Even vs. Uneven.

I have a confession.

I hate things that are uneven. Every 

night, I go online & make our bank 

accounts all even. I park my car on

the driveway or in the garage on a

very straight line. When we have

food or treats that can be counted 

out, I have to have an even amount.

It's physical & doesn't feel great if

things are uneven. I get really antsy

if things are out of order. Crazy, eh?

To be honest, it's pretty easy to live

this way. I just need to make sure all

aspects of my daily life are within an

even capacity. If it's not, then I have

to fix it, which I'm happy to do so that

I can feel good about that moment.

Do you have issues with things being uneven?

Or have you never thought about it in the past?

Unfinished.

It is rare that I don't finish a project but

to be perfectly honest, this month I had an

epic fail. On April 1st, I started the April 

Photo Challenge. Having completed the

December session, I was really excited

to do another. But our move, work, events

& now our commitment to a theatre play

meant that I ended up not having enough

time to finish the challenge on time. I

could just extend it into May, but I don't

believe my time will suddenly become

more open. So with a heavy heart, I hang

my head in shame & declare the project

unfinished from my end. Sad but true.

Do you ever have unfinished projects?

What do you do with the guilt?

An even 20.

At the end of the 20th day until we

move, we're now 1 day closer to home.

Are you counting down to a special event?

Is there something you are anxiously waiting for?

Peeking in Windows.

We often go for walks at the end of the day 

in our neighborhood. I love to go at dusk, 

when everyone has put on a few lights inside. 

A peek inside into the life of a stranger.

It seems almost naughty to be so curious

about what goes on, from house to house,

family to family. Naughty but oh so

addicting to peer into someone's life.

As we walk or drive by, we sometimes feel 

like we're intruding on the innocent. 

In reality, if someone was not in favor of 

those of us who walk & take a peek at the

same time, sturdy blinds would work well to

protect the privacy of those all involved.

Do you ever take a peek, from afar, into windows?

How do you feel about seeing how others live?

Just 21 Short Days.

Yikes! In just 21 short days, we

get the keys to our new house.

Will it be ready??

Will we be ready????

I may have gone a bit too far ....

.... but if the price was the same between

2 lights, wouldn't you pick the "blingy" one?

Here's the light for our master bathroom.

We may paint the frame a light cream later.

Going to live with it for a bit to see if the

dark will grow on us or if we'll change it.

More light pictures later.

This could a wee bit of fun ....

The window seat in our nook has a

very lovely & finished interior.

Just the right size ....

.... for little boys ....

.... with spiky blue hair to hide in ....

We may be in for many nights of

asking the question "where is B?"

4 Weeks To Go!

In just 4 short weeks, we'll be doing a final

inspection of our new home & then our

incredible builder will hand us the keys.

Since the beginning, he's joked with me

about waiting to see me do an "ugly cry",

which are tears of happiness but messy.

I've come close a few times but I agree with

him that because the "cry" hasn't happened

yet, all bets are on the moment we have the

keys in hand. Our process, from dream to

possession has been long. We bought our

little lot in the big woods in 2000. This dream

has now been over 14 years in the making. 

And there isn't anything that we'd change.

Waiting all this time meant we were able to

do exactly what we wanted, no compromises,

no lost wishes. Worth the wait, the extra time,

the commitment & the constant daydreaming.

We're almost home. Our task list is long but

last night, we put dates to items & assigned

the activities to the individual who could best

get it done. Soon, soon, we'll all be there.

What is the next big dream you are wishing for?

Possession ....

.... is just a month away!

We got our "Possession Letter" today. And

the date we can move in is May 20th, 2015.

A full 10 months from when our construction

started & within the 6 to 12 month timeline.

So very excited!!

But first I need to sleep. A whole lot of stress

came off my shoulders today, with more to come.

Front Door Views.

Our wood floors are now installed.

They are just what we hoped for.

A view of the front door. 

And very dusty floors.

Looking from the front door 

thru to the back of the house.

The front hall closet & the

hallway to the french door.

Looking up at the pretty Juliette

Balcony ~ staining in the works.

To the left of the front door,

our dining room & butler's pantry.

To the right of the front door,

our living room & door to the turret.

Soon the floors will be swept &

washed down. But I truly couldn't

wait to show a preview of what they

look like, under all the dust. 

Getting closer to move in day!!

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Ten.

My Superpower?

I have many but I loved this image &

felt it truly does reflect me. An early

reader, it is a daily task, a treat, a big

part of my job, a trait I passed along to

my children, an activity that my dh also

loves & something I can teach to others.

What is your Superpower?

Feel free to share it with everyone here.

A Week of Dinners.

We're taking some time in between packing & purging to do some planning for our meals over the next few weeks. Still waiting for our Possession Letter that will state our actual move in date, so we're keeping busy & trying to be proactive so we'll be ready once our time frame has been identified. For the week of April 18th to April 24th, here's what we have chosen to create to nourish our busy souls: 

Saturday, April 18th, 2015: 

Parmesan Chicken with Steamed Veggies & Wild Rice.

Sunday, April 19th, 2015: 

Annie's Organic White Cheddar Pasta with Kale Salad.

Monday, April 20th, 2015: 

Boneless Pork Chops with Mashed Purple Cauliflower.

Tuesday, April 21st, 2015: 

Stir Fry with leftover pork & Veggies.

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015: 

Swedish Meatballs with Brown Rice & Pickled Beets.

Thursday, April 23rd, 2015: 

Turkey & Cranberry Buns with Ginger Carrot Soup.

Friday, April 24th, 2015: 

Baked Salmon with Dill Sauce & Coleslaw.

We bought groceries today & spent a total of $64.06. That gave us all the ingredients we need up to Thursday. Then we'll need to buy the turkey, the buns, the beets & the salmon for Friday night. We'll also need milk by then & a few small things to add to lunches. Not sure the cost yet but we try to keep our groceries to around $150 for the week. Right now, I'm trying to use up what's in our freezer & what we have in the cupboards so we aren't having to pack up food to move or throw away. A very good start.

How is your meal planning coming for this week?

It's the little things!

 I've spent a lot of time over the last few months

getting rid of stuff as well as re~configuring how

my brain operates. Letting go of the big stuff that

in the end, doesn't count & appreciating the little things.

Here's my little thing for this week.

I ordered the Game of Thrones soundtrack

from Season 1 & The Afternoon Tea Collection

for the new house. And my heart is so full

with excitement & gratitude. Can't wait for

the doorbell to ring & the postman is on the

other side with these sweet packages for me!

Tell me what makes you stop & truly 

appreciate the little things in life ....

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Nine.

Five years ago, we were anxiously waiting

for this little guy to arrive. The Photo Challenge

prompt for today had me searching my brain,

then my hard drive for pictures to show life then.

He was on his way, his momma & poppa were

still a married couple then, we were over the moon,

& our kids were 25, 23, 21 & 17. Such a happy &

free time. Things changed not long after this tiny

being arrived Earthside. Not a good time then.

But life has a way of working out & the

happiness we had enjoyed has returned.

He arrived into an intact family & then it fell apart.

But now he & his brave & dedicated momma live

with us. We feel like the luckiest grandparents in

the world, to see him grow & change every day!

Not every gramma & papa get that experience.

What was life like for you five years ago?

Is it better or more challenging than it was?

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Eight.

"From where I stand".

Today's prompt for the photo challenge.

I imagine standing at our kitchen island &

watching my dd walk into the laundry room.

I imagine standing at our kitchen island &

seeing the wildlife outside our kitchen nook door.

I imagine standing at our kitchen island &

seeing a fire roaring & beautiful baroque music playing.

I imagine standing at our kitchen island &

watching our little guy play with his toys in the sun.

From where you stand, what do you see?

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Seven.

Photo Challenge prompt for April 7th

is "what nourishes me". I thought a

lot about this today & created many

posts in my head about all things love.

In the end, after spending quite a bit of

time chopping & mixing to make dinner, 

I chose to use photos of the lovely two

quiches I made for my family, with love.

How does this nourish me? I love to

create from scratch. And I love to eat

cheesy dishes. So it really serves two

purposes in the end. Not bad at all!!

Home Alone.

Today is my day off for the long weekend. Everyone else had Saturday to Monday off but I work on Saturdays, so my three day weekends are always Sunday to Tuesday. I had great plans of leaping out of bed, dropping C off at school & then powering through the house, finishing the last few reno items & packing up the last of the items we can pack away that we don't technically need. We woke up to rain & dark skies, that soon turned darker with flakes of snow falling, mixed with the rain. A cold,  windy, snowy, drizzly day.

After a another weekend of back breaking, body aching, physically exhausting reno work, mixed with packing & a bit of yard work on the side, my plans quickly changed when I came home after dropping said child off. I did a bit of laundry, tidied up, then set myself up in a "nest" of blankets, books, my laptop, my camera for editing, my phone, the tv remote, a hot water bottle & a pot of tea. As the rain hit the roof & blurred the windows, I settled in for a long day of writing, editing & musing about life. Part way through the day, I realized how my Mondays, the day everyone else goes back to work & I get to stay home, was lost in the long weekend. So this week, Tuesday became my official day off!

I felt guilty for a bit then let it go. In the past, my day off was truly a day to get myself grounded, a time to catch up with the little things I can't always do with a crowd of people around me & space to just be. To sit & reflect, time for enjoying the moments. Once I'm back at work tomorrow, I take off running, so I truly do cherish this time alone. I've neglected my days off a lot since we started the big push to sell then move. It has felt like all my waking moments have been taken up by work & the move. Not much time for rejuvenating my mind, my body & my soul. The rain changed my original plan but in the end, it was the best kind of day off to have. I feel great & ready to go back tomorrow.

What do your days off look like?

Do you take it off or use it for catching up?

Can you just imagine ....

.... how lovely this fireplace will look on a cold,

snowy night or a misty, rainy afternoon? 

The first fireplace is now in & we are more than 

pleased with how nicely it turned out. Love it!!

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Six.

Tiny hand, not feeling well, holding on

to gramma's bigger hand, to feel better.

Touch works wonders, creates bonds,

feeds love, makes miracles. Love!

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Five.

Today, the Photo Challenge is to share my favorite color. As an artist, I love color! It's hard to truly choose just one so I have one pic that shows my color palette for the new house. The wall color we chose is called "Winter Gray" & we've teamed that up with an ivory color called "Camelot" & a green shade of sage called "Kittery Point". The last two colors are for our kitchen, great room, bathrooms & laundry room cabinets. I'm terrified to see what this will look like in the end. Hoping it all comes together. With warm wood floors, in my head, I think it will be fine. But oh the gamble we've taken! I hope in the end we don't hate our choices ....

What is your favorite color?

Highly Creative People.

My family, friends & co workers often say they have a hard time figuring me out. I have me figured out! But that doesn`t help them! Today, someone on FB sent me this great article. After reading it, I posted, with the extremely high hopes all my lovey`s will finally get ME!!

It`s not easy being a highly creative person, especially in a world that expects conformity. I`m hoping this article will shed some light on how I & many others live on a daily basis. Read the article here if you have a highly creative person in your life or you just want to learn more about our unique personalities. We struggle daily but find ways to live with a highly creative brain that never stops, is always dreaming & at times is successful with the process.

Feel free to share!

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Four.

Shadows was a bit of a challenge for the photo

schedule, until I remember we had a great one

from our recent special event for families who

have experienced the death of a baby or child. 

Love these shadows of myself & my husband.

Truly characterizes our roles in this vibrant program.

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Three.

I love this challenge for the 3rd day.

Choosing my favorite quote of all time

was an easy task. I love Mary Oliver`s

quote `Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild & precious life` from

`The Summer Day.` It has been my very

favorite for a long time & I`m sure will

always be, until the end of my days.

Feel free to share your favorite quote.

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day Two.

 The prompt for the 2nd day of the April Photo

Challenge was favorite flowers. I have many but

chose these beautiful roses that my dh gifted to

me one day, for no reason at all. I love the soft

pink & the tiny white baby`s breath. Sweet!

The rosy fragrance & the colors lasted quite a while.

I was sad when they finally faded but dried the petals.

Looking forward to receiving another bouquet one day.

Name your favorite flower or flowers.

April 2015 Photo Challenge ~ Day One.

After much thought, I chose the April 2015 Photo

Challenge from Susannah Conway's blog. Truly

looking forward to working through each of these

prompts for the next month. Should be a great time!

The first prompt is "My Morning View".

Here's my first shot for the challenge. A dark, misty 

morning with new snow falling gently from the sky.

A perfect time to snuggle back into the warmth.

Have you ever participated in a Photo Challenge?

Or any other type of Blogging Challenge?

Pink Sky.

 Yesterday was a beautifully sunny day,

with a high temperature of 18 degrees Celsius.

T~shirt & barefeet weather!

I found shoots from plants growing.

But late in the day, a weather warning

was issued for rain then snow. This was

sunset last night, with the rain pouring

down. I'll share the snow pics tomorrow!

How was your first day of April?