Where have I been???

THAT is a very good question.  Now for the answer.  I have been trying to accomplish several different projects, including the survival of sub-zero weather and layers of relentless ice on my sloped driveway.  The warm days have eliminated the ice, so now we can start again mid-week.  I understand it’s supposed to snow!  But anyway, right after the holiday I decided that after 27 years of living in a totally dark brown basement (doors, walls, trim, stairs, floor – ugh!) I was up for a remodel.  I contracted my amazing son and ‘second’ son (Nate and Dave from B&B Windows) to tackle the first half of the project, and it’s well under way.  All the furniture, wall hangings, nick-nacks — everything in the family room is now stacked in the garage.  The carpet is ripped out and the entire room has been repainted – 2 shades of gray.  No, nothing like the book, so relax.  Tomorrow their part of the project should wrap up, then I wait 2 1/2 weeks for the installation of new flooring (also gray).  It’s a long time to have my house torn apart (if you know me, you KNOW it’s driving me NUTS!) but the end result will be worth it.  

In the meantime, I am going through boxes and cases of things in the closets and cupboards and trying to be really truthful with myself-  Who needs all this STUFF?  I found things I didn’t know I had.  I will post before and after photos mid-February when we’re done.  I’m also sticking closely to my 3 miles a day walking routine, and tonight was a lovely night to walk outside.  One of the neighbors 2 streets over still have their purple tree lit, which I can see from my house.  I even saw one house with a Christmas tree still lit in their picture window!  I can’t ‘throw stones’, though, because last year I made a resolution to keep appropriate lights on my back deck railing all year long, according to the season or holiday.  Right now (since I took the multi-colored Christmas lights down) I have the railings strung with crystal lights that fade from white to blue and back to white.  Sort of like snow drifting down.  I did have my reindeer lit with flood lights in the bottom yard, and I really enjoyed having them on at night — but this weather is pretty tough on them.  Tonight I was finally able to get the stakes out of the un-frozen yard (is that even a WORD???) so the little deer are now tucked safely in my shed until next December.  But sort of as a ‘cheer me up’ type thing, my daughter sent me a picture of her friend’s snow sculpture.  Julia is a HUGE Snoopy fan and this was their winter project.  I love it!  I have the picture as a background on my desktop. 

So that’s what has been happening, and I’ll try to step it up a notch from here on out.  Oh, and I am speaking at McKenna Center in Greensburg (next to the Garden and Civic Center) on Wednesday January 24th at 12:45.  Just a little info about ‘Letters to Mary’ and it should be fun.  Stop out if you can!  Catch you soon…..