Welcome Summer

Sunday, May 26, 2024 AD (in the year of our Lord) Memorial Day weekend... 

My most favorite time of the year is here.

Three cheers for SUMMERTIME!!!

This year has been even harder than the last couple, but I am ready for summer and all the hope that it holds. Summer is to me the time you let your hair down and follow the schedules more loosely which is a lot for a planner ---schedule loving lady.

Last week, I didn't know which way was left or right or up or down. Jeff was completely undone with the nail situation. The roofers did an awful job with cleaning up their mess. The roof looks great and I am happy AND I know nails are part of the process, BUT I don't think the number of nails that I have found or the TWO that ended up in Jeff's feet are normal. Yes, you read 2 right! I am pretty sure he was feeling cursed. I think the family is in a state of shock with life these days. It was not what we planned. About 5 weeks ago, our pastor did a 3 part series on Job. Never was a series more appropriate than one on Job. Now, Job had more issues than we have had and I am not making light of that at all, but we have felt the squeeze of life lately. I decided I would listen to it again because I feel like I was a little numb then. I got part one done last night.

Jeff's surgery is tentatively planned for June 14th, so we will move on to happier topics.

I had multiple boys last week hence my craziness. I know that being a grandma is one of the greatest joys of life, but I was tired by Friday afternoon. It was as much as a mental tiredness as anything, because when they left I had a burst of energy and worked for a couple of hours in my sewing room trying to declutter.

Decluttering is the new buzz word for trying to unload our spaces of too much stuff... 

I did clear out a few things and tidied up, but I really need to dig deeper.

Here is my partial picture of what left the room and has already made it to the donation site. The inspiration for showing you what left came from Becki of Field Lilies.

Much much more needs to leave. I really do need to downsize because I feel like the time will come when we downsize the home and I do not want to move as much as my current home holds:)

The sewing room looks much nicer and I wonder (I mean, I really wonder) why I can't keep it neat and tidy all the time.

The shelves are organized and I am still going to go through the bins on the top shelf and make them lighter.

I unloaded a ton of ribbon in the last 2 sorts in there and I still have so much. What was I thinking? I do not allow myself to look at ribbon anymore although I did buy some Christmas ribbon this past December. Remember I changed a lot of it to green around the house. Oh my...it's a problem. No more!!!

I tidied the desk area and really purged a good bit in the cabinets. I had to laugh out loud at Lindsay in there on Friday afternoon. She picked up the boys and I told her I was going to declutter the room. I mentioned I might unload the bunnies on the shelves. I made them many summers ago and they were always in my classroom on top of the old fashioned file cabinets. Anyway, Tucker immediately said, "No, Mimi, I like the bunnies. Don't get rid of them." Lindsay began opening the cabinets and was struck by the number of buttons I had. I told her I planned to go through and just pick some out that I might need for mending. She just shook her head and grabbed one the containers and said, "Mom, you do NOT need to go through these, just grab handfuls and throw them away!" She was alarmed that I would even spend time going through them. She should know better. I did downsize them A LOT, but I went through them. 

Then she saw the amount of pens and pencils I have (all left over from school years) and she was like, "Mom, I have 3 pens at the house and I completely fine." I felt encouraged to bag them up and donate as well. I kept way more than 3 though. I am not going to get rid of them and have to go buy them later. Ha!

I think I need her around to shame me more. She hit me up the number of books downstairs too. I have pulled out some of them to take out on my next visit.

I am also trying to sell one of my sewing machines. I haven't had much luck yet. I really need to join some sewing groups on Facebook Marketplace so maybe it will be seen. I never really loved the new fancy thing and prefer my older one. 

I cleared off my counter somewhat. This is where the laying stuff happens and then it drives me mad. Like right now is the stack of stuff that I have been using for tutoring. I also mentioned getting rid of the clothes basket below. It is from the late 50's... why is it so hard to get rid of old stuff?

I really have made a dent in these cabinets too. They were stuffed to the gills at one point.

Here is one cabinet that I have lightened up some...

Oh the buttons! The original container is gone and the top portion of the other container now holds my buttons and all the specialty items I might use on a cross stitch finish are in the larger container.

Lindsay did come back by yesterday on the boat, but I didn't show her my progress. I would work on the sewing room and then work outside on the many things I need to do there as well. 

She took the boys on a paddleboat ride around the bayou. 

Did I say love summer?

Jeff and I took a boat ride - a slow one with no bouncing today.

Captain Gus led the way.

I didn't capture much in photos today, but here's a southern home on the water. Everything is all green and lush in summer.

A good view of ours with the new roof. 

Here is Gus cooling off upon the return.

Hard to keep him out of the water.

I have much yard work to do and am about to go make us a summer supper. There will be play interspersed with lots of need to do chores this summer.

I do plan to visit the beach as often as I can and continue sitting on the deck each day. I truly hope I can soak up as much goodness as needed to get me through the harder times.

Throw in a good book and a little stitching and count my blessings,

Sandy

Quick Update

 Very quickly updating you on surgery date for Hubby. It got postponed until June 14th. He stepped on a nail (the one place I had not checked for nails) and it got infected. Just the normal things at the Palmer household. 

I have not been able to even answer any comments since it is the last week of school here and I have had multiple grandsons at the house each day. 

I will be back in a couple of weeks, but my little prayer warriors pray for June 14th.

The Busy and Merry Month of May

 As promised from the last post...pictures of the new roof. They are not the final product, but all I have at this time. It has been a wild time getting it done. Taking the tile off and then roofing took 4 long days. I was so overstimulated with the noise and having Miles and Gus. I needed a completely quiet existence to get over it. I haven't had it, so I am not sure I have come down from my elevated state. Coupled with the crazy storms that have come through and more to come, I feel a bit off.

Our Internet went down for 2 full days and then spotty coverage for an additional day meant Jeff didn't have TV. Taking a TV from a man is whole other level of something. Not sure what, but something. Therefore, no pretty pictures yet.

I will share what I have and then move on with a promise of better ones down the road. 

I love the new look. It is so different from the old and in a good way. Now, the key is does it hold up through hurricanes and last 40 years? It won't the latter, but I do hope it holds up to the winds and let's just hope it doesn't get tested!!!

Even the boathouse got a matching new roof.

 The next picture is the back before they were done, but you get the idea. 

It is a noticeable change and we are very happy. They still have to come change out the 2 skylights since they weren't a standard size and had to be special ordered. What a surprise! (and yes, I am being sarcastic, since most things in this house are not standard sizes- $$$)

Jeff got into the neurosurgeon this week and that was a good thing. We had a connection who has helped make all this happen. Jeff has suffered so much since January. He has a high tolerance for pain so I know it has been bad because I have felt the stress.

The neurosurgeon called us into his office and shared the MRI images and explained things so well and thoroughly. He didn't push surgery but all was so clear to me. Jeff slept on it and called back the next morning to get put on the surgery list. I am sure there was a cancellation because it has been scheduled for next Friday, the 24th. The area around that nerve is so clearly clogged and a loose piece is probably causing the in and out of severe pain. That is probably a bone spur that has broken off. 

The date all hinges on getting his EKG done in time. Remember if you are past a certain age, you have to have one before a surgery. Praying it all flows smoothly and we can get this behind us.

All of the above meant changing care over to the neurosurgeon from the orthopedic doctor who was going the very slow cautious method which we normally would want, but after seeing the MRI and knowing the stenosis is severe I think Jeff (and me too) felt it better to get it done now rather than later. 

Time has been so limited because I am just caring for so many so I need it all to work or I am going to be down.

I have started a new stitch which I will share next time and read another Karen Kingsbury book called Madly, Truly, Deeply. I just needed some inspiration for reading. I have 3 books that look promising sitting waiting on me for the day of surgery and summer reading. I am currently reading Imagine Heaven by John Burke. I am enjoying it. It is a compilation of research on near death experiences (NDEs). I have found it very interesting.

A few pictures of the boys....

Palmer is such a boat baby. He has the relaxing down.

Tucker is an official VPK graduate. It was a fantastic year for him.

And a little game of peekaboo with Miles.

I will probably be quiet for a couple of weeks while I try to get this surgery done.

Daylilies, Pillows, and a Roof in May

Hello May! The month of daylilies. 

I love May. For all her beauty in my neck of the woods, it is sometimes rushed over amidst the busyness of the season. When I was teaching May was one of the busiest months of the year. I really try and soak May up these days. 

I will go ahead and say I have visited few blogs in the past 2 weeks or even more. Life is still a little too crazy around here for my taste, but I know I am not alone in that. When things are coming so fast that I can't recover I know I have to pull back and that is what I have done the past couple of weeks. 

I have little to share for stitching or reading. I have been busy with my flowers getting the summer blooms ready and taking in the spring blooms.

The Stellas always arrive first in my front flower beds. These little ones always arrive in April, but the others all wait until May. The pink ones above arrived first in May. 

I knew that if I mentioned my troubles with what to do with the shells stitch, my blog friends would come up with some wonderful ideas. You didn't disappoint. I haven't moved on with a plan for it or hung up the Florida sampler yet, but I have lots of ideas stirring around in the old noggin. Thanks for all your ideas.

I am holding off until school is out and I have some free days to go shopping or do some more Internet surfing, but I think I have some ideas to work with now. 

I also have some ideas for where to hang the sampler. 

I find the older I get and the more crazy life is that home is where I want to be. Quiet and cozy. I love sitting out on the deck, strolling down my neighborhood street watching the birds and looking for little things in nature. 

I rarely change things in my home and do my best to not be lured in to spending money because of things I see. I hadn't bought anything new for the home in ages, but when I saw these pillows....

I knew they would be a perfect addition to my living room couch. 

Now, that they are in there I realized I was pushing the navy too hard. I totally love navy. It is my absolute favorite color and love it paired with Kelly green, bright pinks and of course, burnt orange (War Eagle).

The new pillows add to a soothing look.

Below is the real daily look in case Gus decides to sit on the couch.

Along with all the other stuff going that is not all that blog worthy, we are getting a new roof.

Oh the fun!

We have had red concrete tiles for the 40 years of our home's existence. Red tiles would never have been my choice - honestly Indiana sandstone wouldn't have been my choice for the exterior either. I love Indiana sandstone, but it just doesn't seem coastal. Red tiles probably go well with something other than the stone too.

None of it much matters when you get to look out at the water each day...

The Before...

The tiles look a little less red when they are dirty:)

I do not ever really say, "What were my in-laws thinking?" However, Jeff says, "What were Mom and Dad thinking?"  It is more appropriate for him to say it than me. It was their dream home and it is beautiful...just not my choices. Lindsay always says that time period was crazy in dress and any thing style wise and she is a bit right. The home was built in 1984 and is 40 years old. 

The concrete tiles were billed as a lifetime tile. That is a bit misleading. Let me share a bit of thoughts on that. The roof was not going to get blown away --- it would have taken a lot to blow them away. In watching them remove them this week, it has been quite an ordeal. It appears there was a layer of concrete and then the tiles themselves but they are truly concrete. The ones most put on today are a composite mixture tile. 

That said, the house is a fortress to have held up that much weight all these 40 years, but the studs are on 12 inch centers rather than the usual 14 or 24 of most buildings. Jeff's dad was trying to make it as sturdy as possible. 

The tiles would last forever as long as nothing ever fell on them, but I truly believe if a tree had fallen on them at any point in the 40 years it would have been hard to repair without doing the whole thing over. One strike in my book.

The wood around the edges and around the skylights and started to rot. I have been complaining about the skylights for some time, but Jeff just wasn't hearing me. Over the 5 years we have had 2 roofers over here looking at them and trying to keep them from leaking. Then about 2 weeks ago, it rained really hard and one of them was no longer leaking but pouring. Then almost at the same time, the termites flew in and were swarming. That is common in May here in Florida. You will see them around the lights at night outside. One night they were going crazy by our 2 back doors and one of the doors had a big enough crack they were coming in. All of that got him moving and the roofer was out the next day to let us know if it was time.

We decided it was time. We are not going with the same roof because as I have said they are not really life time tiles and the cost is crazy. Insurance will want them changed again anyway or cancel you.

So.... regular, but highest quality asphalt tiles in a much more muted color is the new roof choice. The house should look totally different. 

It is also not a quick job because of removal of the concrete tiles. Fortunately they have worked in small spaces around the home because we had a line of storms come through today that could have been disastrous. It was not for us. 

Lots of tornadoes in the north end of the county and schools closed up there. I had all 3 grandsons today at different times trying to work around all the mixed up schedules and the roofers though they tried didn't get to work today.

I will share the new look soon. It is going to be really dramatically different. 

Of course all of this will lead to other things... cleaning gutters, repairing the area around the skylights inside where they have leaked for some time. Home ownership seems to always have little tasks to spend money on.

I am grateful to get it done and behind us. We will have a new roof and no leaks. I am also grateful we had no leaks when the line of storms moved in today. It got bad over by Mom's place and several tornadoes in the surrounding areas. 

Hope to catch up soon with all my blogs,

Sandy