Every day, I look at an index card propped up by my computer. It says, “How we spend our days, is of course, how we spend our lives. ~Annie Dillard.” As I push my online cart through the virtual aisles of Home Depot, Lowes, Wayfair, and Amazon, I realize that my life has become one giant marathon shopping expedition. Whose dumb idea was this house remodel, anyway?
Oh, right. It was mine.
Where Has The Time Gone?
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I’m typically a couple of months behind on writing about our travels. That’s because we’re generally so busy traveling and having adventures that it’s hard for me to keep up.
Our blog (of our travels) is now officially lagging a year behind. How did that happen? And then I remember…the blur of many months of managing my parents’ care long-distance and returning to Florida in January to take care of their home and their lifetime accumulation of possessions.
In March…well, you all know exactly what happened in mid-March, because it happened to you, too. Just as we were heading out to resume our travels, we were sideswiped by the pandemic.
On May 1st, my sweet father passed away. My grief at losing him still unexpectedly washes over me, catching me like a riptide.
We celebrated my father’s birthday on August 13th with sunset on the dock
At the beginning of July, we decided to remodel my parents’ home. It was supposed to be a minor project. Two months later, we’re still living in our trailer. Living in a 27′ travel trailer is fun when we’re traveling. Living in a 27′ travel trailer in the middle of a brutally hot and humid Florida summer is not fun.
So, How’s It Going?
We’re making progress. Good progress. If all goes as expected, we’ll be moving back into the house in about a week. But I’ve been saying that for the past three weeks.
Any of you who have remodeled a house know exactly how it goes. There are unexpected surprises unearthed during the remodeling process.
Bathroom plumbing surprise. This is not good.
And one thing inevitably leads to another. Because as soon as you paint the walls and install new flooring, the cabinets look shabby and need to be refinished. And when the kitchen counters are replaced, the bathroom vanities look dated. And then there need to be new sinks. And new toilets. And all new plumbing fixtures. And new lighting fixtures.
One thing leads to another
Before you know it, you’re replacing all of the door hardware and hinges and electrical outlets and light switches and ceiling vents. And then the remodel monster extends tentacles out to the garage and onto the screened porch…
It’s all fun and games until the screw holes don’t line up and there are parts missing
Looking Ahead
It’s a risky business these days, looking ahead. The reality is that we have no idea what the next few months, or even years, will look like. My fervent hope is that out of the crucible of the pandemic, the political unrest, and the riots, we will forge a better, kinder, and more just world.
In the middle of the pandemic, our passports were set to expire. We got our passport photos taken, and trustingly sent our old passports off into the great unknown last month. That’s hopeful, don’t you think?
Pandemic hair captured in passport photos. Good for the next 10 years.
A peaceful day on the bay. May we have peace in our world.
We hope you’re all doing well, dear friends.
We are all with you. Imagine all this chaos and NOTHING to do…thank GOD you are NOT on the road but safely tucked into a million memories. What better time to sort out, grieve and have a familiar place to hunker down!!!!! Lovely sunset and can only imagine the joys your parents found in that retirement space.
Bless you and may we all find a way to be just a little kinder, more patient and less critical in our world. I will pause to pray that some good comes out of all this unrest. It is not the America I knew even a year ago…. it’s not Republican or Democrat…it’s America….are we that full of chaos…I sure am not!!!!! Just took a walk in the woods and heard a red tailed hawk call, returned to the kitchen to see a little hummer check out his perch….we will be OK….we just have to find it… good to get your posts… (my painting is half done…love the colors chosen….)
Julie, I appreciate the way you focus on the good in everyday life. And as you said, we can all work toward being kinder, more patient, and less critical. Although I’m fully in support of intelligent, critical thinking, vitriolic criticism only widens the divide.
I love your vision of us being safely tucked into a million good memories here in Florida. :-)
We’re glad to hear from you, whether traveling or sitting or remodeling! We’re all missing each other so it’s good to just read what our friends are doing in this down time. It doesn’t have to be exciting (although it sounds like you’re going through some “exciting” times working on the house), just affirming that you’re still out there!
As always, I love your photos – even the “mug shots”!!!!
Haha, those are definitely ‘mug shots,’ LOL! I can’t believe that will be my passport photo for the next 10 years. If we ever get our passports back, that is.
We sorely miss our friends and families, too. That’s the hardest thing about this pandemic. I’m so glad you and other friends have continued to blog. It’s soothing for me to read about how everyone is handling this Great Pause and helps me feel less alone.
I love your posts and our current reality of covid hair, grief, unrest and intense sadness of what is happening before our eyes! Your photos give me solace! So lovely.
Thank you for your kind comment, Pam. We certainly all have plenty of reasons to grieve right now. It helps when we can share our feelings and support each other in getting through these difficult times. And always, to search for moments of solace and beauty to keep us afloat.
Well, it’s been three years since I posted in my travel blog… So you are not alone. I once looked forward to the writing and sharing of my adventures, but after breaking my ankle and not being able to travel for some time, I fell away from it. I think about starting it up again, but wonder if I’d slack off yet again… But life goes on, whether or not we’re chronicling it for our friends, and so do the lives of our friends and readers.
All the best to you, and it was a pleasure hearing from you again!
Rhonda, it’s great to hear from you! I understand how life gets in the way of blogging. My tendency has been to think that I needed to stay up-to-date and that I couldn’t write about what is happening ‘now’ in my life if I wasn’t caught up with previous posts. But my life just hasn’t been that tidy.
So I’d say, go ahead and get back to writing your blog! I’ll be looking for an update. :-)
I spy some furniture in those photos, so you are in the home stretch! The renovation project will all be worth it when it’s done. Having a more comfortable place to call home for the foreseeable future will help lift your spirits and make everything else a little easier to bear. Plus once you finish all the shopping and installation and assembly you will have more free time to catch up on the blog, right? :-)
Yes indeed, my eagle eye friend, you do spy furniture! We’re just a few projects away from being able to move back into the house, but it all depends on when our contractor (I believe you know him, lol) can get here to finish things up.
You’re right. I think it will be wonderful to be back in the house. The A/C in the trailer is driving me bonkers. But I don’t need to tell you that, since we’re suffering in tandem. When the heck is cooler weather going to get here??
Laurel,
With spotty internet connections, it is hard to stay current with posting, but, if I get behind, a portion of the journey is only a few pictures and some great memories. I just do the best I can. Looking forward to seeing the finished product in the house. Your pictures are awesome. I wish I could get mine to turn out as sharp as you do. Any tips? Have a great week. Stay safe and cool down there! Joe
That’s good advice, Joe. Right now I have a backlog of adventures I want to write about from last August until January. Since we’re not going anywhere for the next few months, I have time! But I am going to try to simplify my posts.
I appreciate your kind comment about our photos. I think our cameras help…we both shoot with Canon SX60s, which seem to turn out pretty sharp photos. I notice that any photos I take with my iPhone aren’t nearly as sharp (you can see the difference in the photos of the sea star/sunset/boat taken with our cameras compared to the indoor photos I took with my phone).
I’ll admit to watching too many HGTV home shows so when you started the renovation I wondered what surprises you might unearth. It looks like you got off pretty light if the bathroom was your only hiccup! From what I can see in the photo, it looks like you did a great job. Can’t wait for the reveal. P.S. Those opening and closing photos are breathtaking. How lucky you are to have such beauty in your own back yard.
Suzanne, I don’t think I’ve watched enough HGTV renovations. You should have warned me, lol. I guess we did get off pretty easy since the bathroom plumbing fiasco was the only major issue uncovered during the renovation. Although we did have to rebuild the entire pumphouse in January when we arrived because termites had been busy. :-(
Thanks so much for your comment about our photos…your photos are always spectacular! We do feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by so much beauty. But we are suffering mightily in the heat and humidity. I can’t wait for the fall.
Definitely not envying you the home remodel. We restored and remodeled the farmhouse years ago and it took FOREVER though it was in much worse shape than your place! Never never again I said and stuck to it. As for hot and humid, as we have discussed, I’ve got the prize for that here in Virginia. Who would think Florida would be less hot (notice I did not say cooler) than Virginia for months. Oh, passports – good reminder. I’d better check mine. I really really hope it hasn’t already run out. Not that I’ll probably go anywhere with what will be left of my life once this pandemic is over. But still…thanks for the reminder. Can’t wait to see the finished house. I’m already in serious envy over your location on the bay near the gulf. SIGH! That star fish is spectacular. And ditto Suzanne how lucky you are to have this in your own backyard. What a fabulous place to live.
Sherry, we do love this location. But oh my god, the heat and humidity are just horrible. And I know you are suffering just as much! Let’s hope that by next summer we can all head for cooler climates.
Home remodeling is wonderful when it’s all finished. Not so much fun when you’re living in the midst of it, as you know. We remodeled our little 50s cottage in Oregon 20 years ago and said ‘never again,’ but here we are…
As always, your photos are stunning and so lovely to look at, particularly the sunset on your father’s birthday and the black & white image of the clouds and the glassy water. And that sea star! Wow! I’ve never seen one quite like that. Nature is so amazing.
I have begun to pull away from social media (namely, Facebook), as the hostility in this country continues to climb as we get closer to November 3rd. I am thankful we are a bit sheltered here on the coast and not living in or around Portland. These are such unsettled, and for many, dangerous times. I maintain my sanity by getting outside every day for a long walk. Once the rainy season arrives, I’ll be indoors quite a bit more, but our daughter is gifting us an early Christmas present (a Peloton bike!), which I hope will help us stay active during the winter months.
Good luck with the remainder of your remodeling projects and I’ll look forward to seeing some travel posts if and when you have the inspiration to share those. No pressure! :)
Be well and have a safe Labor Day weekend!
Les, we’ve been really distressed by what’s happening in Portland, in our beloved home state of Oregon. Eric and I fully support the demonstrations, but not the riots, violence, and destruction. I understand why people are frustrated and angry, but I fear that the riots will sway some people toward feeling like we need more military-style policing and will make the problem worse instead of better. At this point, I wonder how we will bridge this divide, and how we will heal as a nation.
Like you, we find solace and sanity in nature. And soon, our long daily walks and bike rides will become more pleasant as the weather cools off.
Remodeling tends to resemble that of a snowball … it’s small in the beginning and gets bigger and bigger the more you get into the project. When we arrived to our summer destination, I intended to do a major remodel on our ten year old RV, but then serious maintenance took precedence and by the time that was done, I was done 🤣
As usual your photos are beautiful. I can’t imagine selling that property especially knowing we can be blindsided by a pandemic and considering things have changed in the RVing world. I would love owning a home in the north and another in the south.
Haha, remodeling IS like a snowball! This project was supposed to take about two weeks, and it’s now been just over two months. I have no one to blame but myself because I keep adding things to the list. :-(
I’m so glad you enjoyed the photos. Yours are always stunning! I suspect I’m going to have a hard time letting go of this place, not only because of all of the work we’ve done but because it is in such a spectacular location. I’m wondering how things are going to look for RVing in the future, too.
That is some serious scope creep on the remodel. But what else are you gonna do? It will all be worth it in the end, no matter when it comes. And I love that your passport photo is taken with pandemic hair. That is a wonderful life story and it just makes me smile. :)
Linda, I couldn’t believe our passports were going to expire in July. :-( There was no way I was going for a hair appointment. I cut Eric’s hair, but he was afraid to cut mine (and truth be told, I was afraid for him to do it, lol). I figure it will be an interesting slice of life to look back on…if we ever get to go anywhere and any other country ever lets us in. I’d like to be following you guys around in Europe right now.
Oh so wonderful to hear from you and to see you two are making some headway in your huge project. As someone else said, what better time to be remodeling during forced stay at home months. We are traveling just a tiny bit close to home in local campgrounds, a change of scenery, but nothing too far away so as to avoid unexpected surprises. Anything goes wrong we can get home in 90 minutes without having to tax any local resources. Love love love that starfish! Incredible. And Covid Hair. LOL I get mine cut every few months, now that our salons are open with some serious restrictions. So far only 2 deaths in our county, but we are being very careful. take care and let us know what it all looks like when it is finished!
I’m glad to hear from you, Sue. And I’m so glad that you’re getting away for some short and sweet trips close to home! I would love to be doing that, too, but for now, we need to stay here to finish up this remodel. And we would have to travel at least a couple of hundred miles to get anyplace significantly cooler. Maybe in the winter, we’ll keep some of our Florida reservations that we had planned for kayaking adventures!
If things were more under control here, I’d be going for a haircut. But things are worse instead of better. Sigh. So it looks like I’m stuck with pandemic hair for a while.
What an amazing sea star. It’s unlike anything we have in Puget Sound.
You remember those little hand held games where you moved around the white tiles so you could get the one empty space from one corner to the opposite corner? That is what home remodeling is like.
I’ve been trying to cut my own hair in the pandemic. Fortunately, my zoom meetings don’t feature the back of my head. Let’s hope that our passports are again welcome, once the pandemic is over.
Enjoy those sunsets.
Sheila, isn’t that sea star gorgeous? I’d never seen anything like it, either. It’s called a banded or tiger sea star (for obvious reasons!). The sea stars in Florida are so different from the ones in the Pacific Northwest. All are beautiful. Just like the sunsets here and on San Juan Island. :-)
I’ve been thinking of cutting my own hair, but I can’t figure out how to use the scissors when I’m looking in the mirror at the back of my head! 😳
Mission creep is just a given in remodeling projects for the exact reasons you give – as soon as you update one thing, the other thing looks weird… and then it becomes “you know what would look so nice right there?” and on it goes. All things considered, you’ve gotten this thing done at lightening speed, and that certainly wasn’t a given with a raging pandemic going on in the background. It’s all coming together so nicely and I have no doubt it will look fabulous when it’s finished.
And then – it’ll be “all blogging all the time!!” Since you’ve done a good job of updating it since you’ve been in Florida, you still have the same number of travel posts to actually write from last year. See? It’s not so bad!
As for the passports, Kevin’s was pending in March when… well, you know. But, he finally got it back just a few weeks ago and all is well. I’m sure it’ll take a while, but I like this leap of faith you’ve taken. It’s all gonna be OK!
I’m at the point with this remodel where I just need to say “enough!!” Otherwise, it will never end. I think you’re right, we’ve managed to get this done quickly, especially considering we’re in the midst of a pandemic. But I’m SO HOT and tired and I just want it done yesterday. I’m trying to be patient and not annoy our contractor too much. 😂
And you’re right, soon I can start travel blogging again! I will be almost exactly one year behind (how did that happen?) and can relive all of those wonderful memories. Providing I can remember what we did…
My new motto is going to be, “It’s all gonna be OK.” So thank you for that!
What sort of sea star is that? You should make a black and white print of it for the house :D
We know all too well the agonies of home remodeling, and although it’s a pain to live in the RV, I would’ve welcomed one when we did our remodel. Instead we lived amid the chaos with three dogs and two cats, which was extra fun. What I’m trying to say is that you should get some pets. Transient snakes don’t count.
I don’t know about regular passports, but when we got our passport cards, they required the photo you send to be in color, but the card itself comes in black and white. What’s up with that?!
If you use the new WP block editor, you can use the photo-compare block for before and after remodel photos and it’ll ‘slide’ one photo over another like on TeeVee! Just sayin’. ;)
Haha, you had a sneak preview of that print!!! I actually love it, I’d never seen a sea star like that. It’s called a banded or tiger sea star, which is just a perfect name and one I can remember if we ever see it again.
I cannot fathom doing a remodel with a herd of pets. And a big ‘no’ to the snake. Finding that one in the closet was not fun. We have since been keeping the doors closed to prevent other intruders of the slithery variety. But I have been thinking of getting a cat! However, we will be (hopefully) getting back on the road one of these days, and I must remind myself of the obnoxiousness of traveling with a litter box.
I will be contacting you for lessons in using the new WP block editor.
At least the remodel gave you a distraction from everything else going on. Your lovely bay photos made me miss the FL panhandle just a bit. And I think your pandemic hair looks great!
Gayle, this has most definitely been a huge distraction! I have not been bored. And in general, I enjoy home projects. However, I am hot and tired and tired of being hot. So I am really ready to be done with this. Thanks for being nice about my hair. It just kinda keeps getting bigger and bigger—you know how the humidity is here.
Oh my, two hot months in the trailer…..with the air conditioned house just right there and not usable :-( I’m sure you’ll appreciate that sticks and bricks even more now!! I love your pier and all the moods captured looking across its boards. I think you have the same floors we put in our kitchen remodel – and we love them! What a wonderful large space you have – must seem like a castle after the trailer. So good to hear from you as always and to know you are both safe and well.
Jodee, you understand exactly!!! Two hot and humid months cooped up in the trailer and the house just steps away…and unusable. So frustrating, and no one to blame but myself. But soon we will be enjoying all of that air-conditioned spaciousness! It’s not really a huge house—it’s only 1600 square feet. But it feels like a mansion compared to our trailer! We’re going to have lots of empty closets and cabinets.
Always love your posts, thank you for sharing your travels and your life, I think most of us can identify with some of your struggles. So sorry to hear about your father.
Thank you for writing, please don’t stop, I love reading your blog!
Hope you are able to start traveling again next year. In the meantime we look forward to your remodeling stories and your catch up travel stories!
PS Your pictures are amazing, great work!
Thank you so much for your condolences and your kind words. I appreciate hearing from you and knowing that you’re reading, even while we’re stuck in one place. :-)
We definitely plan to begin traveling again (hopefully next summer?). Meanwhile, we have lots of adventures to share from our Maritime and East Coast travels last summer and fall. I hope you’re both doing well.
Love that last photo. In the midst of gutting our Arizona home my husband said, “I would rather build a house from the ground up rather than remodel an older home—oh the surprises!
Janna, we have had exactly that same conversation! With exactly those same words! It is so much worse to tackle a remodel than to build from the ground up. As you said, the surprises…which are always unwelcome.
I can tell you’re having all kinds of fun. Isn’t construction fun? I am sure it will be
beautiful when you finish. The heat this last month has had us all on edge. Finally
a little cool down and then we heard it will start again for Labor Day weekend. Three
of the grandkids start on line school on Wednesday. They of course would rather be
going with their friends. Friday is our 56th Anniversary and hopefully we can find a
restaurant that is serving. I am NOT cooking. We’ll be anxious to see the remodel
pictures.
❤️❤️
Noooo we are NOT having fun. :-)) But you know all about that! You guys have built, burned to the ground, and rebuilt. So that’s worse, by far. The heat has just been horrible throughout so much of the country. You don’t have the humidity to contend with in San Diego, but you have the drought and the risk of wildfires. And we have the risk of hurricanes. It’s all bad. :-(
But, concentrating on the good…Happy Anniversary!! That’s something to celebrate, 56 years together! I hope you find a wonderful place for dinner because you definitely deserve to not have to cook your own anniversary dinner. Love and hugs to you both, and to the family!
Your humor is such a sweet balm for these crazy and hard times. Big hugs and so much love!
Awwww….we love you, darlin’!! And miss you so, so much. We are too far away from you and Fin. :-(
Laurel, I so love the photo, ‘A Peaceful Day on the Bay’. It is so dynamic yet also restful. That could be the theme for this time period. Best wishes on the renovation and may you be on the road soon. We feel as though we have been able to isolate fairly well so far. Laundry mats are probably the most dangerous places I go. Be well!
Susie, I’m so glad you like the photo of the boat on the bay—it makes me feel peaceful, too. I need all the moments of peace I can find these days. You two are definitely making the most of your travels in these very challenging times. I was thinking just the other day about how we’ll deal with laundromats when we start traveling again! 😳
We sent our passports for renewal a couple weeks ago. We had 2 and 4 years left, respectively, but not enough empty pages left to meet some visa requirements. Nor enough time between existing overseas plans for 2021 and 2022 to risk sending them off next winter. All we know from checking the status online is that they are on their way from where we were instructed to send them in Philadelphia to another passport agency for processing. It would be funny in a sad way if that agency was the one in Denver.
Don’t envy you the work in the house. Especially not during the hot and humid days in Florida. Fingers crossed you will indeed be back in a stix & brix next week.
We continue to travel a bit in the RV. Ventured up to the Black Hills of SD this week. Keeping our distance from places where there are too many people, taking a pass on indoor activities, and timing our sightseeing to popular places for early, early in the day to avoid the inevitable crowds. Luckily, it’s not nearly as bad as summer crowds from what I’ve been told.
Erin, not having enough blank pages left in your passports is a wonderful reason to have to get new ones! Let’s hope that we can all resume our planned travels for next year.
It sounds like you’re approaching your RV travels in exactly the same way that we will when we return to our travel adventures. I’m hoping we’ll be able to get out for some short trips soon…we really need to get somewhere cooler for a week or two. But we have to wait until we finish the house remodel. In retrospect, this was not a great time for a house remodel…but I’m not sure there’s ever a good time for a house remodel, lol.
So many thoughts … what a show your Dad arranged for his birthday🧡. I envy your project during the Great Pause, I’ve been out of sorts without one and even took on straightening the owner’s closet. That starfish photo, just wow. You once asked why I don’t write a blog, well the stress of keeping up would keep me up! And yes, anxiously awaiting the big reveal— your house and our country . Hugs to you both! That starfish photo, wow!
Aww, Leah, I like the idea that my dad arranged a spectacular sunset for his birthday! 💜 Eric made a little cardboard boat in his honor, and we sent it off into the bay with a candle and prayers.
I agree it’s been good to have this big project to keep myself occupied, I just wish it hadn’t turned so horribly hot and humid because living in the trailer is awful. You made me laugh, thinking of you organizing the owner’s closet! I wish you could come here!
I still wish you would write a blog. You just have to let go of the stress of keeping up with it, hahaha!! Hugs to you both, too. And I’m glad you like the sea star photo.
Love the photos as usual. No matter how trying it is right now with your project I am sure you are mostly happy to have it. Can you imagine sitting around and having nothing to do. I can’t. Love the photos as usual and look forward to your future posts. Over here in our neck of the woods we have never seen so many out of state plates. New York, New Jersey, Arkansas, Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia,Texas, Missouri, South Carolina and other usual places. Wasn’t expecting to see this during a pandemic but then what do I know. All our plans were cancelled and not even really making any not knowing what the future will hold. Just keeping it simple and enjoying the moment. Hugs to you and Eric!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the photos, Brenda. There is a lot of beauty here! You’re right, we’re happy to have an all-consuming project…it would just be so much easier if it wasn’t so danged hot and humid. I didn’t remember Florida summers being so horrible, lol.
That’s just crazy to think that there are so many people traveling on the Oregon coast right now, especially people traveling from so far away! I sometimes wonder what people think when they see our Oregon plates here in Florida. 😳 But then again, we’ve been stuck in this little town since January, and I think most people are used to us by now. Hugs to you and Morey, too. It’s always so good to hear from you!
Ah yes Laurel, we can totally relate to the remodelling quandary. It does seem that all projects take WAY longer than anticipated and ALL projects have unanticipated problems to complicate the process. The old adage “do your best assessment and then it will take double the time and double the money” really fits here. What I really sympathise with is being in the heat, grounded and in the RV. I know that heat and humidity of Florida in August and it ain’t much fun.
One year behind in your travel blogging makes us feel so good and on top of things.. For us, if we don’t write within a few weeks to a month, then we tend to forget things and as well, lose the enthusiasm for writing at all. That said, a blog takes up such a tremendous amount of time and energy. Worth it yes, but definitely an endless time vortex.
For some reason we can’t see any of the photos.. am sure it has more to do with wifi on our end, but we will come back to your post later to check them out. Touching to celebrate your dad’s birthday..my dad’s bday is coming up soon too. I have the same overwhelming grief that hits me every so often, like a ton of bricks.
Peta
Peta, I’ve heard the same about the wisdom of doubling the time and money needed for a remodel…but of course, I thought we might be the exception! (Sadly, we’re not.) This is truly an exercise in patience and is magnified by the oppressive heat and humidity. But…we’re getting close, LOL!!
It might seem kind of crazy for me to want to write about our travels from last summer and fall, but they were such wonderful adventures, and are even more precious now because everything has changed so dramatically. Fortunately, I have written notes to myself!
I’m sending you a hug as you celebrate your beloved dad on his birthday. I would love to sit with you and share memories of our dads. We were lucky, indeed.
For some reason I am not receiving blog notifications and almost missed yours. Good idea on the passports. It will be good to be ready to go when you can. Know all about the COVID hair.
Deb, I’m sorry you aren’t receiving blog notifications…is it just our blog? Yeah, COVID hair. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about this. Let it go completely gray? 😳
Wow, I missed this post :(
Well we were also on a mission, take a road trip to CA and empty out the storage. With that done, our life in CA is finally closed.
What would you have done if you were not remodeling? Certainly not twiddling your fingers waiting for the chaos in the world to end. Remodeling is a good distraction and best of all the result will definitely be to your satisfaction. And then you would not want to leave Florida.
The sunset, the star and the mug shots are great!
MonaLiza, I’m glad you found the post and commented! I always love hearing from you. You must be thrilled to have your storage unit emptied out and all of your belongings in your beautiful new home.
You’re right…the remodel did give us a good focus. Now that we’re facing a long stretch of time until we start traveling again, I’ve realized that I need to create some structure in my days. And since the remodel is finished, at least we have a nice place to hang out until next summer. :-)