Busy Tuesday

I didn't even have a sentence to write yesterday because of nothing important to write about.
Today is the same except we're being forced out of the house.

I unfortunately have to visit an oral surgeon named Matthew today to see about getting a wisdom tooth removed.  Matthew.  Sounds like a child.  I hope he isn't.  My dentist is Dr. Chet.  Because his last name is too hard for anyone to remember or pronounce.

As a reward after the appointment, we're going to buy some flowers to plant and some groceries, and if Mike feels sorry enough for my upcoming ordeal, he'll take me to Chic-Fil-A for one of the new frozen lemonade things.

Here are some pictures I took last week just wandering around the yard with the camera.

Bur first a picture of Mama's birdfeeder at the nursing home.  She's really enjoying watching them, and I've already had to refill it.

Mike's work space in the garage.  He loves to find a door that needs painting or repairing so he can take it off and make it perfect again.  Taster's Choice coffee and Car Talk make it better.

The boxes and bins in the background are part of the things I'm collecting for the My Kids Attic consignment sale.  It's more than doubled since Saturday.  I made sure there was no limit to what I could sell.

Eyesore area between the driveway and fence.  The plant on the left is (I think) a loropetalum or Chines Fringe Bush.  It doesn't seem to grow much, but I guess there's no room for it to do so.  Rosemary next to it and the pyracantha that blooms at strange time.  Mike planted sunflowers (don't ask) in the blank spaces.

I walked all around the yard taking pictures and never noticed this bench was at the street for pickup until I came in and uploaded my pictures.

Pansies by the back door.

Neighborhood clean-up day.

It made me a little sad to see it sitting there.  After the house burned and we were having it rebuilt, the guys working on the deck built this and a potting bench, and we took it to Meridian, Greensboro, back to GA, and now to Montgomery.

Front porch is coming out from its winter look with some ferns and Mandevilla.

One of the Altheas getting some new leaves.  It won't be long before they're covered in pink and purple blossoms.

Mike's pride and joy, the Lenten Rose he bought in Oregon and brought back and nurtured over 2 winters.

Amaryllis starting to show.

Well, there goes the bench.

I've distracted myself enough.  It's now time to go face Matthew with my x-rays.

Sunday Morning

Maybe just a sentence or two at a time won't be so overwhelming.  There is too much going on to have time to write about.

So just pictures from a peaceful Sunday morning.

These are the first things to appear in the little backyard flower bed.  We may go totally herbs this year.

Parsley and rosemary.  I planted a little basil plant last week behind the parsley.

And the clematis that we gave up on last year.  It got trampled so much by Darby looking for lizards that it never got started.  It looks healthy and ready to climb if we can protect it.

Minimalist gardening this year.  Just to make things look a little better and not get this vegetable bed overwhelmed like last year.

Three tomato plants, 1 red pepper, and a group of zucchini.  That will take over the whole end of the bed.

We're trying to re-crate train Darby in the anticipation that someone will look at our house.

She's doing well in it.  She would prefer being stretched out on the tile floor snoring, but she does stay for extended periods of time in here.

But it has been taken over this morning by Murray.

Funny how cats find little favorite places.

I wish my sewing chair was not Stella's favorite place.  She is obsessed with it and throws off any towels I use to try to protect it.  I mean she is ALWAYS there.

And does not like any other suggestion on where to sleep.

Okay, I did it.  Just a few sentences and we're off to church.

It can only be downhill now

The reason I've not written in so long is not because life was so boring that I had nothing to write about but that there was too much happening to even comprehend, much less write about.

February 6th, we moved Mama into Andalusia Manor nursing home.  It was a long time in the works and a busy and anxious time making it work, but amazingly it seems to have been a great decision.  I'll take some pictures Thursday when we go down there of her nice room - with 2 closets and a large bathroom.

I've spent hours and hours on paperwork, Medicaid interviews, VA office visits, filling out VA forms, making lists, and checking things off.  All along, I've had the excellent support of the admissions director, Kendall.  She has held my hand, advised, reassured, calmed my doubts, and just been a good friend all the way.

More about the Manor and Mama's new home next time.

I don't even know where to start on this house and our plans to sell it and move to Washington.  Such a far-fetched idea and huge dream.  We've worked over the years on removing wallpaper and repainting, but it's finally come to a glorious end, the painting and de-wallpapering, that it.

I'll try to find all the before and after pictures to compare later.

This is where we are today.

Just to the right is my temporary bed where I slept last night.  If we work hard enough, I should be able to sleep more comfortably tonight.

I brought my work station into the den and worked there last night.  I enjoyed it, but it doesn't do much for the looks of the house, so I'll go back down the hall tonight.

Mike took up the carpet from 4 bedrooms, 6 closets, and the hall.  Very strange-looking.

The bathtub.  Looks like that might have been more comfortable to sleep in than the couch

When my work area is cleaned out, the room looks so much bigger.  I might just make a sitting area there and move the desk.

More rolls of carpet ready to be thrown away.

I can't wait to get all this out and redo my sewing room.

Murray was hesitant about the new bare floors.

But he's a brave boy.

Not Stella though.  That's a far as her little paws would venture.

And the carpet arrives.  Pretty exciting.

I had to go take a peek at the padding.  Looking good and not a bad pattern.

I'm a little nervous to go look at the finished product.  I know it will be such an improvement - but what if I don't like it?

This house is not new, but it's about as updated as you can get with the wallpaper gone, all new paint, mostly new carpet and the older carpet cleaned.  New quartz counter tops, All woodwork, doors, thresholds repaired and painted - and that was a LOT of repairing and rebuilding.  All fans, vents, corners, and baseboards dusted.  Windows washed.  Tile floors cleaned and resealed.  Over the past few years, a lot of work has gone into reviving and beautifying the house - mostly Mike's - mine mostly arguing about paint colors and quartz patterns - and it's a job well done.  

Once the furniture is back in, we'll be ready to roll.  Or ready to entertain visitors poking around at any time, hiding clutter, and keeping things shiny and good-smelling.  

I wrote this Monday but (of course) misplaced my camera and then my charger in all the chaos), but the carpet is in, and we love it.  

These are pictures of the bedroom shown above (the alcove where I used to have my desk, filing cabinets, and printers.

I did have my favorite little love seat at the foot of the bed, which was fine and not really too crowded.

But now I like it so much better in this cozy little area.  I just need to add a floor lamp there.

It's really a pretty large bedroom now.  I hope it doesn't leave too much floor space.

As far as I know, Murray has never been on this piece of furniture, but the new setting makes it more appealing, I guess.

I think he approves.  He wouldn't open his eyes and look at me.

The realtor didn't come and won't until Saturday because she wants to take pictures, and it's been rainy.  Thank goodness!  We have a lot to do.  Andalusia tomorrow, so that will take the whole day.  Friday is for cleaning out the pantry and straightening up plus maybe planting some pansies in the pots on the front porch.