LAST WINTER HURRAH BEFORE SPRING and SOME IDEAS

THE WIND HAS QUIETED DOWN this morning and we have sunshine.  Sunday was a doozy with high winds and a sprinkling of snow across the prairie.  I stayed indoors all day and listened to the howling winds.  I should have stuck my head outdoors to allow the freezing gust of wind to pour across my face.  This would have been invigorating to say the least.  In the teens overnight with a 9 A.M. reading this morning of 14 degrees.  SUMMER returns on Wednesday.  In the meantime, I can try to do inside chores if I'm not in too much pain.

It seems like Mother Nature is doing a last hurrah before Spring is officially here with Friday marking the first day of Spring on the calendar.  January, February and March seem to drag on for me as I dread the wintery chills.  We have had a taste of Spring every once in a while as it will be a gorgeous Spring-like day and then wham a cold front comes into the picture.

I'll need to bundle up today when getting out to go to the doctor's about the pain in my right hip. I've got my info written out so I don't freeze up when seeing my doc.  I'm still in serious pain when walking and sitting.  Today, I will get some fresh air as I travel to Manhattan to the Bank and Doctor's appointment.  

I haven't walked my daily miles in about 3 weeks due to discomfort in hip.  My appetite has been too good.  Not standing on the scales as I know my weight has climbed.  Disappointed.  I looked at myself in the mirror and in some pictures astonished that I am still so heavy.  My face is huge. Hate this.

I phoned for a medical appointment leaving a recording on the line.  Until I hear back from them, I'll be grooming myself as I will need to shave my legs and bathe.  Gather up some clean clothes and be ready when they are.  Hair is ready.  I shampooed my hair yesterday with a different shampoo and liked the results.  Swirling my hair in an updo, I can proceed.

Over the last few days, my legs have been reclined a great deal and little walking has taken place. Too much discomfort when up walking.  Stiff legging it helps some, but when I sit, I'm moving in slow motion.  Tis terrible.  The chores are running behind.  I've gotten little done.  This is frustrating to me.  So frustrating.

PLANS:  Photographing the bedding I need to get rid of.  I arranged the bedding just so-so on the sofa.  We no longer have a queen size mattress to pose some pics.  I tried to find a photo of when we did with the bedding and have had no luck.  I'll have to use the packaging photo and the Clover Cliff Bed&Breakfast ones from when we stayed there in the Lincoln Honeymoon Suite.

This is where I first saw the bedding and fell in love with it so for our 45th wedding anniversary stay, we ordered some.  The bedding is still in excellent shape being 6 and a half years old.  I'm doing my best to keep moving on and not hold back on redecorating including the bed we have set up which is a full size bed that belonged to my Husband's Grandparents.  For now we have one bed sat up and the other bedroom is being used as our TV room where we have recliners. 

With nicer weather coming, I hope to start painting the ceilings in the 4 main rooms then slowly I will paint the Living room, Dining room and Bedroom.  The TV room's ceiling will have to be taken down as it has tiles for a ceiling and I'm not ready to tear into this project just yet.  I will stand on the floor using a rolling pin on a rod and then climb up on a ladder to carefully paint the edge of the ceiling that butts up against the walls.  That's if my body will let me.  

Forging ahead as the week is off to a great start.  Medical appointment will determine what I find out about my hip.  Praying for healing.  

I'll be my Husband's sidekick with ongoing projects if possible. 

The Bathroom floor will be scrubbed and sanitized.  Continued laundry.  Going through STUFF to organize.  I'm a broken record.

IDEAS:

 

A bit of an optical illusion.

May you have a sweet day,
~d~

MARCH 1ST HERE WE COME USING AI FOR ASSISTING WITH MEDICAL ISSUES

I AM PLEASED THAT FEBRUARY HAS COME TO A CLOSE.  We're still in WINTER, but one day closer to SPRING.  Counting the days down until SPRING comes forth. TWENTY!!!  20 it is.  Last week, we got a taste of sunshine and SPRING with the temps in the 60s and 70s.  Wonderful.  TODAY, we've dipped  into the 30s and it's raining.  It may get icy tonight.

Hubby worked on the porch building garage doors.  He made two doors and is now ready to paint them!  This week, he plans on doing this as he has ordered the metal hardware.  When it is all said and done, it will be a good looking addition to the COTTAGE's GARAGE DOORS.

This Sunday morning the work was put on pause as it isn't warm enough to paint the garage doors.  Early this morning, it was about 27 degrees outside with a strong chance of freezing rain this evening.  I have an eye appointment in the late morning on Monday which I may have to reschedule if the weather stays nasty.

I have been beyond exhausted and began reading about the eye drops I have been taking discovering that they can cause fatigue.  SAY WHAT?  Funny thing is, if you can call it funny, the pharmaceutical print out says nothing about fatigue.  This info can be found on internet sights.  When the medication gets into the bloodstream it causes side effects such as weakness and fatigue.  It sure affected me in a bad way.  This is probably why I had nothing to give while walking on Saturday.  

On the warnings of FLUOROMETHOLONE found on the internet, if fatigue happens you are to contact the doctor.  While taking the meds, I could taste it in my mouth then the fatigue thing happened.  I did not know to contact the doctor until I was just about finished with this drug.  

I finished my prescribed dose yesterday.  If I had known to apply pressure in the corners of the eyes to help prevent the medicine going into the rest of the body, it might have prevented the fatigue.  I would have done so, but since I was not informed about this, I had zombie fatigue.

Not sure how long I will be fatigued from using this medication.  hummm.  I didn't have a clue that these eyes drops could cause fatigue.  What else don't I know?  I think the less meds I am taking the better overall I will be.  Just a thought.

THIS IS WHERE AI HELPED ME with thyroid questions.  Oh my!  I learned more in 15 minutes on AI verses 15 years of going to my Endocrinologist and the APRN.  Through the years, I asked the right questions and got the wrong answers.  TODAY, I dedicated hours on AI printing off their answers.  It was like I was actually chatting with someone that cares that I am not feeling the best.  Here's what you need to do...

I have some HOPE as now I will return to my GENERAL PRACTITIONER and the ENDO APRN with how to talk to them in a clinical way to where I get the kinds of test I need that will reveal to me what the hey is actually going on in my body.  The GOLDEN STANDARD of checking only the TSH isn't working for me and this test isn't conclusive enough for how well the thyroid meds are working.  I feel awful and have for 15 years without a thyroid.  I was in the darkness about thyroid care and in the desert concerning how to feel better.  

I need to know how well the T4 is converting into T3 and how well the T3 is getting into the cells and tissue.  

I am a FAN about AI when asking straight forward questions about health issues.  When you type in the slot about ASK ANYTHING...do.  Watch the info come to light.  AMEN.

My energies have gone into studying up on thyroid health, folding laundry and putting it away, stashing bedding in a new location, vacuuming the Living room carpet, tidying in the dining room, eating healthier meals, and visiting with my HONEY.  

I wish I felt better so I could quickly work and get this housework taken care of.  

~d🌹🌱

  

SPRING COUNT DOWN

 

Let's do this thang,
~d

MORPHING ALONG SO WE FIT

ONE DAY CLOSER TO SPRING and I could let out a whoop and a holler.  Our WINTER has been mild, but mild in KANSAS ON THE PRAIRIE is still ice cold.  Yesterday it was 21 degrees starting out in the morning warming to 31.  We're a third of the way through WINTER as March 20th is the calendar start date for SPRING.

HAPPY THOUGHTS of SPRING.  I will slow the boat down and embrace the WINTER anyhow, but excitement rejoices in my soul that beautiful SPRING FLOWERS will start popping up through the soil.  I'll continue cleaning inside the house making plans for future gardens and making US FIT INTO THE COTTAGE even if it's sideways.

Looking at the flowerbed in front of the porch, I noticed the BABY GEM BOXWOOD bushes aren't doing so well.  I don't believe they are hardy enough for Northeast Kansas.  If they aren't going to flourish here then I'll have to remove them and plant something else like IRISES.  That's the ticket.   

We reviewed our utility bills this morning.  We're on an even payment plan where at the end of the year you must pay all of the arrears in order to stay on the even payment plan the next year.  I managed to pay the majority of the monthly arrears each month to where we only owed about $35 in December.  This was a victory in itself.  Hubby went in to pay the bill and the clerk told him that we were the only ones with such a low bill in December.  Throughout 2026, I'd like to keep the arrears very low if not zero.   

We went to Manhattan to Menards for storage tubs.  With the organizing going on around here, I needed a tub for the kids' childhood artwork plus my own.    
A tub for the miniature Christmas tree.
Tub for medical supplies.
4 tubs for my Depression dishes with the Madrid Pattern.
Tub for UV Sanitizing Lamp.

Hubby had some Menard's Cash to cover these items.  The store also had a 15% off whatever you could fit in a paper bag SALE.  I managed to fill a bag with Teddy Grahams, Graham Crackers, Thin Oreo Cookies and Wipes.  The Teddy Grahams will go in a MASON JAR to sit on the counter top for easy access when Lil Dude comes over for a visit.

On the way out of town, we splurged with Star Buck's unsweetened Trenta Iced Green Tea for the drive on over to the Pharmacy.  Finally HOME.  I started putting items in the new storage tubs. The Christmas tree was still too long for the tubs we purchased.  Shucks.  Mismeasured.  As we slowly get better organized, I find my spirit getting happier.  A DRIVE WITHIN ME is to be well organized.  Like a dream I need it.  Let it happen.

I figure within the next six months to a year we should be about where we need to be unless I am miscalculating what we get done.  It is an ongoing drama for sure.  The small garage we have on this property will be completely cleaned out as it is a MESS filled with I don't even know what. The SHE SHED we remodeled a few years back will morph into a STUDIO for my dear HUBBY. The garage will be cleaned and turn into a organized storage unit.  Our cars are too long to fit in comfortably in this old garage so we'll fix it to where we can store our things that are presently in a storage unit that we pay monthly rental fees on.  That sounds like a plan.  

The way the garage is sat on the property has gotten too snug for today's standards.  The garage was built in 1900 where it was fine for carriages and smaller cars then as time passed the neighborhood changed with houses built closer to this property making for a snugger fit.  It is now very difficult to turn a car at the angle it needs to be in order to get into this garage.  Long story short, we have to morph along to make this present location work for us.  

I figure I need shelves for stored dishes, Christmas Decor, suit cases, odds and ins.  Overflow. I've got the metal shelves in the garage that I just need to arrange so we will have made progress. PRAISE THE LORD.  The garage truly is a 2026 PROJECT.  This down sizing is not for SISSIES.  

January thru February.  Work on the inside of this COTTAGE during the frigid cold weather getting it orderly.
March.  As Spring approaches clean out the flowerbeds of overgrown grass and weeds making them lovely.
April.  Clear out the SHE SHED turning it into a ART STUDIO.
April and May.  Clear out the garage and clean it up.  Turn it into a clean storage unit.
May and June.  Empty the storage unit, closing the account.
June and July.  Organize the garage making it a usable storage unit.
August.  Thin out the Christmas decor that's stored in the cellar.

I'll keep all of this in mind and go from here.  Not in concrete.
~d🌿🌷

TWENTY DAYS TIL SPRING and A PATHWAY TO BETTER HEALTH!

IT'S NOT WORKING OUT.  A year ago or so, we purchased a fridge to sit in the utility room to hold only the fruits and veggies.  A fridge just for this.  Used it in this fashion for about 6 months then decided to do a switch-er-roo and switch this fridge to use as a full freezer returning the fruit and veggies to the Kitchen fridge.

As many veggies as I store in the fridge, this wasn't working as there was no room for leftovers, etc.  I'll be switching the fridges around to where the fruits and veggies return to the utility room and the frozen goods in the bottom of the Kitchen fridge freezer and in the cellar freezer.  In the next few weeks there will be an exodus going on in my COTTAGE.  again.  No surprise.  I change my mind often not for entertainment either, but for efficiency.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  

I gave it a good try.  Think I like having an only fruit and veggie fridge better.  Next WEEK the switch will happen.

ON THE HOME FRONT.  I'm gathering up the greenery that has been out for Christmas decor and also WINTER WARMTH.  I was not ready to tell the greenery adious right after Christmas, but today is a new day and I'm ready.  I am now as we inch into the month of MARCH.  Time to swap out this WINTER decor with EASTER/early SPRING decor.  

🐇🐇🐇Ready for some SPRING to blossom.  Take a deep breath and let it happen.  20 days until SPRING.  That's 3 glorious weeks.  

At Michaels they had easter egg garlands.  🐰🐰🐰Think I'll return and get some to hang on a rod in between the living room and the dining room.  That would be sweet to see.  Then I can locate my BUNNIES and place them about the house.  Seems like I just put these away from last Spring. 🪺

The front porch urns have been cleaned out and are ready for Spring flowers to come forth.  I have some large faux daffodils that I will place in the urns next week.  The Winter Wreaths on the front doors need taken down and replaced with SPRING ones.  I will add Easter eggs and faux daffodils to the SPRING wreaths I have in the cellar that need spruced up.  The wreaths that Michaels had were gorgeous, but I didn't want to pay as much as they were asking even at 40% off.  While I looked at them in the store my old wreaths in the cellar came to mind that I could add some faux eggs to them and ribbons to spring-a-fy to freshen them up and they will look just as good for now.

LEADING UP TO SPRING.  I have the clothing thinned out to where I know what we have for Spring and Summer clothing.  The closet hangers have been swapped out and the closet organized.  Now the Christmas greenery will be put away and hopefully the FOOD PANTRY cleaned out and organized just in time for SPRING.  It'll take me three weeks to do the pantry. Truthfully. 

When Spring arrives we will have the Bathroom Linen Closet built and painted filled with toiletries and towels.  Plans for the front porch to be rebuilt are in the works.  AND we have to get serious about replacing the carpet in the house.

I have no way of knowing how old the carpet and padding are in the COTTAGE.  I know that vacuuming the top of the carpet does not suck out the dirt on the underlying padding and wood floor underneath.  The carpet is seriously stained in some areas.  With guessing the age, I'd have to say it is a good 45 years or so when shag carpeting went out of vogue and beige colored level looped carpeting was all the rage.  Getting new carpeting will help clean our HOME up and maybe alleviate our present day asthma.

Not only will new carpeting improve the looks of this HOME, it will also IMPROVE OUR HEALTH as we both have asthma.  If I know what my triggers are I can avoid what triggers my asthma, I will be healthier and feel better and so will my sweetie.  DUST, POLLEN and PET DANDER are triggers and I must avoid them as best I can.  The dust also includes DIRT. Truthfully we should have had the entire COTTAGE ready before moving in, but this wasn't in our cards.

So we remodel and live amongst the dirty carpeting.  Hubby took care of an icky bathroom floor that was seriously water damaged when we remodeled the bathroom.  He did a beautiful job getting the uck out of the house.  It had a bad odor and now that's gone.  

SPRING HAIR CUT.  When getting ready for SPRING, I decided I need a good cut for SPRING. A little early, but I was ready to trim me hair.  Shampooed my long hair and then trimmed about 2 inches off with a homemade butterfly cut.  A day later I clipped straight across an additional 4 inches or more roughly taking off 6 inches all together.  After the next shampoo I'll check to see if I need to trim some odd ball stray hairs dangling.

SPRING 2025 will hopefully start out with a clean closet, an organized food pantry and a fresh haircut.  I am chomping at the bit for milder temps and time in the out of doors.  This week-end I will deliberately spend time out of doors before next week's colder weather moves in.  

The cleaner the house, the healthier we will be.  Being ill isn't easy or wanted.  With much effort I have studied about health issues and the simplest thing I can do to help with better health is to DEEP CLEAN our HOME environment.  A pathway to better health begins at HOME with a cleaner place to live and eating healthier foods.  AMEN.  

God bless,

~d

DAY DREAMING

ABLE TO DECORATE IN MY HEAD.  Nonstop.  Rearranging furniture and items. Giving it thought.  Everywhere I go or visit, I'm decorating in my head.  A great way to stretch my imagination.  Cheap entertainment.  Countless nights, I fall asleep decorating in my head.    

In reality, a simple gesture took place.  The Tiffany lamp that has sat on a tier table beside my wing chair was moved over to the Eastlake table in front of the bay window in the Living room. The small Christmas tree was removed and the table was bare.  

I've enjoy having the lamp by my chair, but think it'll be in a better place for now.  I'll turn the lamp on in the evenings and early mornings so it not only lights up the room, but also shines through the window signaling that someone is HOME at the COTTAGE.

I like it there for now.  

With the weather warming some this week, Hubs said he'd move our Victorian dresser to the SHE SHED to get it out of the Dining room.  I'm so proud of our purchase.  A beautiful two piece we got for $45.oo.  

As the week progresses, I am working daily on laundry.  Last night while eating tacos, some of the grease from the taco meat dripped onto the cowl neck of my sweater.  Immediately I sprayed SHOUT to the spot and placed the sweater into the wash machine.  I washed it 4 times to get the spot out.  My wash machine is not spinning out the excessive amount of water.  hum.  The machine may be needing some work done on it.

With all the laundry I am doing, I may have worn the machine out.  We've had this particular appliance for 8 years without any work done on it.  hummmm.  Now isn't a very good time for it to need work done.  No time is, but it happens.  I'm wanting so badly to get caught up on the laundry.  I may not get my wish.  Shall see.  

AS I WAS DRIVING THE COUNTRYSIDE, I saw a Bald Eagle sitting in a field amongst the snow filled ground.  A rare sight to see where I live.  Beautiful sight to see.  Beside him was another type of eagle.  I should have stopped and took a picture of this unusual sight.     

Our day was a pleasant one.  Medical appointment in the afternoon, early supper, Hobby Lobby stop, Hardware stop and then HOME.  Bitter cold outside.  So ready for SPRING.  

I have hopes of getting more laundry done, organizing the closet before the week-end.  When this is done, I'll organize the main closet.  Organize the food pantry and under the kitchen sink. When I get all of this done, the Winter Cleaning will be finished before Spring cleaning comes.  

I'm day dreaming of SPRING.

About 55 days.  

Won't that be wonderful.  

Amen.

~d

SPRING!!!!

I'M GIDDY.  Looking out the Kitchen window, the Lilac Bush is covered in small green leaves.  A tell-tale sign that Spring is here.  In about month, lovely fragrant lavender colored blossoms will permeate all over the bush and I will be in awe at how beautiful it will be.  I think a hedge of Lilacs along the back yard would be gorgeous.  Hum.  Think I'll check into this.

In late May, I will have to trim the Lilac branches back. The Day Lily leaves are shooting up through the grass. Irises are starting to show their green leaves in the long flowerbed that needs cleaned out.  Spring has sprung and I LOVE IT.  

I started thinking about planting bushes in the front flowerbed by the front porch.  Sometime in May, I believe I need to bite the bullet and get some bushes to put this thing to rest.  I've debated several years as to what to plant.  I've got to get on with it and get some planted.

We went to town early on this fine Spring day after I phoned the Surgical Center that told me to contact my Optometrist about the medicines stinging my operative eye.  I place two different eye drops in my operative eye and last night when I did this before bed, the eye stung so bad I about cried.  The last few days, the drops have stung very badly.

The Optometrist visited with me and told me to place the drops in the fridge which would probably calm down the meds before dropping some in my eye.  I'm healing nicely and look forward to getting the other eye operated on next week.  The difference in the eye sight should equal out when not wearing my glasses it won't be so drastic a difference in the eye sight.  This will help as this past week with my bad eye's vision drastically improving, the difference is very annoying.  

I still have to visit the Optometrist later in the week as he has to take some measurements so back I will go.

Today was an unexpected visit, but since we were out and about we traveled over to Manhattan for some shopping before Hubby's labs were to be done.  MENARDS first then we went to HAPPY HIPPY for my First Day Of Spring ACAI bowl.  Then off to the doctor's office for Hubby's labs.

JR WATKINS has a shampoo and conditioner that I want to try.  Aloe and Green Tea.  I haven't seen these before.  Big first for me.  Picked some up.  With having no shower I shampoo my hair at the Kitchen sink which has a spray hose and it gets my hair very clean.  I'm not suppose to lean over due to cataract surgery so I will have to make a hair appointment to get a shampoo next Friday, Saturday or Monday so my hair will be clean before the second eye surgery.  I won't be able to try the new shampoo until I can lean over after recovering.

Hubby fasted for labs so we went straight to IHOP for a meal afterwards then to the grocery store for veggies and fruit.  Aldi's was included.  By this time I was winding down and ready to rest.

I have given it a great deal of thought what I should be doing to get through the days in small-town America.  With wanting to get in better shape, I will begin a walking campaign after I have healed up from the eye surgeries.  Thinking this can take place in April.  

Daily walks just like taking meds.  I have to do this.  If my days were more structured, I believe I could get so much more done than I have been.

Walk up.
Bathroom break.
Wash hands.
Put a load of laundry in machine.
Take Thyroid meds.
Comb hair.
Wash face.
Brush teeth.
Figure day.
Get walking clothing on plus shoes.
Take out for quick walk.
Come home and cool down.
Fix hot tea to drink.
Place laundry in dryer.
Freshen up.
Devotion.
Paperwork, Book Keeping.
Bed made.
Rest.
Place potatoes in small oven to bake for lunch.
Cleaning chore.
Lunch.
Clean-up.
Quiet Time/REST.
Jack LaLanne program.
CHORE.
Supper prepared.
Supper.
Clean-up.
EVENING OFF.
Bath/groom.
Bedtime.

Sounds so simple and that's the way I need it right now in my life, SIMPLE.

Newest item bought for the Kitchen in food prep is this handy dandy Box Grater.  I haven't had one before.  It was TIME.  After watching videos about food prep, I was ready to get one.  A great addition.  Now to grate some cabbage and zucchini for some Polish Dishes for weight loss.

WE WATCHED a very good movie, THE EXPRESS about the Ernie Davis Story being the first black Heisman Trophy Winner .  

Also an Agatha Christie movie, Murder Is Easy.

I was relieved that both were clean movies with a very good story line.  Family FRIENDLY with decent language and not too much skin showing.  ABSOLUTELY NO F BOMBS DROPPED.  

Since it was the first day of SPRING, I was encouraged to have a Lunch Salad with a evening meal of a Baked Potato with Spaghetti Sauce plus Cottage Cheese on top.  Steamed Broccoli on the side. 

Water and Unsweetened Iced Green Tea to drink.

A super good start to continuing eating clean and healthier.

Okay.  I'm off and running.
Spring is here and I am overjoyed.

~d

  

BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY INTO MONDAY

SPRING IS IN THE AIR.  WEATHER IS A TAD BIT COOLER THAN I LIKE, but I'll manage.  Can't wait until I can go for a short walk after I heal up from eye surgeries.  I don't dare walk with my vision the way it is right now.  If I tumble I'll be in trouble.  On the bright side, THE SUN IS SHINING!!!  No wind.  Praise God.  Tis a gorgeous day for the start of SPRING.  Spring 2024 comes this TUESDAY. 

PLANNING FOR THE WEEK TO COME.  I have to find out if Missouri Grandson has a GRANDPARENTS DAY at his school.  The calendar is filling up.  The month of April is full of medical appointments, Track and Field.  The month of May will be full of track and graduations. I need to go see my 91 year old mom who recently moved to IOWA sometime soon as I haven't seen her since last Summer.  Makes my heart sink.

I got a bit weepy today thinking about her not being in Marion anymore as I have been going to Marion since before I was born.  That'd be 69 years.  I told my hubby that after I heal up I want to take a day trip to Marion and Newton for old time's sake.  Sentimentally yours. 

The month of May will have a High School Graduation,
two Middle School Graduations,
maybe a Grandparents Day,
Track and Field Meets and State,
maybe doctors appointments.

This sitting around is harder than I care for.  I need to bask in it, but my thoughts are super active.  HAPPY THOUGHTS.

I believe I will share more recipes this week to help me with less time actually typing on the keyboard.  That's the plan and I'm sticking to it?  SHALL SEE.  

Not sure I will even decorate this season before Easter/Resurrection Sunday due to limited activity.  No bending.  No lifting.  No water in the eye.  This makes washing my hair difficult.  This too shall pass.

~d

 

HAPPY SPRING

MOVING A FEW THINGS OVER TO THE COTTAGE EVER SO OFTEN has been a different kind of move for me.  I know full well that the COTTAGE will remain a FIXER UPPER until we have completely turned loose of the MAIN HOUSE.  I have no way of knowing when this will be as it is a slow process for us as we remodel the bathroom, thin out belongings, go through boxes full of surprises, find new places for our things, downsize and have medical appointments left and right.  

Some plants have migrated to the COTTAGE.

African violet in the Kitchen for now.  

She seems to like the lighting in here and is profusely blooming for me to enjoy her beauty.

SO MUCH IS STILL SITTING OUT.

HUGE MESSES await to be dealt with.  

ANOTHER BOX OF KITCHEN UTENSILS TO PUT AWAY.  This should be exciting.

On the front porch for the time being.

 

MAKING THE MOST OF IT,

~d