the ever fabulous Bill and Hobby. The weekend had been one of the most attended Daytona in years according to the news and our friends. Fortunately the downtown had quieted for the few days early in the week before it ramped back up for the last weekend. A friend asked me why, how do I go to Daytona. She knows my discomfort about being around drunks and crowds. That is why we went during the week, and staying with our friends outside of the turmoil on the peaceful river. I love all the bikes and noise, if I can get away from the people. So I go to a few things, and then I go home and Bug and friends head out and join the throngs of revelers. No, most of it, is not in my comfort zone, but I have always pushed my comfort zone. Usually to step back and surround myself in my peaceful quiet world. But just because it is not for me, I still love the pilgrimage with the roads filled with bikes and trucks with trailer and campers all drawn to the same place. Drawn to celebrate their bikes, their creativity and a life style. I am drawn from curiosity. The weather was gorgeous and we visited our favorite spots, ate our favorite food, then the weather was to turn cold, so we hugged our sweet friends good bye on Wednesday morning and raced home trying to skirt the storm front roaring across the state. One close call and we had a little spit, but we managed to avoid the worst of the rain and enjoyed our ride home.
While we were in Daytona I realized that I could see the lymph nodes in my left arm pit and arm. I know I was hurting. But in my crazy backwards way of thinking, once I saw them, I knew that was not good, but at the same point, the pain was real. I could see it, not just feel it. Knowing it is real, helps. It was a hard trip in many ways, but in other ways, I did it. I pushed past the pain and pulled up my black cowboy boots, hefted on my Harley Gortex coat that I swear weighs twice as much as I do. I knew going, I was limited on what I could do. But to get to spend time with these two people, even for a short visit, well, it is like choosing to add on the miles on our way home from New Jersey this Christmas so we could spend one night with Marty and Shelia. You know the love will just grab a hold of you and your body will relax. Let go of the things that have to be done. They will wait. Just give in to the joy of friendship and good times. How could I not do whatever I had to. So I did.
My dear friend Karen died. She is the one I was talking about with the dance recital, and she sang Frank Sinatra. I had not seen her in many years. But that is part of friends or pets for that matter. We give our hearts out to others our entire lives. If we are lucky. We give out that love and it comes back in ways we never expect. And yet when one of those people you gave your heart to, maybe years and years ago, it does matter. We were different people in a different life in a world both of us had left. Yet knowing she was gone, this person I have not seen since that other world, I felt such a huge loss.
That night Bug and I went to visit some friends we rarely see anymore. These people and their family was so much of the joy and love and acceptance I have felt in this place. The place I have chosen as my home. Through life and family and illness, I have not gotten to spend the afternoon tea I once considered so blessed to share. I have not been able to just sit and talk and be with them. Those people who have been so important in my life today, let alone so much of the happiness in my life here. But there we were. The two grandsons even more amazing then described in her blog. I know she discusses her chickens and grandchildren a lot. But if you could spend 15 minutes with her and those boys and that gorgeous rooster, you would see that she is not exaggerating about the children's intelligence, lovingness and joy. I was in awe listening to the conversations, the need to understand some things and to be so open to simply ask their grandparents knowing that they will tell them the truth, or a great story. They can tell the difference from the twinkle in the eye, the curve of the smile on those older faces cheeks. I told the older boy about how he laughed at me when I was bald and he was about the same age as his younger brother. He was so upset that he would do something that terrible as to laugh as someone hurt. But when I told him that he had not hurt me, I did look funny. It made me happy that at least one person admitted that I looked silly. He was so amazed at how he had made me happy and was proud of himself. As he should be. It was a short visit, but it was a day where a friend from my past slipped away and friends from a less distant past were back in my heart.
I spoke to another friend that I have not gotten to spend enough time with this past year. We talked for 2 hours. We talked about plays, friendship, houses, gardens and the Stage Company. We caught up. That simple, just talked and caught up. It inspired me to call my best friend from work, Bob and catch up with him. I tried to call and talk to a few others, but even though I did not reach them, it felt good to try.
I am sleeping. I have never been a good nap takers, and now I can sleep most of a day and then go to sleep early because I am tired and sleep through the night. My body needs sleep. Not just rest, sleep. Food had gotten to be something I hardly thought about and my weight was dropping again. I seem to have broke that circle of not eating, but the stomach troubles have also increased as I try to eat more food and more often.
It is hard to explain how I feel lately. I feel a little out of body because I hurt and feel sick. But I feel calmer. I have no idea where I am in the progression of the disease, but having to take a muscle relaxer now to keep my right arm workable. Life is worth living because of all the drugs I take. Hmmmmm. It is starting to sink in. I am adjusting better to my condition and maybe that is why I can sleep. It might just be the added drugs that are making me sleepy. Whatever, I am enjoying going to sleep. Something I can't remember when I actually enjoyed sleeping.
So life is changing.
The house is starting to morph into a home
The Suwanee Spring Music Festival is coming. We are holding off on tickets until after I see the doctor on Tuesday. I don't know, I just want an idea of what is happening before I take off on another adventure.
My batteries are running low and don't charge up as much as they used to. But the Bradford pears are blooming. Their white petals blowing as another front blows through again. The hardy green of winter is giving way to the green of spring. The red of new growth, the blue of spiderwort, the yellow of Jesmine. The pines candles are coming out, Easter is just around the corner. The oaks are starting their spring dance of pollen. The air has the haze of spores and pollen. The animals are moving, those with allergies are sneezing and their eyes running. You can see the life force coming up out of the ground and into the plants and trees. Young growth shoot up from hidden roots of perinneals. Azelleas are blooming in their own sweet time. Camellias still blushing with their blossoms, and my heart feels like it too is thawing from a brutal winter. It is easier to forgot about body pains and aches when the notes of a song bird break forth from a bud heavy limb.
What a joy to be able to start this adventure with our new home in spring and to watch throughout the year what treasures may lay hidden below.
It is a joy to be a live today. It is a joy to look into my sweeties eyes and see the sparkle of excitement of another day.
Another adventure.
Owen is usually so very shy these days around people he doesn't know that well, doesn't see that often, but he certainly enjoyed seeing you, visiting with you. And then you gave him that whistle and you'd stolen his heart.
ReplyDeleteYou can't put in words how to truly express that boy. A million words come to mind, but he is so much more then then all the words. And Gibson. Be still my heart. They were amazing, and so are you and Mr Moon
ReplyDeleteThis touched my heart
ReplyDelete