Jackets required!

We are walking around here in coats again! The beautifully warm 70 degree spring weather has once again changed her hat. There was a 30 degree drop in temperature yesterday from morning until sunset! Good Grief! It's been an interesting March, weather wise as well as everything else!

We spent last weekend mostly outside! Sunday was absolutely GORGEOUS. Paul hung our new storm door on Saturday! Isn't it great! I spent the weekend washing windows and screens ... oh my!! But my neighbor next door told us the house was glistening when she drove up yesterday, so that was fun to hear! We also burned leaves on Sunday ... for hours ... and there are still more to go! The winter really made a mess around here ... although I suspect the leaves haven't been cleaned up in ages since the house was in such disarray. She sure cleans up nice! I've been looking at the before pictures (inside) and there is some BIG difference around here! So I thought I'd post some of the inside just for fun ... the first picture is going to be our formal living room someday. Right now it's just a HUGE foyer ... but the cats love it and it gives Paul & I a place to practice our ballroom dancing! The second picture is of the dining room as you're looking at it through the living room doorway. We hope to get french doors up between the 2 rooms someday when we can find them on sale! The third picture is where we spend our evenings, cuddled up in blankets as you can see ... the sofa faces the fireplace and the t.v., which aren't in the picture. As you walk in the front door, this room is on the left and the formal living room (Foyer) is on the right. Directly ahead is the hallway (not pictured) ... we'd like to get french doors up on all these doorways as budget allows. It'll help tremendously with heating and insulating.

The most exciting thing that happened to Paul this week was .... he was given a kayak!!! Now those of you who know Paul know how happy this made him! He's chomping at the bit to go kayaking ... but the water is just a tad too chilly (freezing!) and I'm hoping he'll wait a little bit. But it is Paul ... we'll have to wait and see!

I don't know how we got so lucky to have the life we are living, but we'll take it with the deepest of thanks and the greatest of gratitude. We are both healthy, our children are healthy, our grand children our healthy, his parents are healthy, and everyone is doing pretty darn good! We are happy in our new world and are able to slow down and enjoy life in simple terms and we are certainly aware enough to give thanks for it every single day. I know spring time always makes reflection an involuntary thing, but I swear I wonder around in total awe of how wonderful life is. So, here's to hoping all of you are finding the same kind of spring in your worlds. The first picture is of our beautiful budding sign that spring is here (on and off!) and just how much of a miracle the cycle of life really is. There is a family of cotton tail rabbits who live under this little bush. They just hang out in a little hole, surviving snow and dogs and all kinds of things. Now that the bush is blooming, they'll come out and scurry around for food, then at sunset, they go back into their little hut, similar to what we do in our "den" I suppose. Don't you just love spring?! Miracles every place you look!

On the "news" front, sadly ... my brother's cat, General Beauregard (Beau Beau) was laid to rest last Sunday. Please send my brother, his wife Debbie, and the surviving cat (Scarlet, "Sissy") some big positive thoughts as those of you who own pets know how devastating it is to lose one of them. Our neighbor Mike has a birthday tomorrow ... wonder where I can get some moonshine for his present? Hmmmmmm... Cyndie, my sister and her daughter are going to Los Angeles on Sunday to "view" colleges and such. My niece, Hollie, is a model so she's all about L.A. Big step from the Mayberry town we live in, and she lives in a town only a couple notches up!! Good luck you 2, and don't get lost ... My son-in-law, Vic's birthday is April 1st (happy birthday, VIC!) and my daughter Jennifer's birthday is the 8th. This will be Jennifer's first remission birthday in ages ... we are still counting those blessings every single day! Seems only appropriate that her birthday falls on Easter this year (rebirth and all that)!! Mandy and Zeus's wedding is next Saturday (April 7) and we can't wait to see that! So much to look forward to! For those of you who knew our Artemis was pretty sick, he's all better and seems perfectly back to normal now. Thanks for the good wishes!

Well, guess I'll go paint and such. Happy trails to all! Paul & Cheri

Spring, indeed!

Oh my gosh! It's gorgeous here! The temperature is supposed to climb all the way to 70 and above for the next few days. I must admit, it's delightful to be warm! The daffodils are popping up every where, not to mention the tulips and all the other bulbs that are here. These daffodils have even been snowed on and they're still hanging in there! We have NO idea what lies beneath our top soil, so it's been great fun waiting to see what peeks its little head out when the sun come up! I see yard and garden work in our near future! :-) I'm quite sure that makes Paul a bit nervous, as it might mean some heavy work for him ... but the earth child in me is jumping up and down with happy dances. Our neighbor, Bruce, has a friend who has offered us "as much as you want" of his tilled land to plant our garden. Since we've changed our eating to mostly fruits, veggies and proteins, this will come in mighty handy! It'll be fun to grow our own food (again for me ... first time for Paul) and have plenty of FRESH veggies! That is not what happens here during the winter, I've discovered! YIKES! Coming from Florida where veggies are fresh all year round ~ it's a BIG gasp to look at the veggies here around mid February ... shriveled and limp green beans are NOT very appetizing!

Today's plan is painting the stair trim upstairs and the chair rail and trim in the master bedroom ... and maybe finishing the curtains if I can make myself stay inside. Otherwise, I might just begin garden duty ... there is always raking and etc. to do ... and if mother nature beckons, I'm there! We are beginning our ballroom dance classes tonight, and I understand the first dance is "swing" ... so we are truly looking forward to it! There is also my daily trip to the coffee and antique shop ... oh yeah, I got a chair yesterday that needs to be sanded and painted, but is a great old oak school chair! Paul took another load of empty boxes and wrapping stuff that we've finally UNWRAPPED to the dump today! HuRRaY!!! The house is filling now with our "stuff" ... and we aren't looking like the minimalists I'm sure our neighbors thought we might be. BOY, will they be surprised when we finally get everything undone! So will we, but that's beside the point! ;-)

Random things:

* My nephew turned 21 years old yesterday! Happy birthday, again, Derek! Congratulations! I heard a rumor the Air Force is in your future. Good luck with that!

* Beauregard, my brother's beautiful male cat, escaped the inner walls and is out and about in Suwanee, GA. As any of you who are pet owners can imagine, Wayne (my brother) is worried sick and beside himself with concern. Please, if you have a spare moment, send out some energy and good thoughts, and ask Beau Beau to GO HOME! 2 days is long enough for the is adventure of General Beauregard!

* Paul's mum, "B", has had a great post-op report back from her doctor and is on the healing path now. She and Paul's dad, Mel, were going to come up in mid April but have postponed until June or July. That gives "B" more time to heal and Paul more time to make arrangements for golf for he and his dad! The courses here are GORGEOUS and I'm sure that's where they'll be!

* Paul & I are going to get the 3 grandsons June 16th for a week! That is also the oldest grandson's 7th birthday (Austin). My goodness, the time flies right by! We're very excited about the upcoming week, and have begun resting up for it!!!!!

* Pedro and his family are coming to visit the last weekend in April. This is the man who took days out of his life to help us load the truck, come with the truck to NC, unload the truck, and fly home ... all in 3 days. He's still our favorite hero (not to mention the only person as crazy as Paul) and we're excited to show he and his family the improvements since he was here in the house's VERY RAW state!

Well, the day is getting wound up, and I must get out there and do things lest moss will grow under my feet. We just can't have that! Happy 1st weekend of spring to everyone! Enjoy!!

Paul & Cheri

Happy St. Ptrick's Day!

This is what St. Patrick's Day looks like at our house! A magical morning filled with new snow! The leprechauns had something to do with this, no doubt!! We hope you all have a wonderful St. Patty's Day and can celebrate in style ... and maybe for y'all it can be without snow sleds, etc.! HA! May the luck of the Irish be with you All! Paul & Cheri

Unpredictable!!!

The beautiful spring weather that was in our face this past week has come to a screeching halt this afternoon with snow coming down in great gobs! The temperature, which has been in the high 60's and even 70 on Wed., has now been replaced with MUCH cooler temps, and the little white flakes are tumbling down, once again, from on high! It's been a cold, damp, drizzly day all day ... it is now officially snowing! And it's supposed to stay pretty chilly all weekend, so maybe I'll quit wandering around in a spring fever and get something accomplished (or not!) ... it's been declared by the locals that the weather here is crazy during the entire month of March (I would have used the word unstable!) and it appears they really do know what they're talking about!

We've had a few interesting things happening around here ... Sunday Paul ran over something in the road that put a hole in the oil pan on the Volvo. It's a $500 part (discounted 20% at that) and a BIG project to get the pan off of the car around the transmission wiring and the brake housing and who knows what else! So, tomorrow he'll try to weld the holes closed! One can only hope!!!! Paul's truck has also decided to be very stingy with the oil pressure, so he's having challenges galore whilst driving these mountain roads! So ... anyone who knows any "car curing" chants, please forward them! We could use some better luck with the vehicles this weekend!

I had the good fortune to make a day trip to Gastonia to a HUGE fabric store with Caroline, the realtor! It was a delightful day, and down in Gastonia, the Bartlett pear trees are in full bloom, as are the red buds and the forsythia (spelling?) ... it was oh my gosh! beautiful driving through the blooms and the mountain vistas and views!!!! And I was out of little Elk Park for a bit and saw real traffic and stores ... very fun! I got plenty of fabric for the master bedroom drapes and duvet cover ... and probably yards left over! Also fringe for the kitchen panels that are pictured above. They aren't quite finished, but I thought it might be nice for you all to see the colors we're using and the windows are actually getting dressed! We're having a great time watching things change (not speaking for the cats, of course!) ... they are always looking for where they last thought they saw something! Poor guys! Anyway, the buffet in the kitchen gave us a color to work with and it's been quite the inspiration to finish that room! I will take pics as the window treatments get finished ... always a project going ....

Paul and I started hanging the "dance" art gallery last weekend, and got quite a bit of it finished, as you can see. It was a great time arranging things ... and I've now learned how to use the drill, so LOTS of things are getting hung while Paul is at work. I'm sure he's relieved! Gives him more x-box time, don't you know!

We also found a great little vanity for the master bedroom. We're still trying to decorate in that room. It's getter better every weekend! As is most of the house. We were finally able to take all the quilts and blankets out of the doorways last week, but with the temps back down in the 30's ... they'll be going back up!!! It's just too cold, and heating the house in it's entirety is not an option for us right now! But it is great to see the house's energy flow through the whole house when the "barriers" come down! It's getting there!

I've been spending some time helping the dance studio owner, Stephanie, try to get her "books" automated. We installed some dance soft ware and have begun the project of loading all the students' info and etc., etc. It'll be so much easier for her in about a week's time! I'll also begin my H U G E "doing the taxes" project this weekend. If there is a tax preparation fairy, I sure hope she begins to make daily visits here because we're going to need her to bless us every so often! I've pretty much always done our taxes as it's just easier than explaining it to anyone else. But this year we've done some extra line item activities, such as buying a house and moving, so it'll be a whole new adventure!! Can't wait to dive in ...

SO, that's what's on our agenda and in our lives right now. As far as extended news, Paul's mum, "B", has come through her surgery with flying colors ... and although she gave a bit of a scare to the recovery room folks, she's stronger and home again. Psu's mom, Lois, will be having some surgery in a couple of weeks, so please keep her in your good thoughts. I'll post more info as I get it on that front! My nephew, Derek, has a birthday coming up soon (the 22nd) and we all wish him a happy birthday! Still young, although in his 20's now. Must be fun! Ms. Mandy will be having her bridal shower tomorrow, and I sure wish I could be there! But I'll be thinking about you, Mandy!!! xoxo Saving the best news for last, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DANCER'S POINTE dancers who went to Baton Rouge and kicked bootie! I hear y'all did AWESOME and I'm very proud of you ALL!!! Don't forget to thank your parents for going "over and above" by taking you there! Always important to say thank you!

So, for now, happy St. Patty's Day to all. Take care, keep in touch and have fun! Paul & Cheri

Happy Spring Break!

Although we won't see spring break here for several more weeks, there is a huge contingent of friends who Happy Spring Break applies to ... and you know who you are! So hopefully everyone will have a wonderful week and be all revived and ready for the rest of the school year! And, to all of you who are in Baton Rouge competing this weekend -our good thoughts are with you and wishes for GOOD LUCK!!! And safe travels too!!!! Our weather is not spring break weather yet .... but it is GLORIOUS here! The weather is mild, 50's during the day, 30's at night. It's getting a little warmer each day. The locals say the worst is over because the ground is beginning to thaw now. So I guess the future snows will not stick to the ground because it's just too warm. So, dare I say, I think we have made it through the worst part of the winter! YEAH! Driving to and from work takes us across the mountain, and the transformation the scenery is undergoing is unbelievable. From one day to another we just seem to be waking up to new life every where. There are daffodils and tulips coming out of the ground in the front yard!!!! I know the locals are getting a big kick out of us and probably taking bets on whether or not we'll stay here. I'm sure Mike at the hardware store thought I'd freeze to death before February was over.

Even though there is always a hustle and bustle going on in this house, you can see how "the boys" are affected by it! They always have time to cuddle up and rest. I'm trying to take lessons from their lives, they definitely enjoy the best things in life: food, companionship, rest and (did I say?) food!!!! They're both huge, but Spartacus is still in the lead for King.

I've been antique store visiting, and found this beautiful side board last week. I don't think Paul knew what to think about it when he had to pick it up, but he's decided it looks fine in the kitchen and even has complimented its presence, so I think it'll get to stay. Personally, I love it and now have a place to store china, serving dishes and kitchen linens. My brother donated the new kitchen table and we acquired the new rug from Lowe's ... so over the weekend I hope to get the window treatments finished (the fabric is hanging on the back of one of the chairs in the picture above) and hung, as well as the kitchen pantry shelves up ... then the kitchen will be finished (except for the floors and the ceiling --- the list is long!) Phase I section R2, that is!

My brother also donated a wonderful computer desk that has turned into Captain X-box's command center. So we've moved Mr. X-box upstairs and he's got a lot more space and privacy for his gaming ... and thanks to David sending cable, Paul is live on x-box and a better man for it ... as it makes him happy. :-) We know how much better things are when everyone is happy!!! My brother, Wayne has been cleaning out his house (major spring cleaning) and he's been kind enough to donate unused things our way. So we drove down to Atlanta in Paul's truck to pick up the stuff ... and back in one day. No dilly dallying around here! However, on the way home some place around Spartanburg, the car began to sound like a phone ringing, and then whistling REALLY loudly. By the time we got to the end of the exit ramp, the fan belt (serpentine belt) was flailing loudly around cable housings and pulleys ... needless to say, GULP! But Paul, being a genius, found a way to drive a battery-less car (which means no power steering, lights, signals, etc.) to a remote Auto Parts store. They were so accommodating, with a tool cart, flash lights, etc.... and from 6:40 until 8:oo we had a roadside operation going that ended with a new serpentine belt and a new pulley housing. Perfect! We are 2 lucky ducks! We had a great adventure AND were home by the 11:00 news! They were predicting snow that night ... so we unloaded the truck, and 15 minutes later, snowflakes had filled the bed of the truck! We didn't even know it had snowed! Even though we had a little "trouble", we were fortunate enough to have angels sitting on our shoulders. We always have plenty to say grace over ... and we never forget it!

I finished painting the 30 foot hallway FINALLY, and now we can hang our "dance art gallery" up and get some character around here! GEEZ! Did I mention that list is long? And I'm hoping to make huge improvements in the master bedroom in the next couple of weeks, as it is still very undecorated (as Paul as so eloquently phrased it). I know there are still miles to go, and I am a bit concerned now that the weather is getting nice. We would much rather hike and canoe than paint and decorate. Hopefully, we'll be able to keep a little of both on the agenda! Hmmm.

Paul is taking a "bee keeping" class tomorrow in Boone. I'd love to go, but it starts at 8:30 in a town that is almost an hour away. Not sure that is for me! And I'm allergic to bee stings, but hopefully they won't bring the ones that sting!!!! HA! As I love honey, I may have to surrender and attend. :-)

Please keep good thoughts for Paul's mum, who will have surgery on Tuesday; PSu's mom who is battling some health "issues", and Jennifer and family who's car blew up!! Also to Kelly's friend, Evan who was recently in a horrific auto crash and is in ICU; and Paul's friend, Tammy who was involved in an auto rollover and has several broken ribs (ouch). As we all know, life is unpredictable. Here's to hoping all of you have many happy adventures! Happy Spring Break!Paul and Cheri