The sun rises
It was cold outside, but lovely. Whitey actually stopped hissing and growling. Well, for a few minutes anyway.
Yesterdays move? Exhausting, but at least we had a little bit of help! The week ahead will be rough getting ready to move my parents and the rest of the household over to the Swamp. Then we have to get organized and get ready for our first guests! My sister Lynda and brother-in-law Rick are coming March 8th for a week. No pressure though, right? 
Grayson and Gracie are about as content as cats can be. I knew Grayson would be. He is such a mellow fellow, and let me tell you… I really appreciate that about him, especially this week! Gracie is a kitten; inquisitive, playful and brazen! She just about went out of her mind when the couch and lounge were set down! She was all “We have furniture? No way!” And the bed? Well, the boys do not really allow kittens on their bed yet! I’ll bet she’ll win them over in no time.
Gandalf was all hissy and hiding when he first got here last night, but once he saw his bed and then his condo out on the screened patio he was 95% better. He’s still not happy about that Gracie Girl, but really, he’s not doing badly at all.
Whitey? Well, Whitey has been hissing and sending out that really menacing growl since he got here last night. Funny, to think that he just loved it here only 6 or 7 months ago. I’m giving him a wide berth, too, because a few times I actually thought he was going to bite me. I’m glad they have a week to settle down before my parents move in.
Today they are moving the piano in and a few boxes and who knows what other stuff. I probably will not be able to visit today, but the good news is that I have my computer back so I can visit and comment a little before bed and when I wake up again! Woo Hoo!
Have a lovely day. I’m sure going to try!
Super Bowl Sunday for some…
But for me and my 3 boys, Gandalf, Grayson and Whitey, it is Moving Day!
At least it is for my bedroom and living room. My parents won’t move until probably next weekend. We’re all old and so we have to take it in bits. We do have 4-wheel dollies, hand trucks, straps and some slighty younger muscle to give us a hand and so there will be very little actual lifting.
We begin after church gets out, and hopefully have it done before Kickoff Time!
Today will be the first day da Boyz are all faced with the fiesty kitten, Gracie! I’m hoping that the newness of the Swamp and the screened patio will take the edge off the new reality of 4 cats!
Ba-bye Pecan Orchard… Hello, Tall Georgia Pines! Wish me luck and say a prayer for a smooth day with no injuries! Be blessed, y’all!
Drying out
We had a ton of rain come down in a matter of hours. I had flooding at the Swamp. We got a few inches of water in the garage and the shed. The house was built over a crawl space so it’s just fine.
The water has drained nicely, thank goodness! It’s still soggy, but headed in the right direction. The bad part is that more rain is coming tomorrow and again on Sunday. Hopefully, not nearly so much in such a short span of time.
Most of the pre-move projects are done! Once we get the patio screened, we’ll empty the house and then we can start packing to move. I’ve still got a few more projects I want to do to the house, like tiling the backsplash and replacing the countertops and vinyl floors in the kitchen and replacing the carpet in my bedroom as well as a few minor projects, but I’ll get to them over the next year or so!
I long for a weekend with nothing to do but relax. I almost forget how to do that. Don’t worry though – I’m sure it will come back to me!
In other news… I’ve already moved the cats back to blogger and I’ve decided to move my blog back, too. Here’s my old – and now new again - blogger blog!
Big Hugs ♥xo
Wow. I’ve been away a long time!
Busy, busy, busy! I’ve done lots more painting. My bedroom is all painted and the closet organizer rocks! All that remains for my bedroom is replacing the carpet with flooring like I put in the living room. I’m not a fan of carpet at all. I’ll also replace the base boards after the flooring is in. However, I’ve decided that can wait for one day down the road. I’ll live with the carpet a while.
Today we got the laundry room cabinets hung! That was another big project to check off the list. The overhead cabinets (that I took out of the kitchen) are slotted for the garage, but I may not finish those until after we move in. The doors are all painted and the new hardware is on, but the base is not painted yet.
Al had to do a redesign on the way the original owner of the house had the filter for the air return in the hallway. Not only was it Mickey Mouse’d and an eye sore, but it was very inconvenient access and had extremely hard-to-find filter sizes. He ripped that mess all out and put in a standard 20×20 grate. Tomorrow he’s going to try to figure out how to finish the outside so it looks like it’s suppose to look. A challenge, but he’ll figure something out.
What do you think of my painting in the raspberry jam mud room just off the laundry room and opposite the kitchen doorway? Too much raspberry jam? I can hang it in the living room against the khaki green wall, but I kind of like it there. I’m thinking of getting a floating black shelf to hang under it. Suggestions are welcome!
Sorry I haven’t been around much at all. I’m trying to get all these last little projects crossed of my To-Do so we can do the last project – screening in the back patio. The cats need some fresh air and I need some peace of mind that they’ll be safe. Lots of wild critters live at the Swamp you know!
Once the patio is screened, then we’ll start emptying the house of all the tools and miscellanea and then… then… then we can actually move in! My sister Lynda and BIL Rick just booked their flight for March 8th and I need to be all moved in before then! Can I do it? I sure hope so!
And now that you’re all officially caught up… Oh, wait. Did I mention that I seem to have flunked Fostering 201? Yup. I have a new kitty. Her name is Gracie. I could not find anybody who wants a precious kitten. Lord, help me. I should have named her Caboose, because she is definitely the end of the Kitty Train! But she is a sweet little girl and I already love her to pieces. I bet she puts those boys in line, too! And she loves playing dress up! I think I’m going to enjoy having a little girl around!
Big Hugs ♥xo
Prancing Pony?
For the past few days Gracie has started doing THE most adorable thing! She waits at the threshold of the living room while I get her food ready. As soon as she sees me walking towards her she arches her back, gets on her tippy toes, her tail goes straight up in the air and she starts walking in circles while meowing. Gosh, I’ve never seen anything SO cute. I wish I could get it on video!
Today is a few small touch-ups here and there. My closet organizer is fabulous! I need to get to Lowes now to pick up a few accessories to further customize the closet. I think I’m going to put something like this in the guest bedroom and maybe even my garage this summer. It’s so great having a place for everything and actually being able to see it and have it easily accessable!
It’s still freezing here and I am ready for it to be warm. Seriously.
Have a wonderful day! Big Hugs ♥xo
Organized
We got the final coat of paint on my bedroom yesterday. So, today’s the day we install my closet organizer!
I have a small walk-in closet right now but my new closet at the Swamp is a wide closet with bi-fold doors. Believe it or not, this organizer will actually give me more hanging space as well as more shelf space than the walk-in! Woo hoo!
There are just a few projects left before the big move. Painting the quarter molding for the kitchen and mud room floors, painting the doors and then the Big One… Screening the patio. I’m worried that the kitties could sneak out when the sliding glass doors get opened. For one thing, they have a tinted film on them so I’d never be able to tell if they were sitting there waiting for the opportunity for escape.
Well, here goes nuthin’! Big Hugs ♥xo
Pink, Purrs and Pincushions (aka Climbing Mount Mom)
This is what my days are full of, y’all! Gracie, pink mousies, purring and pinholes in my legs, because as it turns out Gracie likes to leap up onto my legs and climb me in order to get into my lap or onto my desk. Owie! Those cute little kitten paws have very sharp clawrs! She’s even done it a few times when I was on the phone with a customer. So far, I’ve managed not to have any sounds come out of my mouth!
We may have a brief break in these frigid temeratures, hopefully long enough to get some power painting done. My mother keeps asking me when they should start packing. With all these unexpected delays it’s hard to tell her a date.
So far, business has been good this year! Yay! I just hope it keeps up! Mama needs a new screened patio!
Stay warm. It seems to be cold all over. Global warming, my Aunt Mabel! Big Hugs ♥xo
I am smitten with this kitten…
I really am, but I REALLY AM trying to find her a good home! I am *thisclose* to being a crazy cat lady as it is! I have my parents living with me and as much as they love Gandalf, Grayson and Whitey they are not crazy about the idea of me keeping Gracie. I can also assure you that Gandalf, Grayson and Whitey will not be crazy about her either! Grayson and Whitey are doing much better, but they still have their hissy fits at least once a day after 5 months of cohabitating.
Please, share this on Facebook, Twitter, etc. I won’t do a classified ad because you never know what crazies respond to “Free to good home” ads, and I won’t bring her to the local shelter because they are not a “No Kill” shelter.
Right this minute Gracie is taking a nice nap in Whitey’s old bed. OMG, she’s just too adorable! Lord, help me.
The Playful Kitten Edition
Playful Gracie
The only one that doesn’t seem to mind the frigid temperatures we’re having is this little one. She just plays, and play, and plays… And she loves the camera, or does the camera love her?
To borrow a phrase from my sainted Catholic grandmother, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, it’s cold outside!”. In fact, it’s much too cold to paint so I’m actually doing some paperwork (well, not at this very moment!) and I’ve got a few orders to process! Yay! That is always a good way to start off the day. I’m hoping my customers will start spending some more of their money this year. They were a bit tight with it last year. Of course, who wasn’t?
Stay warm! I’m sure trying! Big Hugs ♥xo
Look into these lovely green eyes and try to say “No”
Keyboard Hypnosis... She's doin' it right.
So far we’ve discovered that Gracie loves the tiny bits of cheese that stick out beyond the egg and sausage on my McGriddle, yogurt, the mouse curser, the fax machine, my lap and the top of my desk! She especially enjoys typing! In fact, Gracie seems to love discovering all the new things in her new surroundings.
Since she was gotcha’d by my friends Mike and Peggy, they had to keep her confined to a bedroom because of their cat Feather and 3 dogs Baby Girl, Tank and Puggles. Especially Puggles, their English Bulldog. (Think bull in a china shop and that is Puggles!) Anyway, they were all less than thrilled by her presence. Let’s just say that Gracie is loving having full run of the house!
Blubbery Pie
In other news, Blubbery Pie is my Dad’s favorite so MotherDear makes it fairly often for him. Like yesterday for dessert. Yum!
It’s freezing cold here! There is even snow in our forecast for Thursday and Friday! And I’m not even kidding a little bit. Bundle up! I sure am! Big Hugs ♥xo
