Everything is fine now. But it has been kind of a bumpy ride. Eric had some worrisome heart palpitations that because of his history, required an elaborate series of medical tests over several weeks. Meanwhile, the crew working on our house was fired in mid-July. And at the end of July, I broke my front tooth eating a cracker.
The good news is that Eric is completely healthy. Thanks to the miracle of modern dentistry I will not be taking up the banjo. And in a flurry of activity, our house got finished and we closed at the end of the month. As Shakespeare so eloquently put it, “All’s well that ends well.”
A Visit From Good Friends
Friends and family provided welcome distractions in the midst of medical tests, dental work, and the uncertainty surrounding our house build. Our good friends Shannon and Ken spent the month of July near Asheville, and we were delighted to have the chance to see them several times.
We were all stranded on the Forgotten Coast of Florida in 2020, lived within a few miles of each other for three years, and traveled the same route in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin last summer. We are clearly destined to be lifetime friends, and we are very happy about that.
Shannon and Ken visited our tiny house and reassured us that we are not crazy for making this move
(I really need to get more creative when I’m taking photos of people, instead of just saying, “Go stand there!” haha.)
We had fun exploring Asheville art galleries, walking the trails at the beautiful arboretum, and showing them around our new tiny home community. Shannon writes a terrific blog about their travels, and unlike moi, she keeps up with her blog. We’re going to be following their recommendations for exploring Asheville when we finally get settled into our tiny home.
A Week With Findlay
Toward the end of July, our grandson Findlay flew from San Juan Island to visit for a week. He’s 13, but he still likes us, and we absolutely adore him. He’s smart, funny, creative, loving, and up for all kinds of adventures.
He’s such a delight!
We spent a rainy day exploring charming downtown Hendersonville, which led us to a hat-trying-on session at the local thrift store. Findlay tried to talk me into a turquoise Queen Elizabeth style bucket hat and Eric into a black 10-gallon XXL cowboy hat. They weren’t quite right. But the vintage wool fedora was perfect on Findlay! He wore that hat everywhere.
Our New Tiny Home
About one week before closing
We were shocked they actually completed our house in time for closing
The last two weeks have been an exhausting but exciting time of coordinating the installation of counters, tile, flooring, lighting, plumbing fixtures, appliances, and furniture deliveries. And painting. SO. MUCH. PAINTING. It’s all coming together, and we’ll be moving in on the 15th. Once we regain our sanity I’ll post photos of the finished product.
We’re very happy with the new floors and the furniture
It’s obvious to me that I shamed you into posting and I’m glad I did. It’s a great update filled with delightful pics, and I don’t even mean the ones of us. :-) I’m so glad you guys had the chance to host Findlay and he clearly had a blast. Here’s hoping he’ll continue liking you for many more years. And I loved seeing the almost-complete photos of the house (landscaping, floors, tile and counters look great). Finally, I’m very glad to hear that all the medical and dental stuff is safely behind you. Now, time to get cracking on moving in so we can all see the final version of the house. I’m sure I’m not the only one anxiously awaiting photos.
Shannon, we’re FINALLY in the house, surrounded by a mountain of boxes and trying to figure out where to put everything. Definitely not as much space as we had in our home in Florida! I’m calling on my skills honed by years of full-time RVing. I need you here, because you know how to get things done. 😀 We’re so happy you guys were up here in July, and we can’t wait for you to come back!
Yes, looking forward to next post! Report pls on your mini-split HVAC system OK?
Terri, so far, we think our Mitsubishi mini-splits are fantastic! They’re quick to respond and very quiet. I hope your tiny home build is going well.
So glad you wrote this blog–I’ve been thinking about you guys so much and wondering how the house was progressing. How fun to have friends visit and especially to have Findlay visit–and that he still likes you! I love his hat find! I don’t wear hats but my husband certainly does–he never goes anywhere without a cowboy hat of some kind. Can’t wait to see the finished house! Hope all goes well on move in day!
Janna, we’ve been in the house for two days and it’s all kind of a blur at the moment. But we love it. We were so happy to have our good friends visiting and then to have a week with Findlay. Isn’t that hat perfect on him? Eric might have gotten the cowboy hat if it hadn’t been an XXL, LOL.
Love those high ceilings! Everything looks wonderful, Laurel and Eric! That big peninsula is perfect!
Thanks, Jim! Hope you and Diana are enjoying summer in your beautiful new home!
Wow! You are stepping into a whole new world. Wishing you the best. And, thanks for paving the way for us. Who knows where we will be in a year or two!
Hi Susie, yes, this really is a whole new world! There are times that I really miss our full time RV life, but I think this is a good compromise. I hope you two are doing well!
So glad to hear that Eric is healthy but you in overalls playing the banjo would have been cute (Thank goodness for dental magicians). Can’t believe how grown up Findlay is. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a photo of him. The house is looking great and I’ll be patient until you get the next post out. Enjoy your new home!
Haha!!! Brenda, I didn’t even think about the overalls…I missed my opportunity! We had such a great time with Findlay. He said next time he wants to stay longer, and we would love that! I hope you and Morey are doing well and enjoying your coastal home. :-)
Well happy to hear yours and Eric’s health problems are good. That always comes first. BUT my big question with all you have happening is WHY are you painting cabinets, shouldn’t they have come to you finished? It sounds like you two need some rest and relaxation. Please take care of yourselves. Looking forward to finished pictures and a restful couple!
Penny, we’re both doing well. But we’re ready to relax! So, about those cabinets…they came in a whitewashed finish, which I didn’t care for. So I took on the task of painting all of the kitchen and bath cabinets, and while I was at it, I changed the bottom kitchen cabinets to sage green and the bath cabinets to a light charcoal gray. Because I am crazy, haha. Never again!
WE WONDERED WHAT YOU WERE UP TO! LIFE IS DULL AND GRAY WITHOUT FREQUENT LAUREL AND ERIC UPDATES! Thank goodness all of your doctors appointments and paint-splattered clothing are soon to be in the rear-view mirror, so you can get back to entertaining us, where you belong!!!!
Hahaha….oh, my dear friends Spreckles and family! The last few weeks have just been ridiculous, which has sidelined me from blogging OR reading my favorite blogs, including yours. But I’m going to go back and read the entries I missed, because I always love following along with you! Happy travels!
So glad to hear that medically all is well once again. Mui was just telling me that he occasionally looks at tiny home options for when we are ready to downsize again, so I was glad to see this update and sent him a link to your post. Looking forward to seeing the final results once you are settled in
Erin, we’re really looking forward to finally getting settled in. After so many years of RVing, we think we’re going to do fine in a tiny home. But it’s always a learning curve figuring out how to organize stuff!
You certainly know how to pack many things into short time frames! So happy that Eric’s heart is good. Hearts provide a low level of worry for all involved. Your peninsula is magnificent! There is so much space there. Looking forward to pics, and I, too, and interested in your HVAC system with the mini-splits.
We didn’t plan to pack so much stuff in, Allison! We could have done without the medical adventure and the dental work, that’s for sure. The visits with Shannon and Ken and our time with Findlay were the good parts of July. And closing on our house. So far, we like the mini-splits a lot. They keep our tiny home comfortable and they’re sooo quiet.
I was so excited to see your post notice in my email! Thanks for the update (and good news regarding health and tooth issues – “I will not be taking up the banjo” – LOL!) and the pictures of your gorgeous new home.
Visits from dear friends and family are wonderful – and needed – distractions from all the hard work you two are putting in. Hopefully soon you’ll be sitting out on your front porch, toasting each other for a job well done!
Thanks for your good wishes, Janis. I just finished my dental work so I guess no banjo for me, LOL.
We’re surrounded by boxes and still days away from figuring out where to put everything (I keep moving stuff around from cabinet to cabinet). But we’re having happy hour on our porch every afternoon and are so grateful to be here! We love visits from friends and family. I’m hoping you have plans for a North Carolina trip in your future…
Oh, those heart issues are such a scare! I’m glad Eric is alright and I assume you have a beautiful new tooth. ;) Who knew you could break a tooth on something so tame as a cracker! Findlay looks like a sweet kid who obviously enjoyed his visit. What fun for everyone. Love the looks of your new digs. Those countertops! Wow. They’re stunning, as is everything in your new home. I’m not one to do much in the way of DIY, and definitely not cupboard painting! Good for you. Hope the weather is nice where you are and not too humid. Summer has finally arrived on the coast. We’re supposed to hit 75 today. Yippee! Hoping the summer temps continue next month when we head to Vancouver Island. Happy unpacking!
Les, we’re very grateful that Eric is fine, and as of yesterday, I’ve completed my dental work. Yay! And we’re delighted with the way everything is coming together in our little house. We’ve always been big on DIY but this time we hired out the tile work and most of the other projects. I thought, “Oh, the painting will be easy!” I’ve done a lot of painting, but those cabinets were a pain.
Our weather has been great! July and August are hot during the day, but always wonderfully cool in the mornings and evenings. September should be perfect on Vancouver Island! I’m happy for you.
Good heavens you sure packed a lot of drama into poor little July! Sure glad all is well now and that in just a couple days you’ll be moving into your new beautiful space. All yours from top to bottom, inside and out, designed by you and even the furniture built for you!! How exciting is that. Advice I never take is to take your time pulling it all together – I know how fun it is to see all the ideas blossom. Everything is beautiful.
Jodee, it was way too much drama for July! We’re glad we had the respite of visits from friends and Findlay. Everyone keeps telling us to take our time getting settled, but it’s hard to think about anything else when we’re surrounded by boxes (and we still have a storage unit full of more boxes!). We’re having fun seeing it all come together, and are very happy that all of those choices we made over the past few months are turning out just like we hoped!
I’ll second a bunch of what others have already said/asked — yay for Shannon “shaming” you into posting, yay for the all-clear with the health issues, and add me to the list of those wondering why YOU were painting the cabinets?! My second question is who fired the crew, and why? Is that why you were painting, or are those two things just coincidental?
It sure looks like you had a great time with Findlay — hats, hiking, goats, ice cream — what a blast!
Two more days, and you’ll officially live in your new home! So glad it’s all coming together the way you wanted it to. And that the furniture appears to fit 😂
Wow!! So much happened this month. I’m so glad to hear that Eric checked out fine and that you were able to get your tooth taken care of. I guess it forced you to find a good dentist and doctors , which is always a process when you move to a new town.
Your house looks adorable and I can’t wait to see more pictures. It’s amazing all that you’ve gotten done!
Sounds like you’ll be moving in in 2 days! Yay! What a journey!
Love you!
Barb, it really has been quite a journey. And although we have a lot still to do to get settled, we’re very happy to finally be living in our little house.
We’re so grateful that everything is fine with Eric, and although I can’t say I’m grateful that I broke my tooth (LOL), we’re very grateful that we’ve found excellent medical care here. It’s a lot easier than in Eastpoint, that’s for sure!
We can’t wait for you and Jim to come visit! ❤️
Joodie, we had a blast with Findlay! And so far, the furniture fits!
We’re delighted to be living in our new little home, albeit among chaos. We’ve shoved everything into the second bedroom and are taking out one box at a time while we try to figure out a place for everything.
It was stressful for everyone when they fired the crew that was working on our house. They say it was “workforce reduction,” because of slowed sales. We thought the timing was strange. See my answer above to Penny as to why I chose to paint the cabinets. I’m glad they’re done. :-)
Laurel, it is great to see all your plans and hard work come together. I know you must be ready to resume life in your new home and environment. Your grandson is adorable and seems like a curious and likable young man. I’m sure he enjoyed being with you guys as much as you loved having him. Thanks for the home preview. I am looking forward to the full tour.
Suzanne, we’re thrilled to have everything come together as we had planned! We love our house, we love the area, and we’re enjoying settling into this community and making new friends. We loved having Findlay for a week. We think he’s adorable, too. And he’s so good-natured. :-)
Wow! A 13 year old who actually likes hanging out with his grandparents – what a great guy your Findlay is! Looks like you made memories that all of you will treasure in the years ahead. So happy to hear that the health and dental scares had happy endings. And, speaking of happy endings, I think if you and Eric survived the “adventures” of the past year, you can do ANYTHING!!! Congratulations! Alan and I hope you enjoy your gorgeous new home for years and years to come! 🎉🎉🎉
Thanks for the good wishes, Mary! We’re so happy that we’re moved in, and we’re more than ready for the simple life we envisioned, LOL. The adventures we’re looking forward to now have nothing to do with home renovations/buying/selling/or moving. 😀 We think Findlay is pretty special and we’re already looking forward to his next visit.
I resemble that remark.. <3
Hahaha!!! Well, you are a beautiful banjo player, Lydia. And you even have all of your teeth!
Wow, you two! I bet you are ready for some uneventful settling into your new place! I’m happy you have it done and looking forward to pictures. Findlay clearly followed your lead on hat-wearing and found the perfect one. I’d wear it everywhere too if I looked so fine as he does.
It’s been a fun summer as we wring out all the fun and adventures possible. Currently, that means escaping Eugene’s 100+ temps with a little kayaking near Florence, followed by a beach walk on a stretch we’ve never been to. Perfect!
Take good care of yourselves!
Joanne
Hi Joanne, I’m so happy to hear from you! It sounds like you’re having a delightful summer. The Oregon Coast is the perfect place to be on hot summer days, and you’re in such a great location for quick getaways.
We are SO ready to relax and settle in. Even with all of the still-unpacked boxes, it feels good to finally be in our tiny home. When Findlay tried on that fedora, we had to get it for him!
Please tell me you at least took a picture with half a tooth and a banjo? I mean, it doesn’t have to be a “forever look,” but if you missed out on this opportunity, I know I will be disappointed, and I’m reasonably confident I won’t be alone in my sadness.
I am so glad things resolved with Eric and that the house was delivered on time – and beautiful! I can’t wait to see the pics from inside once you’re all settled in. it’s just a gorgeous home in a terrific town. I know you guys are gonna love it!
Laura, yes, I did take a photo of my toothless self and sent it to my sister. You know me so well. 😂 But I’m so bummed that I didn’t have a banjo for the full effect! Or a banjo and overalls, as Brenda suggested. That was a missed opportunity, but not one I am willing to repeat.
We’re loving our little home and loving this area, which is a really good thing. Because we are never moving again. You can hold me to that.
First, so VERY glad to hear all is well with Eric. A scare you didn’t need. Glad your tooth was able to be repaired. But you would be the cutest broken tooth banjo player! You must have had a little panic when your building crew was all fired. Good they found other workers and your house was finished on time. It looks so nice from the few photos you shared. Can’t wait for the whole tour. I love the outside color and your sweet porch. And how exciting that Findlay came to visit for an entire week. Sounds like you three had a wonderful time making memories to carry you til the next time.
Pam, we really didn’t need that medical adventure. It brought back all of the traumatic events of 2016, as you can imagine. But we are so relieved that Eric is fine! And now we have good doctors, and my tooth adventure led us to a good dentist. 😬
We had such a great time with Findlay and such a fun mix of activities. Exactly as you said, we made good memories to carry us until next time, which we hope will be sooner rather than later.
I laughed when I opened up the computer this morning to comment on your blog. If I had done so when I first read it I wouldn’t be so far down the list of comments. Too funny! Now I can only echo all your friends in saying, first, it was FABULOUS to hear from you and to see that your tiny home progress is actually progressing and very nearly done. Can’t wait to see the photos. The other thing I realized is that I wasn’t sure exactly where your tiny home town was located. Will have to look it up, since I imagined it closer to the coast than to Asheville. I had friends from Laramie Wyoming who moved to Boone and loved it at first but eventually, the rain and dampness and humidity ran them out and they are now in Colorado. So very glad also that Eric got through his heart scare…that is so stressful for everyone. More questions: Did you have to build your tiny home from scratch or was the basic shell delivered to the site and then finished there? All your choices are paying off well, everything looks wonderful. I know you hunted hard for small-scale furniture. It seems everything any more is designed for those mcmansions that seem to be proliverating everywhere. The furniture in the stores is huge!! So looking forward to seeing you settled in and living your new life with such good friends around in a place where you are surrounded by like-minded people. Perfect.
Sue, we chose the model of our home and it was delivered to our site. We added the second bedroom and screened deck on the back, and hired contractors for all of our interior finishes. The builder offered several options but we wanted to do our own thing. I agree with you about the size of most furniture…everything is huge! We’re very happy with the furniture we’ve had made. It’s just the right size.
We love the location of Flat Rock! We’re close to Asheville but not in the city, and we’re surrounded by all kinds of cool little towns and hiking opportunities. I think this is a good fit for us. :-)
HAPPY MOVE IN DAY! Thanks for showing us pictures of part of the inside, sorry people had to shame you into revealing them, but….ah well!
I, too, want to know why you were painting the cupboards and not the “crew”…..As if you don’t have enough to do.
I can’t believe how much has changed in the few months since we first saw the house! The landscaping looks wonderful and I can just see you sitting outside, with your g&t, finally relaxing and admiring your choices.
We look forward to the next post, you know, the one with ALL the pictures! no pressure
Aww, thanks, Sue! We survived the move and getting out of that rental, and although we’re surrounded by the detritus of moving, we’re making good progress on settling in!
Part of settling in (no matter how much remains to be done) is relaxing on the porch every afternoon with a G & T. Sure wish you and Dave were here to enjoy it with us! We’re so happy you guys got to see the “before,” now we’re waiting for you to return to see the “after.” 😍
Like Sue I read this early and commented later. Always fun to read your posts and see the great pictures more than once. But unlike Sue, I knew I would be WAY down the list. Not sure how you had time amid all this to do a post.
Such great pictures of you all and Findlay. So glad he could come for a week and that you had room for him in your rental. Amazed at the on timeless of your little house given the worker problem. Can’t wait to see more. Lucky friends to have lived so close and see so much of you guys.
You must be a few days into your new home. Hope you are finally able to slow down and relax a bit.
Sherry, we’ve been in the house for a few days and we’re still surrounded by boxes. I’m spending way too much time trying to figure out how to organize this space! I can’t say we’re at the “relaxing” stage yet, but we’re definitely enjoying being here, and we love our tiny home.
We were very happy that we had the distraction of friends and Findlay visiting during July. It helped us take time off to enjoy this beautiful area!
Laurel,
I’ve been terrible about posting and reading. I worked hard to stay on top of repairs to our trailer while getting prepped for our trip. I hope to get back in the swing soon. We passed through Hendersonville on our way to Charleston and thought about you both. Glad to see that you’re in and, most importantly, happy with the results. Love that you had some time with Findlay–the hat is perfect! There ain’t no love like grandchildren. Have a relaxing weekend. Joe
Joe, I completely understand about the difficulty of keeping up with blogs and blogging when there’s a lot going on. Thanks for checking in on us. I hope you’re having a wonderful time in Charleston with family. Any chance you and Helen could stop for a visit next time you’re near Hendersonville? :-)
We go to Charleston (and Cherokee) often, so the chances are good you’ll hear from us after you get settled. Aren’t you glad you’re out of Hurricane territory? Joe
Joe, we are incredibly grateful to be out of hurricane territory. For that matter, we’re also grateful to not be enduring the heavy smoke that is blanketing our former hometown in Southern Oregon right now. Western North Carolina is feeling like a really good place to be, and we’re looking forward to a visit from you and Helen!
So so glad Eric is ok!!!!
So glad you got to visit with Findlay!!
So happy you closed and by now are moved in.
So glad we get to see all the pics next post!
Aww, thank you, Beth! We’re happy to be in our home, happy that Eric is fine, and happy that Findlay came for a visit. We have a ways to go to be completely settled, but we should be all done by the time you guys come to visit in October!
Your grandson might not appreciate the word “adorable,” but you don’t have to tell him I said he was. Great to see your new digs all shiny & new!
Gretchen, we think Findlay is adorable, too! And he’s kind and loving. Thanks so much for checking in on us. Hope all is well with you and you’re enjoying your Lopez Island summer.
Aww, we were just gone for three weeks on a Safari and you endured and overcame the stress thrown at you at the same time.
Glad Eric is out of the woods, then you cracked me up with your image playing a banjo and a very big smile and wondered how could a cracker break a tooth?
One box at a time, one project at a time….wait Im sure you thought about that, but you had lots of energy and just so excited to move in. I hope you were not burnt out from doing all these things. On the bright side Findlay was the break and sunshine to give you some breathing space from the moving in and settling down excitement.
You do realize that you will be living there permanently and not moving out anytime soon, so take your time :) It is easier for me to say that now, i was in your shoes a couple of years ago.
Glad that all is well that ends well. Im looking forward to more pictures. ( I did not see any purple in the house).
A safari! How cool! I’m so happy to hear from you, ML. I know you understand all about moving into a place and making it your own. You and Steve did so much to customize your beautiful Arizona home!
We’ve been in for three weeks now and still have a long list of things to do before we really feel settled. Honestly, I kind of miss the big pantry and enormous amounts of cabinets we had in both our Oregon and Florida homes, but we’re figuring it out. Overall, we’re loving our tiny home and we absolutely love Western North Carolina. Oh, and you’re very observant…I was ready for a change from purple. Shocking, I know, LOL! Hugs to you and Steve!