Who are the people in your neighborhood.....

People come and go.
Our friends and family may be near or far.
Some relationships just fizzle out without reason or cause.
Some stay forever strong through miles and miles.
And there are the people you don't really know but encounter frequently or even daily
your favorite coffee spot.
the grocery store cashier.
the guy who's always on the treadmill next to the one you like best.

To steer myself away from dwelling on all the half way, partially unfinished business on the home front, I'll be spending the next few days highlighting a few folks in my 'neighborhood."

Today...

Introducing George.

George is tall and thin.
His hair is freshly graying.
He is a somewhat temporary addition to our life.
Jim and I feel extremely lucky to have stumble upon George.

He is the man transforming my kitchen ceiling.

Trusting someone else with your home...and your money is a giant leap of faith. We shopped around, got several estimates, chatted it over with friends, and finally decided on George. He had done some work on the house prior to settlement.

He has 30+ yrs of experience.
He's an advocate of hard work.
He's no doubt Republican.
He thinks Jim and I should go to church with him and his wife.

He developed an instant kinship for Jim. Offering to "show him anything he wants to know how to do?" What? Show us how to do the work that we could pay you to do?

Through years of working 7 days a week and making smart investments in rental properties, he's doing contract and electrical work because he loves it. Not because he needs it.
It's comforting to know. No short cuts. No scams.

Did I mention he's a firm believer in hard work?

Jim and George chatted politics, books, and real estate.
George and I chatted about family, future plans, and what the heck I should do with my pink bathroom.
He's conversations are not rushed but not intense.

I can't say enough good things.
There's just something to like about him.

Monday...

"God almighty first planted a garden and, indeed, it is the purest of human pleasure."

~ Francis Bacon

Week in Review

Apparently there is a rat in the office...with suspicion to believe it has been in the woman's employee bathroom.


I've spent over a week with limited access to my kitchen and more dust, grime, ick, & yuck than I ever thought I could survive. Renovating my kitchen while I'm living in there!? What was I thinking?


I'm currently suffering from a severe case of jell-o legs after 45 minutes of squats and lunges.


Due to the sudden and tragic loss of over half a dozen pair, I had to do emergency load of laundry last night b/c I had NO clean underwear.
There's a story behind my shortage of undergarments but I'm not sure you'll look at me the same if I tell it.
Well, now I've got you wondering.
Divulge my secrets or let you come up with your own bizarre explanation?


It's been HOT. late August, mid-west, hazy, humid, oppressively HOT.
And our AC is broken.


On a more positive note....
I ate a turkey BLT yesterday. and LOVED it.

Elliona

These are a few of my favorites from her last visit with Aunt 'Chelle.

We share the sacred bound of curly hair & long legs.

Monday...

"Lost time is never found again."

Benjamin Franklin

House Update Part II

We also spent A LOT of time on the outside of the house over the weekend. Ten or more years of neglect and the shrubs were just out of control!

Not to mention 3-4 years of dead leaves piled up in all the flower beds.

(before)

and let's not forget Jim and his dad laboring through the rain to finish installing our new storm doors...

(before)

After!!

House update

Last weekend seemed like a major break through for Jim and I with the house. I think mostly because it's visible progress. We got our first room painted!!! Well the first coat on the walls at least.

(a little sneak peak)

and a little reminder of the before....

Monday...

"Everything you can imagine is real."

Pablo Picasso

Family Fun

My brother was in town for Memorial Day to give us a hand with some stuff around the house. Free labor is always welcomed.

And so are my cutest ever niece and nephew.

I really do love being an aunt!

We took a break from the labor and spent most of Sunday outdoors.

TONS of fun at the park....

Exploring the barn playground

playing tennis

and splashing around in the water near the damn.

Back at the house the kids kept entertained with the pool, frisbee, playing catch, and hanging with Sofee dog.

Elli even decided she wanted to trade me their dog, Lola, for my Sofee dog. She was amazed that there were the same size. She wanted to know when Sofee was going get bigger someday.

I have to admit it was nice to have the house filled with their giggles.

this house is way to big for just the two of us....

Dress fantasy

I should remove myself from the Anthropologie email list.

Shirtdresses. sigh...It's just such a tease.

a little splash of lime for the summer

I love this red one. Classic but fun. Fall, spring, or summer. Work or play.

(Is that enough to justify the price tag?)

and this number....color, style, details. oh my.

I better get back to the Home Depot website where I belong.

Knee deep

Where have the last 2 weeks gone? I've been surrounded by a whirl of self-inflicted chaos and I guess I lost the last 15 days of my life.

Maybe not chaos.
But my life is busy.
and dirty.
so that equates to chaos in my brain.

The house is coming along...slowly but surely. It's not even worth a photo update at this point. We're knee deep in half finished projects: spray painting, drywall mudding, rock removal and pool deck clean up, ceiling repair, priming the walls, dishwasher and new storm door installation, the mailbox, the house numbers, hedges....oh and let's not forget my mission to eradicate the killer ant and spider population. And somehow we managed to host my brother and his family over Memorial Day weekend.

Like I said. Self-inflicted chaos.

Overall Jim and I are happy (and frustrated) with the progress and hope to get some things finished up by the end of the month. Then it's on to major kitchen rennovations...good lord help us all.

I've got my eye on this lovely print from Fey Handmade that I think would be perfect in a kitchen....

...and I discovered the "apartment" section at Urban Outfitters. Are you an Urban Outfitters fan?