I think the low today was 96F. The humidity was about the same.


Project Report:
Tim has finished replicating the facade pediments for the front door! They are perfect! He did the finishing touches on the downstairs bathroom  ceiling and began work on the leak stains in the upstairs den/guest room.

Carpet crew came by today to get the measurements for doing the upstairs.

We got a 10x10x10 storage unit and made two trips today, mostly boxes out of our son's old room --- which is the last major clear out we have to do. All the other rooms, formerly thick with "stuff" have been done!

Tomorrow we paint the first coat on the downstairs bathroom. We will be glad to have that done! Then all that will be left is to get the tub re-surfaced.

Friday, the guy comes to measure for the new storm/security door. Lynn: It will be a full glass door whose trim comes in different colors. What do you think about Hunter Green to match the awning?

Instead of sodding the front yard, we have going to do an Eco-Lawn. Allan wants to rent one of the big tillers, till up the front yard, apply the lime and plant the ten pounds of seed. Lord, I wish we had done this long ago. This is a mixture of grasses, drought tolerant, shade tolerant,  pest resistant AND slow growing so  you do not have to mow but once a month and maybe NEVER have to water, once the grass is established!

Our neighbors lawn looks like a box of Easter Grass. I swear to God. It is Palisade Zoysia and it might as well have dollars glued down it is so pricey. Pray our grass is green enough. Right now the two yards look like a before (ours) and after pictures (neighbors). The Eco-Lawn will cost us around $120 with tiller rental and, of course, a lot of SWEAT.

And to those who say, "This is NOT the time to plant!" We know and discussed this with the Eco-Lawn folks. We just have to water every day till the grass is well established. Fortunately we live where water is plentiful.

I'm praying for cooler weather next week. Are you listening, Jesus?

Since the last post, I crashed my cell phone and Allan crashed his computer. Both should be replaced/repaired by the end of next week.

We also gave the house a wash with Mold Armour. It did a terrific job! The siding just keeps getting cleaner looking every day since. Whoo hoo! Also spray painted the ice cream parlor set Black Satin and now that corner of the kitchen is cleaned out and the set looks get.

Our realtor came by yesterday afternoon, loaded with all kinds of info and assured us we were on the "right path" with our re-model and had a few suggestions: sod the front yard, replace the aluminum storm door, re-surface the downstairs bathtub, and no, we do not need to build a deck.

She really liked our house. It is good for your real estate agent to like your house! I feel so comfortable and confident with my friend, Deborah, a former choir member and still member at my church. She asked what our time frame was. I said, "When we get through!"

Tim came this morning and has now completed re-building/duplicating the rotten footings to the front door frame.

I got out early to prep a work space for Tim, but it was downhill from there. Haven't left the house since.

We sat out one afternoon this week, with the garage kitties swirling around and neighbors coming up for a chat. We feel almost normal again, but the house feels empty without our kitty cats.

June 2009 will be marked in my memory as that time when we were wrapped in a circle of friends and family that sheltered us, took care of not only us but our house and our cat, Sable.

Tim, Rev Thomas and Aeyle, Lynda Gayle, Ed and Rebekkah, Rachel, Lynn and Lacey, Betty and Dave, Larry and LeDhu, and Gay. Thanks be to God for all of you, your hospitality and your care and concern for Sable. We are so blessed and so grateful.

Sunday afternoon, we spent a couple hours digging a grave for Sable's remains. Four feet deep to ensure it would not be disturbed. Our backyard was Sable's kingdom and he loved it so much. It feels good to have his grave there. The sheer physical labor of digging the hole helped somehow.

Yesterday felt like a normal Monday. I dropped Allan off for his library radio gig and then we went out to Cordova. Messed around with Lacey's new laptop trying to resolve the wireless connection issue. Forty five minutes with Comcast was No Joy.

Next lunch, followed by a trip to the Geek Squad at Best Buy. We found a wireless router and got another suggestion for Lacey's Laptop.

Back to Cordovea, tried suggestion. No Joy. Got on the phone with HP, for over an hour. No joy. Lynn came in and suggested Lace connect to a neighbor's unsecured wireless signal --- Joy ! So back to Comcast. This time Lynn got someone with a brain. She spent another hour on the phone re-doing the Comcast router and net work and Whoo hoo! Lace is now a real person and back on Facebook with her  brand new HP laptop which she loves.

After a short stop at Kroger, we drove home. As we turned into Rainbow Allan said, "This is the first time since we came back it feels good to come home."  It did.

My sister and niece left groceries for us last night. It was so good to have the basics in the frig when everything felt so awful and weird.

This morning we went to the Downtown Farmers Market, just in time for the Kids Parade. That was the first thing that felt normal in the twenty fours hours since we got home. Suddenly it really was the Fourth of July.

From the market, we jumped on the belt line and drove to the only Comcast office opened on the Fourth, bless'em! Our cable modem and wireless router were fried by the storm in June. As that was the only damage, we got off light.

Next Walmart, Sam's and back home. We messed around getting the new modem  set up and watering the yard. Little or no rain since the storm. Thanks to our neighbor, our roses and daylillies look good.

LG came by and trimmed the holly bushes for us while we were gone and took care of Sable when he was found. I am surrounded by dear friends, good neighbors and family. We have much to be thankful for this day.

 I cried like a baby in the backyard as I watered the plants. The backyard was Sable's kingdom and I think I kept doing things out there to feel close to him. See the picture below --- that was Sable's Chaise and his alone. Do you notice the pearly white claws? Lacey called Sable our bi-polar cat. You were never quite sure where you stood with him.

If Sable and Gryphon are not in human heaven, I want to go where they go.



This evening LG came over and we all went out to Cordova for Lynn's grilled feast. Oh my,,,there was food to eat and food to take home and good, good talk. Oh the stories !! No, no, I will not repeat those stories. What is told at Lynn's stays at Lynns!

Our homecoming has been marked by the terrible news that our cat,Sable, died yesterday morning.

Our trip has been marked by such rich time with family and our friend, Gay. I am so glad to have had this time with them, but It is such a quiet house now that both our boys are gone.

We have been layabouts here. The VA Tynes have this long, tall screen porch on the back of their 1912 home and we have basically spent most of our time there. There has been rain the last two afternoons, and I love the sound on the old metal roof of the porch next door.

Our family live in the loveliest places and have welcoming homes for planting yourself and doing not much of nothing. I think we have bothered our hosts some in that we just don't want to do the tourist things. Honestly, I think the Sun Room at the Adamsons and the screen porch on the VA Tynes should be on some kind of relaxation tour. What more could you want?  Lovely food, lovely spaces and best of all, good, good, talk and laughter through the long afternoon, watching the sun set.

Gay's house in Fredericksburg is a 19th century charmer. This trip has been an amazing experience, providing the much need rest and just a tiny bit of adventure to get my mind off of the house project.

I am so grateful for the warm hospitality of our family and friend. Thanks be to God for all.

We will be home in time for the Fourth of July, but warning --- once we get that sign in the yard, we might come back!

Last morning in Fredericksburg, Gay and I took the kayaks to Potomac Creek ( not the river though we could see the river from where we put in).

Gay sent this bit of history about the area around Potomac Creek:   ".. the woods across from us is known as Crows Nest.  There is a bald eagle refugee there so maybe we were seeing eagles.   Also, that is the area where Capt J. smith captured Pocahontas and took her down to Jamestown .   Folks were trying to develop the land and a big fight went on for several years…lots of bumper stickers, Save The Crows Nest around town and last year state or feds, don’t know which bought it and now it is safe."





Allan stayed ashore, communing with the various critters that came by.


Here Gay suggested I try the roll out exit from the kayak. I think it works better if you don't hit sand at 8 inches and get your tevas stuck in said sand!



After going home to clean up and load the car, we met Gay downtown at Samme Ts for a farewell lunch. How much we loved having time with this friend.

We drove to across the hills to Harrisonburg, arriving around 4:30pm. Such a lovely drive! The VA Tynes have warmly welcomed us. Stay tune...more later.

This town is OLD by US standards, 300+ years and counting. Lovely tree lined streets, right on the Rappahannock River. Below are pictures of me and my friend, Gay, in kayaks on the river!

Yesterday we had a most pleasant trip from Asheville, NC to Fredricksburg, Va. We are staying with our friend, Gay. 

We have cell service here, family!

Last night, we had dinner out and ate the most amazing Crab Cakes. Yum.

Guess what! Gay has two kayaks and has promised me a  river trip!

Talked to Tim yesterday and he is working away on our house. My neighbor, Father Thomas, says he has been watering every day because of the heat. Rachel reports the cats are all well. God bless'em !

Climbing up on my soap box: Jenny and John posted a video recently of them playing with Vivian in the park. I watched in amazement at how much Vivian has advanced in the use of words, expressing her desires and needs and describing her emotions. Yep, emotions. Viv uses the word "Happy" and "Yuck" appropriately. 

I credit much of this advance to her mother, Jenny.  It struck me this morning that the ability to communicate at such a young age (almost 16 months) has to be a profoundly positive foundation for Vivian's relationship to the wider world. The thought came to me if perhaps the common experience "My parents don't understand me" doesn't arise from those critical early months when babies and toddlers just do not have the words to express themselves and adults truly do not understand them.

All mothers have a sort of sixth sense about their babies needs, but watching the video I am amazed at the give and take between Vivian and her parents.  Jenny ended the post expressing a wish that all these words of Vivian's would guarantee her a happy life. I think that any child who feels as though her parents HEAR her, has a good chance for that happy life.

Of course, our son, John, has much to do with this language/communication, but Jenny is the moment to moment teacher. Thanks be to God for Jenny.

 

 This post is for three angels: In Asheville, my sister-in-law, Betty who has taken us in this week.


The news from Memphis is that the count of folks without power in our sector is down to 532 and, yes, that still includes our street.  A neighbor checked in and left an update. Ugh

We drove to Bessemer City yesterday and got to spend some time with my brother, Reggie and his wife, Norma. Reg's health is not so good and has had a number of health challenges this last year.  He has more to face yet.

We got back to Asheville around 4pm and I roasted a roast (after marinating it in the McCormicks Montreal Steak seasoning) which took a long time. It was 9pm before we sat down to the roast, fresh asparagus, salad and bake potatoes with more homemade peach ice cream for dessert. It was worth the wait

Thunderous morning in Asheville today. Tornadoes warnings until 10:45am. Honestly, I love thunderstorms, as long as no one gets hurt. I loved listening to the thunder and watching the rain through the trees on the Sun Porch.

So, the real news today is about our granddaughter, Vivian. Her mother reports that they can hear her practicing her words through the baby monitor in the morning, the words getting clearer with repetition. I am a puddle. I just want to get on a plane and go!

My sainted sister and my sainted niece went into our hot, miserable house and emptied the freezer and frig before the food spoiled. Thanks be to God! We owe her big time! Thank you, Lynn and Lacey.


So you know why angels are the user pic of the day. Angels in Memphis and Asheville have saved us this week.  Thanks be to God.

Friday afternoon, Memphis got hit with a terrible storm, combination of tornadoes and 80mph straight line winds. Per neighbors, our end of the street has no damage, but power is knocked out.

If past history is any guide(1994 Ice Storm, 2005 Hurricane Elvis), our neighborhood will be last on their list as there are no hospitals or other high need facilities there. So MLGW's estimate that it will be a week before all power is restored means a week before our street is restored. Sugar!

Glad we are away, but OMG, the freezer and frig will be monsters when we return.

We had a lovely drive across Tennessee yesterday, arriving in Asheville, NC around 7pm. Betty had a good supper, steak sandwiches, salad with dessert of fresh mangos and ice cream.

This morning, I took my coffee straight to the Adamson Sun Room, built just recently on their deck which is in the tree tops. Cool breezes blow through all day. We've helped Betty put out a few daylilies and helped Dave get some tarps spread before the dump truck load of mulch arrived. Then I crashed.

Woke just a little while ago and found my husband helping Dave and a friend build an addition to the deck. I helped too --- I dropped Allan some shoes as he was working in his sock feet!

So far, I have not been pulled into this project. Thankfully, I think hefting huge timbers and measuring things seems to be a manly man thing. I am most happy back in th Sun Room.

There has been a breeze all day today through the second story level sun room. I love it.

This is where I am:                           This is where my husband is, "playing" with Dave and  a neighbor.

Allan has posted pictures with a house project update.

The house project has consumed us for so long, we have put off doing things for so long, we have said, "After we get moved we can..."

But,,,Allan just said, "Well, we can do ___ after we put the house on the market, while we wait for a buyer to show up."

OMG...I am overwhelmed with the thought of that space of time between finishing the work and waiting for the house to sell.

'Course I had a friend around the corner whose house sold in forty-five minutes. Whew! A small period of time, to enjoy the fruits of our labors, would be lovely.

As soon as the sign goes up, I plan to have several parties! The neighbors, the choir, DOK, Champagne and Cake group,,,you get the picture.

Speaking of neighbors: Ed said he will cut our grass for us, Father Thomas will water my pot plants on the patio and Rachel will be feeding Sable. I have always loved our little circle of a neighborhood and am so grateful to have such good folks around.

Whew! Saturday felt like a normal work day. We were anxious to finish the digging as Clay was going to deliver plants. By the time he arrived, the North bed was done and we had made a start on the south bed. Clay positioned the plants for us and by Saturday evening, the Knock Out Roses and Stella D'Ora Daylilies were planted in the north bed.

Sunday, after Trinity Sunday  services at church, we went to the bargain theater and saw State of Play. Such a good movie! It's probably available to rent by now, so check it out.

Last night, while I was upstairs on my laptop, Allan went outside and dug some more. The man is on a mission! This morning, he was out front digging in the south bed before 8am.

The floor crew showed up about 8:30am to put the final coat on the floors in the living room and foyer. The floors are beautifully repaired and refinished. The best part is that the new finish perfectly matches the old floors. Thanks be to God!

Family, yes we are still planning to make that road trip, but when actually leave is up in the air --- maybe Wednesday, maybe Thursday.

Wednesday nobody worked. Rain kept us inside, Tim was sick and the Floor folks a no show. They made up for it yesterday! Tim came in the morning and in the afternoon the Floor Army showed up. OMG. Noise and vibration shook us and the house.

This morning, I had to go into my client site.  Allan decided to would go with me and stay away from the Floor Army. When we got back, the living room and foyer were beautifully repaired and stained  --- the exact color as the rest of the floors!

Tim comes tomorrow to finishing the bathroom ceiling. Clay may deliver plants tomorrow as well. It will be a good thing. We can dig outside while Tim makes dust inside.

it is a gorgeous afternoon, cool,clear and breezy. There maybe more digging!

Allan took some pictures last night of the current state of the house.

A little piece of heaven.  The last two mornings we have worked in the front flower beds, digging, bending, stooping, forking...you get the picture. Being old farts, we take lots of breaks, but the pay off is when the sun breaks over the top of the house. We put up the tools and head for the pool.

This morning, we worked in our swim suits so when the time came, we could just fall in and we did.  It is glorious to be hot, tired and to fall into  that cold water.  I love our green kingdom, surrounded on all side by trees. There is nothing like floating, looking through the green canopy overhead.

So, family, we are working hard, but we are also taking time to enjoy things as well.

Ok, the last couple of posts portray an illusion of this charming cottage like home. Not a bit of it. The composite below reveals the awful truth. We are living in the middle of a destruction site. We have some islands of calm: the kitchen, our bedroom, Allan's red room and my corner by the window upstairs.

click on the picture to enlarge...God help you!




Huge progress this week: Tim has a new ceiling in the downstairs bathroom. I know it looks bad, but I think it is beautiful. We got the other side of the front flower bed dug out. Allan dubbed that second old holly tree root, "Treebeard." Gawd, it was an awful labor.

I got the wall retouching done in the living room and at end stage with the foyer. Hope to do the woodwork before ( wait for it!) the FLOOR GUY comes. Yep, we finally have the hardwood floor repair/refinish scheduled for next week.

Allan took down the twin bed in our son's old room and put it on the curb, deeming it unworthy of Craigs List. Our neighbor thought it was just right for his grandkids. Oh Jeez, after digging out the monstrous tree root ball, helping Tim hold the dry wall up in the bathroom, we helped the Rev T haul the mattress and box spring to his upstairs.

We finally got cleaned up and made the trip to Sams for Rx refils and back home to collapse. That was Thursday.

Yesterday, I got several area rugs cleaned and Allan loaded them on to Craig's List. I'm warning you, stand still too long  here and we will put you on Craig's List.

Our treat for the week of labor was seeing the latest Pixar film, UP. Please go see this utterly delightul and engaging movie. I will need to own this one. Cannot wait for Viv to grow up some and share it with her. After all she is the Up! Up! girl.

Several long days. We sang for my friend's funeral Monday afternoon. It's hard for choirs to sing at such times. You want so much to hold it together and sing well, but it isn't easy.  I held together until after the anthem. Afterward, the Thursday Karen and I had a good cry.  A good funeral provides comfort and hope. Glenn's service was good in every way.

Yesterday, after the ADT Security tech came(second visit), we  went to the library and got the BBC Robin Hood DVD series. I watched most of the episodes last night. This morning, Allan and I had breakfast at Burger King before my appointment with the Dermatologist. 

Came home in time for a gal to come and pick up another Craig's List item. --- the old four drawer file cabinet. Whoo hoo!

Next visitor was the HVAC guy. After a couple visits, he finally tracked down the issue with the downstairs Air Con --- the condenser was totally blocked by cat hair.  For serious! Once that was cleaned out, the cry was heard, "Thar she blows!"

Mr. Weaver would not take any payment additional payment for all the visits. "Should have caught this when I did the repair under the house!"

Then Lacey and I hit the pool.  Allan, Lace and I spent several hours in it late Monday afternoon. Incredibly refreshing, even very cold. We love our humble little pool.



We have this eight foot square garden in front that is lovely right now. The  shiny pool is water for the "critters." Dang hose leaked anyway, why not lit it drip into a pan? The small red bloomers are old fashion Begonias, so dependable in the heat. The lush, green corner is my herb garden, Oregano, Thyme and Chives come up every year.

Please read my husband's LJ today. He said it all.