Stay busy, keep moving!

These have been a glorious few days, from steaming hot, making the lake recreation fun, fun, fun and some beautiful sunsets shared with loved ones…to cool and breezy making the yard work easier.  I am a happy to be able to enjoy both the sun and the shade!

We are gearing up for the 4^th of July and trying to prepare the house and yard for an almost camp type atmosphere.   We LOVE having everyone here, and we love them just wandering, sitting, relaxing for a few hours.  The day changes from games, food and water to conversations, fire and fireworks.  Planning is easy as we just go with what we did last year and turn everyone lose! They seem to manage pretty well!

We have begun preparing for the renovation of our home, but, received good news from our contractor who feels he can do much of the work from above and won’t need to have as much demolition as we thought.  So we aren’t tearing off as much drywall and making that whole mess ~ although there will still be plenty.  I also met with the kitchen designer here at the house which was beneficial to both of us.  I am glad she got to see our space as it’s special, and small.  Now she has a better idea of what we’re working with and what kind of feeling I am going for.  I am really looking forward to having it done but, in all honesty, that’s WEEKS away.

Because we are at a bit of a delay and the weather is so great, I have gone back outside to move some plants and create more garden areas.  After I posted about the moon garden I spoke with a lovely friend who created her own moon garden.  She and I were discussing what else I had in mind.  I mentioned that I have Mildred, for my mom, and a pretty little bird feeder statue that reminds me of my mother-in-law, Jean, nearby.  My dad always loved growing roses.  I don’t have a great spot for roses, and I have a LOT to learn about them, but she suggested a small rose garden in a sunny location honoring my father.  I like it.  I’ll be keeping an eye on my yard for the best location for a small planting of some roses as well as some other reminders of both he and my father-in-law.

Last weekend, we volunteered at a golf outing for the Play for Jake Foundation on an absolutely beautiful Saturday.   It was hot, and sunny and breezy, and the golf course looked amazing.  This organization was created after our community lost a great young man to sudden cardiac arrest, the result of an undetected heart condition.  The organization’s founder, Jake’s mom Julie, has made it her life mission to raise awareness and to bring free heart screenings to children in our community through the foundation.  The golf outing is one way the foundation raises money to facilitate those screenings.  Find more information here:  playforjake where you can also donate, if you choose.

Whatever you decide to do today, make it a great day, a memorable day! Enjoy your holiday, enjoy your family and friends! 

Honing in on home.

It is on like Donkey Kong around here and I am having the time of my life! We are so into the design/renovation phase of our home; we have conversation almost daily about a decision we need to make and are making them.  I spent a good hour at the fireplace shop, a couple hours today with the kitchen designer and shopped Amish country for a cabinet.

So there is a thing about the Amish.  A lot of people think of them as “very religious” and that isn’t exactly true it seems.  I understand they are a community, a sect, but as far as being super strict religiously, well, I guess that depends on your definition.  And the rules seem to be a bit loose.  Yesterday, while driving home from the local Amish community, I saw a young man, riding his bike to wherever, and texting on his cell phone.  Yeah, that was quite a sight…hunched over the handlebars, occasionally looking up to make sure he was still on the side of the road and texting away.  This was coupled by the little boys in traditional dress riding in the back of a horse-drawn wagon wearing their reflective sunglasses.  They were everywhere ~ wool hats and shiny sunglasses.  But, I mean, that's cool. The sun IS bright and we should protect our eyes.  It was just kind of, well, incongruous.  Anyway, hubs tells me they are about the most profane, and seemingly aggressive, of all his lumber customers, too.  Food for thought everyone…things are not always what they seem, right?

But, they do assemble some nice furniture and I was very into trying to find just the right cabinet as I drug myself from shop to shop, pausing ever so lightly over tons of lace, lots of Christmas and candles, candles, candles.   Never did find the “one” cabinet for my beverage station but I am pretty sure I will.  I have months to go before this is all over and done so I can be patient, and diligent.

 

The kitchen designer and I are at an impasse. I know that’s not her fault and reluctantly admit to it being mine, but, I want what I want.  I think.  So, we have to have a new measurement session scheduled and a repricing of some items and a look at the location of the island.  Since its taken a bit of time for me to even get to this point and be sure about the windows in the living room and the location of the fireplace and confident about some furniture choices, I can work with new measurements and suggestions, knowing I will be confident about the kitchen decisions, too.  We have a house and trim color, we have a plan for the front porch, the windows and the sliding patio door are ordered and we are in negotiation (that’s a joke, people) regarding the size of the deck and walkway.   I have a lot to do, and am really having fun! 

Wait, wait, what?

Okay, just hold up here while I check my calendar.  I still have a flat and a half of bedding plants to get in the ground, but, that doesn’t bother me.  

However, somewhere along the road, I must have gotten even more off schedule because this week I have received three promotional emails for Summer Clearance Events.  Say, what? Is it even officially summer, yet?  Let me look for a second, what is included in these clearance events…swimwear, tank tops and what? Patriotic paper goods?

Did I get hit in the head? (And yes, I am interested in those red, white and blue napkins...)

Will you still need me, will you still feed me...

Picture this – a 64 year-old male out water skiing for his birthday, an impromptu get-together and a relaxing fire.  That’s what dreams are made of, folks.  Hubs announced on Sunday that he would really like to ski on his birthday, a fete that hasn’t been accomplished in a while, to make sure he still could.  A couple of text messages later and the deal is done, Monday, 5:30 p.m.

 

Hubs is in pretty good shape.  He’s a hard worker and always has a project or two going that keeps him moving and fit.  I was not nervous about water skiing, plenty of men do at his age…but, I could tell he was a little apprehensive, because he hadn’t been skiing in a couple years, that he might embarrass himself.  Our nephew came out with his 11 year-old son, dusted off the skis that have been in the barn for a few years, and off they went.  This would be the boy’s first try at skiing, and although quite a gifted athlete, I could tell he was apprehensive as well.

 

Success was whooped and hollered as the boat returned to the pier.  All three had a great spin, the boy was thrilled that he could call himself a skier, as was hubs.  The nephew’s wife had arrived, and sat with me in the yard swing, catching up as more of their kids and friends arrived and were taken out in the boat for a try at skiing.  

We had a great evening and not a typical Monday.  We love this family and look forward to the day they will be moving to the lake themselves and the love, fun and activity they bring with them.  Hubs was beaming, he was so happy to have the yard and the lake filled with their young, happy voices and kept going back to the kitchen to scrounge more crackers, more chips, more cheese, left over pizza and grapes.  We moved to the deck and the fire pit and had awesome conversation, stale crackers and Pringles (are they even potato?).  I sat back and enjoyed watching him enjoy his birthday, no cake, no steak, but, with the exception of wishing his kids and grandkids were here, he could not have hoped for a better evening.  Yes, we will still love you, when you’re 64.