JOURNEY'S REST STOP

Someone once said all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.  I don't know about dull, but it surely makes for a very tired John and Nan.  We finally have taken a day off from our labors and this is feeling as if it is a very good thing.  

Two of the four columns have their first coat of paint.  The other two are standing there patiently waiting for their turn.


"Stuff is stacked, on chairs, tables and sofa waiting patiently to be taken to the motorhome.  


Paintings are ready to be hung, not by the chimney with care.  The abstract on the left that looks blueish, but isn't goes into the dining room.  


You can also see the cherry hardwood floors that John and I installed. 


A lesson we have learned from this adventure is that we cannot take a twenty five year old house and make it new construction.  


We are pleased with the way things are looking.  If we hurried, we could have it on the market next week.  You can see where the bulkhead is cut in at the end of the cabinets.  The kitchen needs to be painted as well as the half bath just behind the unpainted columns. The stove needs to be installed and a plumbing leak needs to be tweaked.  

Work is complete from where the carpeting begins (there's a gate to keep the fur kids out!)  in the photo.   The dining room is complete with the exception of light fixtures as is the entry and hall.  

My weaving loom is in the family room awaiting the "right" new owner.  I need to replace the reed and it will be ready to go.  I am sad to see a good friend go, but I need a smaller loom that will be convenient in the motorhome.  

  
John's wood turning tools that we listed on Craig's List have sold quickly and we have just a few left.  Some buyers have traveled over one hundred miles to purchase them.  It is fun to witness the excitement of these people when they know they have new "toys."  You know what they say about the difference between men and boys.....BUT there are also women wood turners.  I'll stick to my fiber.  


The temperature today here in Indiana is fifty degrees.  Tomorrow, it is to be fifty two and Wednesday, sixty!  It looks as if we are going to be outside spiffing up things there so work inside will wait for colder temperatures or rain.


Yesterday, friends of ours from Michigan drove down are took home with them a garden tractor, a lawn vacuum, a chipper, a hand mower, fencing, and more things for their farm.  Deb even took our old stove to use in her fiber dyeing!  Now that is big time repurposeing!  She also left with our antique wardrobe.  It should be awesome in their antique age farm house.  


Thinking back to this time last year......we were in Death Valley watching the sky at night and marveling at the vast number of stars visible to just the naked eye.


Thinking forward to our journey next year.  It will be our first winter of fulltiming.  We are eager to learn what God has planned for the journey.


To be able to start that journey.....we keep working. And working. And working.


Till next time,
God bless you and your travels, your visits, your daily activities - whatever they may be.

THE ROBINS HAVE ARRIVED!

From the time I was a youngin till my Dad's death, we had a competition.  Who would see the first Robin of the year.  Usually, my dad won. It was great fun, though.  

But, one strange phenomenon was that after the Robin arrived,  it would snow.  I remember one year, the Robins would huddle up close to our barn for warmth because the temperatures really hit rock bottom.  

Well, they are here.  It is now snowing and the 

temperatures are due to be the lowest yet for this winter season.  

The cold temperatures and the colder temperatures are not making us sluggish, though.  We are just keepin on keepin on.  The journey to our full time journey must go on.  

Today, our time has been spent gathering, photographing, listing, answering emails regarding the listings and selling items that were listed on Craig's List.  What a great tool!  And all they ask is a donation and it is not required.  You can be sure we will make a donation!  We have saved time, packaging, gas and $$$$ by not listing on Ebay.  Ebay is good for some things, but not all.  

Tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a problem.  I have yet to plan what I will do.  Will I paint the half bath?  Will I clean carpet in one of the bed rooms?  What a puzzlement.  But I DO  know what I will do Sunday.  R. E. S. T.  

Time to fix dinner, so it's see ya later.

God bless your travels.  

DOWNHILL GRADE ON OUR JOURNEY!

We have transferred a number of projects from the to do list to the completed list.  The number of completed tasks now is much longer than the other.  What a joy!  I would guesstimate that we are eighty-five to ninety percent complete.  


John took the old stove out and we are now ready for the new one to be delivered and installed!  This will complete the installation of all new, stainless appliances in a new and improved kitchen. Woo- hoo!  Each step seems like another mile marker passed on this journey.  


As John worked in the kitchen, I worked with our hired worker and we started and finished cleaning the large barn.  This barn was so much easier due to the fact that this was the home for our herd of Llamas.  We had started and finished with the barn within two hours.  


As I look back at our journey last year, I have memories of the Grand Canyon. The header photo was taken at one of the viewing spots.  We spent two days touring and exploring.  The altitude there was making it very hard for John to breathe, that most of our exploration was achieved by driving and looking.  



If we go again, we will plan to spend a week or so there in order for John's lungs to adjust to the altitude.  Then we will be able to do more exploration on foot.  


John and Oliver enjoyed the view.  And the views are magnificent!   It was a nice, sunny day that made the cooler temperatures easier to withstand.  

We stayed at the campgrounds there at the park.  There were about six RVs and Motorhomes in the campgrounds so each of us had our "space."  I would not like to stay there during high tourist season.  I would feel like a sardine packaged.   Looking out my window to see another window is not our idea of travel.  The song "Don't fence me in" just popped into my mind!  "Give me land, lots of land....don't fence me in!"  After living in the country, having someone close gives me the shivers!


Well, it's time to get back to working on the fifteen percent that needs to be completed in order to put the house on the market.  One lesson we have learned while working on the eighty five percent is that we cannot make a house that is twenty five years old to be new construction!  We must stop someplace or we will be remodeling forever!  


Here is looking forward to the rest of the journey! God bless you on yours.  

SO SAD :-(

I HAD PREPARED WHAT I THINK WAS AN UNUSUAL BLOG AND WITH ONE KEY STOKE............


KILLED THE WHOLE THING....


RATS