Little House on the Property- #137

Our new little house has really great potential! Firstly, it is private, spacious, comfortable and at the back of the property with a great view of the lake when sitting on our porch. We love, love, love that porch!!  That is our go to spot every morning to have our coffee and our relaxing spot throughout the day. I’m sitting there right now. There is a delightful breeze despite the 95degree temperature and I enjoy listening to the beautiful wind chime hanging on our porch which the previous owners left behind. I love it! The property has lots of very tall trees creating a canopy, helping to keep the house and yard cooler. The gardens, coy pond, bridge are all something special!  

Even though our new space is much bigger in square footage, we are faced with putting the pieces of our previously well-coordinated home into rooms that are laid out very different. It’s much like mixed up puzzle pieces- it just doesn’t quite fit the same.  I mentioned to Brooke today - which is how I got on this train of thought - I feel like I’m “repurposing” our furnishings.  The space dictates what is needed and what will fit.  All our furniture, appliances, pictures, etc… were all purchased for our apartment in Stoughton. I put a lot of thought into outfitting that space - from the paint on the walls, window blinds, floors, decor, and color scheme.

The little house itself has probably undergone many renovations over the last 30 years but it doesn’t appear anyone has used it to actually live in. In old pictures we have seen of the interior - exercise equipment, desks, couches, and a bed in a very weird location (probably just for overnight guests) occupied the two main spaces. 

Here is a tour of our new home:

Welcome Y'all!

Space one is a very large living area with an awful color ceramic tile floor (blue-green-grey).

At one end of this large room are a set of French Doors that lead to the "L shaped patio; to the left of the doors is a pretty round top window, which ties in with windows from the main house. I have repurposed a glass table Charlie made and I previously had under our living room TV - it is now my desk sitting under this window. It fit perfectly!

On the opposite end of the room is where our kitchen will one day be. Right now, it is just a tiny wet bar sink, very dark tile counter area with a cabinet above and below and a big stainless steel refrigerator. Since the frig is my only appliance, I purchased an electric fry pan, and microwave for cooking. I may get a toaster oven or bring back the one I’m using in Mississippi. Right now, I’m using the small counter area as my coffee bar. I have room for a toaster and just enough space to cook with my electric fry pan when being used. A bookcase from Stoughton is also being used as open kitchen shelving to store dishes, cups, glasses, spices, cookware.  Luckily, it just fits on a wall adjacent to the refrigerator. I’m also using my stainless steel cart and shelving cart  to store further kitchen items.  Unfortunately, both of these units were damaged in transit but they’re still useful; they’ll have to do for now. 

My retro kitchen set survived the trip, as did our couch. My little red recliner was broken and although we can still use it - it only reclines; no one can sit up straight in it any longer. 

Our full bathroom is off to the left of the wet bar area. It’s a decent size (though no comparison to our other bathroom). The corner rounded shower reminds me of the transporter from Star Trek; we used it for the first time today and it works well, though I have an intense urge to yell out “Beam me up, Scotty”. The vanity is small; there is no linen closet, so I repurposed a storage shelf to keep our towels and bathroom essentials. The bathroom will eventually need an overhaul but it’s clean and it works. 

Off to the side of the bathroom and a most interesting feature you'd think would have excited me more knowing the industry I worked in for 40 years - is a garage door.  Perhaps at some point this was an area used for a golf cart or lawn mower- but it is now just a hollow, metal, raised panel garage door WALL. It does not open - despite all the tracks, springs and hardware are intact.  There are no windows on this side of the house and it makes this area very dark. So this has become one of my priority projects; we will be replacing this garage door with a French Door. Not only will it bring wonderful light into the room, but we’ll have a great view of the garden. Renovation will begin next week! 

The second large space we enter through the big French Doors off the living space. It had a work shop on one end; this is where we will create Charlie's "Ham Shack" and office.  We will be putting up a sound proof wall with door to access the new designated area; the other side of the wall will be our bedroom. This is also part of priority project #1 and will be done along with the French Door next week. There actually is no official bedroom at this time but we are making the best of it. There is also a 15' long narrow area off the "bedroom" which we are using as a closet and eventually will have built ins and such and a door. 

There are many storage closets - one so big I plan to create another little room with cabinetry. 

So that's the grand tour! We actually have usable attic space with a finished floor but I doubt it will be something we will use. Needless to say, we have a lot of work ahead of us; I have no idea when it will be completed since we are off to Mississippi in about 8 weeks. But we're getting started!  Oh, one other thing since it's something I am asked a lot. Yes! We have wonderful A/C in the house. The house is well insulated and the brick is an extra bonus which keeps the coolness in; it's very quiet too.  I actually keep the thermostat between 76-78 and you'd be shocked at how comfortable it is! (any lower and we're cold)

Have a great day! 

And Yet Another New Beginning #136

My very first blog entry nine years ago wrote about new beginnings and change. This has been an on-going theme in my life. Big changes, big moves.  Of course, giving credit where credit is due, this particular change and move was the brainchild of Brooke and Rakib - their desire for new adventure and to start anew. No one understands that feeling more than me. We are along for the ride.

So here we are, Cypress, Texas.  This will be our last night ( finally) in our Air B&B house; our furniture arrives tomorrow and we move in!!

Our new family property is gorgeous! Of course, we loved our house up north but purchasing an older home with mature gardens by talented gardeners is a big plus. There are little garden beds and sitting areas everywhere, a bridge that spans a coy pond ( lots of assorted sized fish), water features, beautiful flowers. It’s like a mini botanical garden! 

 

 

The big house is on a corner lot of almost an acre and is magnificent! A grand staircase greets you at entry to an interior of almost 5400 sf- there is a lot of space! A three car garage, beautiful patio area in the back with plenty of room for the pool that will one day be added - and with this heat, we look forward to it!!

  

Our little house is in the back of the property. It is a good size ( approximately 1200 sf) with a great porch ( patio) facing the lake across the road from us. It’s the perfect view!  The inside space is one third larger than our previous apartment in Stoughton and has a lot of potential.  The only thing I wouldn’t change is the porch; the inside needs a total renovation.  We met with a contractor yesterday and will try to prioritize projects according to importance. Now that we’ve seen and spent some time at the little house, I’ve really gotten a feel for what we will do.  Eventually, it will be great! 

My first impression of Cypress- it is a residential area with lots of planned communities; ours is called Lakes of Rosehill. There are just under 400 homes in our community, which is probably smallish considering the newer master planned communities like Towne Lakes and Bridgeland which boast community pools, playgrounds, shopping areas, restaurants. They offer a lot of amenities but the downside is a lot of people, traffic and noise. Cypress is a pretty sizable, diverse city with over 200,000 residents.  We are about 25 miles northwest of Houston on the outer highway(290)

There are tons of restaurants, shopping, activities - anything you can think of! We will be exploring for a long time! 

And yes - it is hot here. Lucky for us, we like the heat. Every day since we arrived, we sit outside first thing in the morning to have our coffee. You do have to limit your physical activities when it reaches 95 degrees midday, but we just do indoor things at that point.  Quite frankly, I haven’t found the heat unbearable yet. The most difficult part for me has been dealing with sciatica, my knee and back - all on my left side.  By the end of the day, I can barely walk. I am in a lot of pain.  It takes several hours to calm down; the morning is my best time. I’m going to try not to overdo it anymore and try to see a doctor about it probably sooner than later.  

Our next days, weeks will be filled with unpacking, getting rid of trash ( there’s a lot) meeting with plumbers, electricians, irrigation crew, and another contractor. Then there’s applying for new driver’s licenses, registering our vehicles…. A lot to do to say the least! 

So- I will sit on this fine morning, looking at my lake and sipping my coffee. It feels good.  

Casualties of Moving- #135

We have just over two weeks before we start our week long trek to our new home in Cypress, Texas. We have a lot of mixed emotions. As we meet up with and hug friends and family goodbye - it is very sad for us; we don’t know when or if we will ever see them again. 

This morning I mapped out our travel; it will actually take us a week going at our usual pace. Depending on when our motorcycle is loaded onto the transport will dictate when we actually leave. Once that is secured, we should have everything ready to just jump into our truck and get on the road. 

We continue to make progress with our packing. Charlie was able to get 40 boxes from a local supermarket ( flattened) and we’ve been reassembling, taping and filling them. We’ve actually done more than I thought but we have the time and the boxes. I will probably leave just a few fragile items and my large canvas pictures for the movers to professionally pack. 

  

This past week, Brooke, Rakib and the kids have been vacationing in Cancun. They too had a trip previously planned and paid for. This was a nice break for us.  We’ve really enjoyed hanging out upstairs - especially since our apartment looks like a warehouse. 

Today I parted with my little Honda Fit. I really loved that little car, but it just didn’t make sense to keep it. I feel good about the decision and was pleased with the amount I received and the quick turnaround from CarMax. I generally don’t mind driving the truck and eventually we will probably trade it in for another smaller vehicle when the time is right. We’ve needed it to tow our travel trailer; we are now trying to decide if we will continue to travel to Mississippi after this winter as Cypress has basically the same weather; the drive will only be about 400 miles now. So, we are thinking of letting our trailer go after this year. It doesn’t mean we won’t travel, we’ll just stay in air b&bs or hotels or cabins - or cruise!! Lots to consider. 

I found the Stoughton Buy Nothing page on Facebook a very useful tool in giving away many items. Charlie finally let go of his PA System and Amps; they were very large, heavy and essential pieces from back in his band days. I know it was hard for him to part with them; it’s like letting go of a piece of your life, but it really was necessary.  Happily, a church group will be using these for their services.  

We still have a few more appointments left; service for our truck, Minnie back to the vet for bloodwork, Charlie to the eye doctor.  I’ve been trying to get my annual physical rescheduled before we go and am on a waiting list but it doesn’t look like that will happen. On the Texas side, we do have new medical insurance that will begin 9/1 and a new primary care physician.  

In another week, Jason, Charlie’s son, will be coming from his home in Westfield and taking a lot of things; our fishing boat, jeweler’s bench that belonged to his grandfather, our catio - which he’ll be able to use for his new cat - and a few additional odds and ends.  

I am getting anxious to see our new home … that time will be here before we know it! 

Packing - #134

From time to time I have a night I can’t sleep. Today is one of those. Mostly it’s because Charlie is sick and I worry about him getting pneumonia, due to his COPD. I listen to his rough breathing and coughing during the night- it keeps me up. I made an appointment for urgent care to see him today; he doesn’t know it yet. Update: his lungs were clear, just needed some antibiotic for the congestion and something for the cough.

Since we left and returned home from our trip a lot has happened. Firstly, our house was sold. The day after the open house, the kids received 5 offers; one really good one in line with what they were actually looking for, money wise. I was so happy for them! Then they put in an offer on another house they liked in Cypress (we liked it too) and it was accepted! With a closing on our house July 30th, closing on the Cypress house July 31st - we are moving right along - at warp speed! 

 New Main House Cypress

Our Guest House Cypress

In a few short days, I have made a lot of packing progress. If you’ve ever witnessed the harvesting of cranberries- first the bogs are filled with water to loosen and allow the berries to float to the surface; then they are corralled and pulled closer and closer together until they reach a point where they can be sucked up and dispersed into big dump trucks to be taken to processing.

 

That is like my packing M.O.  All the pictures off the walls first (and I had a lot of them!), I spackled the holes as I went along. Then I packed excess clothes we wouldn’t be needing in suitcases. I packed our travel bags for when we get on the road to drive to our new home. Gradually, one area at a time, labeling boxes, moving things to the kitchen counter for the movers to pack, if I don’t get to it first. Putting aside things we will take in our truck; arranging to give things away to family and friends, or to donate. With an approximate move date of 7/27 - we should be able to get this done easy and stress free. Probably the biggest issue will be Charlie’s shed - although we are making progress with that as well. 

I still find myself weeding the gardens, watering and tending to my flowers that will stay. I hope we have the opportunity to use the pool before we go too! I have enjoyed this property very much and over the years have invested a lot of time keeping things up. I understand our new place is a nice property as well and includes a coy pond! 

Besides the packing, we have dr appointments, selling my car, arranging for new insurance and drs down in Texas. It’s definitely a process. 

Today was also a very sad day for our family. My grand-kitty Punim (Pupu) came to the end of her life. She would have been 20 years old next week; she was a pretty old lady. Over the past few months, Pupu had a tumor growing inside her mouth and although she still pushed through, it was obvious she was having a tough time. I’m proud of Brooke for making this very difficult decision; she had Punim half her life! We will definitely miss her. 

Well, the sun is up now. I hear the sprinkler system going. I guess I’ll put on some coffee. I’ll probably take a nap later. 

Our Bus Trip To South Dakota - #133

Right in the middle of everything going on at home; getting ready to sell the house, preparing to move to Texas, and then being diagnosed with Lyme and Babesiosis again- we had an 11 day bus tour planned to South Dakota. This actually turned out to be the best thing for us - getting away from the stress and craziness of the open house weekend and just having our minds on something else besides this giant task before us. And so here we are, the last day into our tour and really enjoying this special trip. 

We left early on June 19th - a group of about 50 heading west. Our first day was a travel day with many stops ( every 2-2-1/2 hours). It took a bit to make our space on the bus comfortable; I felt it was very tight for a trip where you spent so much time on the bus.  If at 5’2” my knees touched the seat in front of me - that’s not exactly spacious. But, once I adjusted my seat, removed any excess we didn’t need in the seats with us (we had an overhead compartment to keep things too) we felt better.  The total mileage to South Dakota is about 2000 miles; this was broken up over 4 days. Each day after the first, we had a small excursion- a museum or roadside attraction, that helped to break up the 500 mile leg. This was definitely helpful on this long journey but also made for a really long day. We stopped for lunch at various locations- malls, travel stops, etc… I tend to bring a good amount of food with us - peanut butter, crackers, baby bel cheese, fruit - it’s not so much the extra cost as it’s just the amount of food you could consume eating three meals a day at restaurants when doing a lot of sitting. Sometimes if there wasn’t a place to picnic, we would just browse the shops and have lunch back on the bus. Many of us took walks on all our stops to get our bodies moving;  At night, I was exhausted and would just shower and fall into bed. On occasion I would use the fitness rooms at the hotels if I had the energy. Our daily breakfast was provided by the hotel. Usually I had a half cup of coffee, eggs, piece of toast and yogurt ( I have to take care of my gut with the meds I’m taking) I also need to eat before I take my Lyme/Babesiosis medicines. Dinner has been at various venues, some definitely better than others. Our itinerary was jam packed during the 11 days - we saw a lot and for us, it was a trip of a lifetime! 

  

We were in Iowa, of course! 

! Divinity Statue

Good- It was great to have the trip all planned by others, great to have someone else driving. It was reasonably priced and included just about everything.  

The Bad - For someone like myself who doesn’t like to be under pressure - the itinerary was a little daunting at times. Getting up at 6/6:30 in the morning to get dressed, making sure you’re packed, eat breakfast and load onto the bus by 8 or 8:30 am to start the day. Our day was nonstop until 9 or even 10 pm.  This was day after day and exhausting to say the least.  I would have liked a little more personal time. Charlie and I actually stayed back at the hotel mid-tour to rest a day and just met the group for dinner.  I needed it! At one point, we were at a venue that I really had, had enough of and I commented to Charlie - “I feel like a hostage”  because we had to wait to leave.  While having someone else in charge is a wonderful change of pace, you have given up control of your day to someone else and have to just suck it up when you may not want to do it.  

The other issue I had was the seating. There was just not enough room to really be comfortable. Most of our time was on the bus; we really needed those breaks to move around.  It was definitely tighter than flying coach - which isn’t exactly roomy.  However, we had brought neck pillows, blankets and metal water bottles along with snacks so we had everything we needed.  

The Good - We got to see a lot! MT Rushmore and Crazy Horse were the highlights.  The Black Hills, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park were also amazing.  We enjoyed the Corn Palace and Amana Village - places I had never heard of before but nonetheless worth seeing!  And the Divinity Statue is just breathtaking! It was fun visiting Wall Drug and several little western towns including the film set from Dances With Wolves.  As we head home,  we’ll be stopping at a botanical gardens and Studebaker Museum.  

Mt Rushmore 

           Crazy Horse

Custer St Park 

 

          Dances With Wolves Film Set

 

 Badlands

The Bad - I really have no specific negative thoughts on our stops. Some of the choices for hotels or dinner stops could definitely have been better - but we’re usually not too fussy. I would have mixed things up a little more as I start to lose focus if I’m going to 2-3 museums in the same day  - I need different types of stimulation.  But it was fine.  

As we begin our trek home today, I think I’ll look back at this trip with good memories. Would I do a bus trip again? Possibly- never say never - but I think I would definitely look into other ideas ( like a train trip) or another cruise out of Galveston, TX now.