SQUIRREL SNOW

Oh yes, we have been officially welcomed to Illinois now.   Our first snowfall came last night and measured about 8" or better.  It's beautiful.    The trees look like a fairyland.

I kept seeing bunches of snow fall but we have no wind.   Couldn't figure out what the heck that was.
Just now I saw a squirrel playing in a tree and the snow was falling below him. 

Thus   SQUIRREL SNOW

THIS OLD HOUSE

Yes, we bought this house in August and moved in quickly.  We were so excited to have a house we did not have it inspected.   DUMB.   



                                                           

 

 

 

We  love the neighborhood and the neighbors that we have met.   We have one of the most beautiful maple trees we have ever seen in our front yard.  

 

BUT...we should of had it inspected.   We knew we had to do something to the kitchen.   In the end we decided to replace ALL the cabinets, put in a new stove and microwave and eventually a new floor.

 

What we did not realize was that we had to replace the faucets to the sink in the utility room, Ted had to rewire much of the wiring coming into the utility room and the last thing he has had to replace was the garage door opener.

 

We kind of wonder what will be next.   It's going to be a really neat house when we finish.  We hope to do some work in the downstairs bathroom and replace the carpet downstairs at some point too.  Then I suppose it will be about time to move again.

 

 

 

BOOKS

I love a GOOD book.   I did not read for many years, then someone handed me a really big book on my way out of church one time and said, "You need to read this".   I took it to get her off my back and much to my surprise it was a REALLY GOOD book.   I finished reading it that Tuesday morning about 5 a.m.

For several years I read only books that were true.   Then one time a friend told me if I would read fiction I could go anywhere.   So I read fiction and still do.  I love a good mystery if it doesn't get too gory.     But have to admit my favorite books are ones that are based on truth anyway.  

I have read a few books that stand out in my memory.   Some of Will Campbell books are excellent.  One book about a battle in the Civil War is a book I keep in my library - small as it is.   I have a couple of books written by a lady I saw at the Southern Writers conference.  She writes books based on truth and one of hers is another book that will always be in my library.  It's a true story about a woman that butchered her husband.

We have a used book store here where we live and they carry a lot of what I call  junk books .  We are members there though and now and then you can get a good book for hardly anything.   I am reading just such a book now.

It's written by a southern writer but it's about a year they spent in Alaska.  I can hardly ever put it down and yet  hate for it to end.   I just want to keep reading about living in Alaska. 

Ted and I drove there one time and it was one of our best trips ever.  We drove the Alcan Highway and I wouldn't give that memory up for  anything.   Kim and I spent two weeks there 5 years later and saw different things altogether.   She and I saw the Northern Lights, a big moose right in front of us on the road, a glacier that was calving, a pod of Orca and had a trip that lives forever in her mother's heart.   I wish I could take a trip like that with all my children.

I'm hoping when I get to the end of this book I find another just as exciting and wonderful

World Communion Sunday

Today is World Communion Sunday.   I'm still "visiting" First Christian Church in Macomb but will soon  be moving my membership here.

 I sat in church today thinking of all the people I know that would be taking Communion today too and how lucky I have been to of known so many wonderful people and the impact they have had on my life.

I have to ask myself how different my life would be if I had not met these people.   Church really is a community and I need that community to live.  

I'm looking forward to becoming a part of this church and hope I will have some gifts and talents to share with them. 

Summer 2013 - Winding down

Once we decided to buy the house in Thompson Station and knew we had to wait awhile we kind of relaxed.   We finished Benjamin's bedroom, played with the new kittens  

 

and one day we had another kind of visitor.

 

Soon it was time for Jordan's visit with her dad and we knew we could see her more if we were closer to Clarksville. So...we found a campground that is a good spot for us.     We have had Jordan a few days but she's having such a good time with Mark, Megan and Zach that we haven't seen too much of her.   Even though we miss her, that's good because she never gets enough time with her dad.

 

We have been in the campground several days now and have enjoyed watching the people come and go.   For once we do not have the smallest camper where we are.  We used to laugh about always being the smallest one.   But...compared to some we are not the biggest or the best.   That's fine, we have more camper than we've ever had and it has served us well this summer.

 

Many things have changed about camping since we took our first camping trip, but that's another blog.    One of the things we now have is a bathroom and we don't have to go find a place across the highway to "go" or go to the bath house.  Almost everyone had a big tube out of the camper to an underground septic.   They now even have a little rack that you rest this on to make it drain better.  Like this one

 

 

 

We, however, did not know about all these newfangled toys that you needed to have to go to the bathroom so we have an antique one, like this.

 

 

I think Ted should get this patented.   It's much more stable and easier to use.  

 

And...that brings me to the end of our Summer 2013 series.   We are taking Jordan to a waterpark tomorrow and then on short trip to Illinois.   We hope to be in a house before too long.   I hope we find one soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Summer 2013 - 2nd chapter

When I last wrote we had just returned from a week in Illinois.   We were anxiously awaiting for our realtor to call us that we could come close on the house in Thompson Station we were wanting to purchase. 

We spent our days doing little things for Connie and Jim.   Dad worked in the yard and the pool, I did a little cleaning and decided to repaint Benjamin's bedroom.  

In the meantime there was a lot of summer fun going on - especially when Benjamin was there.

 

One afternoon some good sized water shooters came on the scene.

 

Grandad even got into that action. 

 

Benjamin seemed to be the target of most of it but he got a shot or two in now and then.

 

AND of course we had to get the boy in action.

 

We waited and waited for our realtor to call and our patience was wearing thin.   The closing date was set for June 28 but as that day drew closer and closer it was apparent there would be NO closing that day.

 

We were really in need of a house.   We decided to go see that house again and see if we wanted it bad enough to re-set the closing.     While we were there Ted discovered a problem with water in the crawl space.    I noticed the lady had taken some drapes and curtain rods that were to be left.

 

SO...we told the realtor we had changed our minds and would not sign an extension.   She went to work to get our deposit back.

 

In the meantime I had part of a tooth fall out and had to get a new crown put on.   My dentist was 2 1/2 hours away in Winchester.    I was in no pain but very afraid that could change any minute.   I called my dentist and they gave me an appointment the next day at 4 p.m.     I finally decided I just couldn't take all the late afternoon  traffic through Nashville and drive that far too.    I asked if they knew of a dentist closer to me and one was recommended in Clarksville.

 

Dr. Garrett took me in the next day and he was so good.    He had heard my Dentist speak one time on the new procedure for making crowns.    He was very impressed.    I liked Dr. Garrett and kind of liked Clarksville.  I thought it might not be bad to live up there and not have the traffic of Nashville to face every time we wanted to go somewhere.   Mark lived there and Connie would be close and Jill was at least half way through town.

 

The next morning we got up and I asked Ted if we could go look at houses in Clarksville.   So...off we went.   Contacted a realtor up there and she was busy that day but did leave some ideas at her office for us to go see.    When we got there we contacted Marks girlfriend, Megan, and asked her if she would tell us if these were in good neighborhoods or not.   She met us for a sandwich and the three of us took off.    

 

Prices are high in Clarksville but the traffic is just way too much for this old couple that love country living but city life.  :)

 

By the time we got home that night we were disappointed and exhausted and our patience was wearing very thin.

 

The next morning when we got up Ted asked if I had any ideas on what to do.   I told him no.  He looked at me and said we are going to buy that house in Thompson Station.  WE NEED A HOUSE.  So...once again we called our realtor to work up an extension.   She said she told me it could be up to 3 months and possibly 6 on a short sale.   Somehow I don't remember that conversation, only that they do take awhile.

 

So...off we went to Franklin to sign a new extension with the date of closing on this to be August 28. 

 

To Be Continued. 

 

 

Turning A Page of Life

 

This was our home for almost 11 years.   We built it and loved it but now it belongs to another.

 

This is our home now.   Well, it's where we sleep.    We are in Connie and Jim's back yard and eat in their house a lot.   We also shower in there and do our laundry there.

 

This is the shed we had built when we built the house.    The new owner did not want it so we sold it and they came to take it the day they moved our furniture out. 

 

We get to see Benjamin every other week now and I have a full time job holding one of the chairs down beside the pool.    On a hot sunny day that's not a bad job.   My biggest problem most of the time is the temperature of the water in the pool.

 

Not sure how long we will be here.    They may get tired of our ramblings and suggest we go find another one of their siblings to visit.  

 

They spoil us so we may be here awhile.