Little by little.....

It's weird, but I feel like I have no reason to blog
since I'm not living in my previous home anymore,
and posting the projects that we worked on.

I did buy a new bed and a little antique table.
Don't look at the decorating...I just plopped a lamp
on there until I get everything situated.


Here's a closeup

Isn't the table cute?? I paid only 25 bucks for that puppy!

A teensy baby step toward replinishing all my
belongings that I sold to the woman who
purchased our home.

She just loves her new old home, and called again
to thank me for selling her the house and all the goodies.

I remember feeling that way, so
excited about the house when we first moved in.
I'm happy for her....most of the time..lol

We are currently renting a place that is decorated in the
early 90's motif. I know..I know..lol
Think mauve and vertical blinds. But, it's a beautiful
custom home if you can look past the decorating.
It's got all the bells and whistles, a laundry/craft
gift wrap room with a 9 foot counter, corner jacuzzi tub
in the master bath, an unbelieveable walk-in closet,
and a 3 car garage that Pookie is in love with.
(He didn't even have a garage at the old place)

It holds his Packard, with room to spare.

Excuse that picture...but Pookie walked up behind me whilst
I was doing this post and he said..."Hey, why don't you add the
picture of the Packard??? They would enjoy that!!!"

Earth to Pookie....lol

The property is on 1/2 acre and it's gorgeous.
You know this excites the Lawn Nazi in me.

Here's the Pookster, talking to his mama(he's a good son)
and bbq'n this afternoon with Ziggy waiting
for something to drop. His usual M.O. lol


I mean really.....look at that lawn!!




And a welcoming entrance.


Everytime I walk thru all 5400 sq ft of it, I think....ohhhh, if
I just changed this or that....it could be soooo pretty!
Who knows.....as we wait to
hear if we go to Colorado or not....you never know what we
might do.

It's a crap shoot..lol

Maybe...........

When we were in the title company last week
signing away our home, I was thinking....
maybe we shouldn't sell.

Maybe Mike should retire like he's
been promising me for the last 6 years.

Then, maybe we could stay in the old Victorian
(aka Vicky) we love so much, and not
have to relocate due to his job.

Maybe.

I feel sick today.

Maybe it's because we made a mistake?

Maybe it's because I ate my #6
from Mi Ranchito
(2 beef tacos, rice & beans) too fast?

Maybe I have a kink in my intestines???.....

Maybe I picked up something from the woman at
the title company that was coughing.....

Maybe.

Maybe I'll find happiness
in a new home that needs our love and care.

Maybe I just need some time??


Maybe

A LOVE STORY

I thought I'd take a second today to give tribute to
the long journey that our home has taken, since it
was built in 1893.























The only original picture that I know exists is this one.



I always wondered who's the kid that was sitting on the fence?

It was a pretty big deal to have a picture taken back in 1893.
So, maybe he was a neighbor that couldn't resist all the excitement???









Here is a closer shot of that picture.


The man who built this house, was Oscar M Booth.
And, this was his family.

Thank you Oscar. Ya done good!











Since we began with the renovation, we have
found a couple of very old marbles, some love letters
and some really old things that were stuck in nooks
and crannies in the walls...but more on that later. :0)

I don't know much of the history between that
original picture and this one.....the infamous BEFORE picture.
















After the first year of working non-stop on the
interior, I begged Pookie to please, please, PLEASE
build the porch. I couldn't take the ugly exterior
anymore.

And so he started on it.

Thank you pookie!
















It looks just as good in the winter......




















As it does in spring and summer.....























We were so busy during the last 6 years that sometimes I
forgot to stop and take pictures.
Darnnit!
I regret that now, but I
was usually covered in concrete or paint spatter,
or was otherwise occupied holding something up for Pookie
while he did the attaching part.


One very vivid memory that I will never forget happened
in the spring of 2007.

I was awakened at about 7:00 am, one Monday morning.
Ziggy was going crazy......barking, running up and down the
stairs......barking...barking....barking. (He is not a barker)

Well, if you know me, you know that I believe 7:00 only comes
once a day....at night..lol
I'm not a morning person.
So, I get up....all cranky because Ziggy woke me up...
and I hear this sound....

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...moooooooo...MOOOOOOOOOOOO MOOOOOOOOOO

moooooooooooooo.MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I thought, what the???????
I looked out the window and there was a herd.....
and I don't mean one or two....
I mean a FREAKING herd of cows in my front yard!!!!

They were all the way over to the right,
at the end of the vinyl fence where
we also had some temporary chicken wire fencing up that ran
along the street that helped support my rose bushes.

So this herd of cows, the mamas and the babies, about 25 in all,
were wedged there and apparently didn't know how to back up.??

They were in a panic, to say the least.

There was also a crowd gathering near my front porch.

All the neighbors didn't want to miss the action.

Poor cows, they were just beside themselves. MOOOOOOOOOOOing
and MOOOOOOOOOOOOOing.....and pooping!

Another thing I learned that morning was that cows don't just poop
and it plops to the ground.

OH NO......it's liquid-sprayed-out-poop!
And, it was now covering my vinyl fence, my lawn and the other cows to the rear.

Then the police arrived...animal control and the sheriff himself.
They all tried to assess the situation, but nothing changed..

The MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOing and the fence ramming
and poop spraying continued.

Then, about 10 minutes later, up rode 2 cowboys on horseback.
Hats, boots, ropes, the whole deal.
And cell phones...lol I thought that was kinda funny.

The cowboys just calmly rode up to the poor freaked out cows,
herded them up and away they went back to their home
about a mile down the road.

True story. :0)

A unique memory for a city girl, wouldn't you say?.

I'll try and post some more tomorrow.
Have a great day everybody!

SOLD

It all started back in November of last year,
when a nice woman, a complete stranger,
walked up the steps and knocked on our front door.
She said she loved our home from the outside,
and would we please, please let her have a tour of the inside.

We actually have quite a bit of people that
ask to see the inside, so we didn't think anything of it.

In she came.

Before she left, she asked if we would sell our home and
made an offer. What she didn't know was that this summer,
we knew there was a possibility that Pookie
would be going back to Colorado
for a big job there that was scheduled to
last at least 2 years.

Knowing this, and knowing that we probably would
be putting the house on the market in the Spring,
we began negotiations and finally came to an
agreement.
Appraisal and inspection went great and soon we were at
2 weeks till closing.

If you remember back late last year,
the mortgage companies were going a little crazy,
and they made some changes in her financing
that she couldn't handle. They wanted more down payment.

So, the deal was off.

I felt bad, but was secretly relieved.
I just wasn't ready to say goodbye yet, even though
I knew we would probably have to the next year.

I wanted one more Christmas in the home that we love!

Well, spring came very quickly, and the house was listed.
We had painted the shingles and the trim so it looks all spiffy.


After just 1 week on the market we had another really good offer.
But, once again, their mortgage company changed
their requirement, and they couldn't swing it.
He was a self employed person, and they wanted him
to be on the job for 2 1/2 years, instead of the the
previous requirement of 2 years.
There's nothing you can do about a time frame.
It either is or it isn't.

Then, 2 weeks ago, we got another couple
that walked up to the door,
and asked if they could see our house.
They'd retired early, and were looking
for a second home near their family in Provo, Utah.

They made an offer that day.
2 days later we had the inspection and appraisal the same day.
Then we left for Colorado for a couple of days.
And we are supposed to close next week.
The realtor said in her 35 years of selling homes,
this is the fastest closing she's ever had.

AND, the buyers want to up the price and buy it fully furnished.
Right down to my sheets and towels, dishes, furniture...
everything.

I am freaking OUT!

Is there such a thing as SELLERS remorse?????????????????

This afternoon I was sitting on my porch, all
by my lonesome and feeling completely overwhelmed.
Right there, rocking in my favorite wicker chair
that I had painted black.



And I sobbed....and sobbed...and sobbed.

Pookie came out looking for me and just stood there and
said, "Bunnie, grab my hand....come off the ledge...it's going
to be ok"

I think it will.

I hope it will.

It's going to take me some time.

What a weekend!

(click on pics to enlarge)

Whew, what a weekend!
Pookie and I were in different places but
we both had a wonderful time.
I love that man more than anything,
but c'mon, a girls gotta have girl time.


Am I right???


As I said in my last post, my niece came for the weekend.
We relaxed, watched movies, stayed in our PJs all day
saturday, ate goodies and laughed and giggled and laughed
and giggled some more.
It was wonderful!



On Saturday night, because it was Saturday night, we were
still in our PJ's and fuzzy socks, and feeling a little
goofy, we went to my jewelry box and put on every single
piece of jewelry that had diamonds.
Then we watched our favorite Tyrone Power movie,
THE LONG GRAY LINE, whilst we were all gussied up.


I mean, really......LOOK at that guy!!
























They just don't make 'em like Tyrone anymore.
We had a great weekend together. Just the three of us. ;0)

Hey, don't you think Pookie looked a little like Tyrone??
Just take away the mustache. Do ya see it?? lol























I know, I know.. but, to me he does. ;0)


The guys came back late Sunday night. A little scratched up, banged up
and the biggest smiles on their faces I've ever seen.

They had gone to Zion National Park in southern Utah
and did a hike called, The Subway.
It's a 12 mile trek that takes you thru all types of terrain.
They hiked, waded thru water, rapelled and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Let me just interject here. I don't understand the whole nature and
hiking thing. I mean, why do that??
Don't they have calendars with all the pretty pictures, already?
It's a mystery to me..lol

Okay, back to the story.
The hike starts before dawn.
You can see a teensy bit of light in the top right corner as they
got their gear ready.

They each have a crazy hat they wear when they go off hiking.
I don't know why...lol























Nate already found some water.
That kid is like a water magnet..lol



Beautiful scenery, isn't it?
See the silly hat?


















And then, things get a little treacherous.


"Okay Nate, you go first, I'm right behind ya"























UP AND OVER























"OKAY UNCLE MIKE, READY?"
























"UH, how deep is this exactly???"

(The water was murky is some deeper spots when the mud
got stirred up with some light rain.)













"SWEEEET!"
They made it!
























After this point, I was told, no pics were taken as they
were all exhausted.

Pookie said he told another guy to take some pics for him
or his wife would kill him.

MOI? lol

Then came the hike out and back to the motel to regroup, eat,
relax and relive their adventure all over again.


On their way home, they stopped at BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK and
took a few pictures right from an easily accessible pathway.

They were all stiff and sore..LOL

Isn't it beautiful????


















This is a view of what's called THE AMPITHEATER.

Doesn't it kinda look like stone people down there??
(The bottom middle area.)

They're called HOODOOS.



















And, an awesome arch.























It was hectic and they were exhausted when they got back home,
so I didn't take any photos.

There are better bloggers out there than me, that would
have captured every moment.

The guys probably would have locked
me in a closet if I tried. lol


But, we all had a great weekend.


And, I hope y'all did too!

What's up for this weekend.

Hi Everybody!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

Tomorrow is a state holiday in Utah.
It's Pioneer Day!
And, it's a big deal here in the Beehive State.
People are all geared up, dressed up and ready
to whoop it up, Utah style.
I won't have my camera, but it's just parades and
stuff down here. You know how I feel about parades..lol

Pookie, my nephew Nathan, and a group of guy friends are
going down to Zion National Park
to hike The Subway.
There's water....there's cool rock formations, etc.
He's taking my camera and has
promised to take pictures or have someone on the hike
do it for me.

Do you hear that Pook???? You promised!

(pics can be enlarged by clicking on them)

Meet Nathan.























Nate just returned in December, from a 2 year mission
to the Philippines.
I'm soooo thankful he's home and safe.
Unlike going into the service where you have some protection,
they just go out into the world, with one other companion,
and it can be a little scary.

I'm staying home because other than the ocean, I don't "do" nature.
If there is a chance for snakes, Gayle won't be attending.
Don't even try.
:0)

Anywho....my niece is coming down for a girls weekend
and I can't wait.
I've made all her favorites. Coconut cake and pineapple
upside down cake.

I also made an apple pie for the guys, at their request.

Not to worry, I have my little mini Hostess 100 calorie
cupcakes with the white squiggle across the top.
I'm on it!

Meet Miss Blair. Aka Blair bear, Miss Blairsy, Princess B.














































She got married a couple of years ago, but still comes down
to visit her Auntie Gayle.
Her hubby, Josh, is a sweetheart
and lets her whenever she needs some girlie time.

Thank you Josh. :0)

Blair and Nathan are very close, which I'm thankful for. They
lived with us for quite a few years, so I feel like they're mine.

Brother and sister share a hug right after Blair got married.


















I'm prepared with our favorite girlie movies.
Moonstruck, The Wedding Singer, Fools Rush In, and
anything with Tyrone Power in it.(We loooove Tyrone!)

All the goodies are lined up.


















Hmmmm, somebody already cut into the apple pie.
That was supposed to be for Nathan too!!



And the silly pj's and fuzzy socks are waiting.

Blair gets the polka dots, and I get the stripes.
(If Ziggy will relinquish them)


















I can't wait for the weekend to start!

Everybody out there in blogland, have a wonderful weekend!!


UPDATE on the diet:
4.2 lbs and counting. YEAH BABY!

We're back!

Tis a mystery no more.

:0)


He took me to our favorite spot in the United States.
Cambria / San Simeon, California!!

It's quiet. It's peaceful. It's romantic. It's got stunning scenery
everywhere you turn and great little shops on Main Street in Cambria.
Uh hello? What more could a girl ask for!!

I didn't take pictures on the way, as there is nothing thrilling
about that part.


I'm going straight to the good stuff!

This is a view of the ocean, obviously, but it is the view
we had right outside our room.



















Oh how I had missed hearing the waves breaking and the seagulls.
And, that great ocean smell.
There is nothing like it.

We used to go to Monterey & Carmel when we lived in California,
but it just got sooooo crowded that one vacation we decided to
venture south and we found this little town, Cambria.

Now, darn it, I forgot my camera when we went into town.
And I was having so much fun I didn't
want to go back to the hotel.

Ah.....the hotel.
It was wonderful!!

Here's a little snapshot of the path you walked down to the
beach from our back patio /french doors.


























The hotel we stayed at is very doggie friendly,
and there was a nice lawn area you
could go out to and Ziggy could be a dog.

Of course, we always "make the pick" so
other people could enjoy it too, without watching where they step.



When we checked in, Ziggy got a little bag of doggie treats and
his own beach towel. lol
He also had his picture taken!
They have a bulletin board of all the pets that have
accompanied their owners during their stay, and it's really sweet.


Of course, he couldn't WAIT to get to the beach!


HI EVERYBODY!!!!!





C'mon Dad.....get the lead out!!


(see the plastic bag hanging out of Pookie's back pocket?
He's always prepared...lol)

We enjoyed just goofing at the beach for the rest of that day.


We walked along, holding hands and
forgot about everything else.
We watched the sunset. It was spectacular..and you could
hear everyone clapping when it turned orange and pink.
Pure bliss!

And yes, I took a picture, but it didn't turn out! :0(

Then it was off to dinner.
We had an excellent BBQ dinner
from this little restaurant on Main street.

They have THE best brisket I've ever had. Really....
the BEST brisket I've ever had. :0)

I actually managed to stay on my diet...(pretty much)
More on that tomorrow!

The next day we got up, sat out on our patio and enjoyed
a wonderful breakfast while listening to the ocean.

There is nothing like breakfast when you're on vacation.
Am I right????!

It's weird......I almost NEVER have breakfast
when I'm home.
But, when I'm on vacation, it's a must. I look
forward to it and I must have it!

Go figure. lol


After breakfast it was off to a certain beach,
a little north of San Simeon.

Elephant Seal Beach.
What a sight to see!

Those seals are so silly.

They lay out in the sun and every once in a while,
they'll flip up sand on themselves to cool off.
Roll over....bark at each other.....then they'll
flip some more sand....lumber off back to the water,
and do it all over again.

See all those lumps along the beach??? Those are the Elephant Seals!




They are HUGE, but it's amazing how fast they can move
when they want to.


Hey fella. Say CHEESE!



And, there is always the cute little critters that come up
to say hi and get a little goodie from you.

We didn't go to Hearst Castle this time,
as we've been quite a few times before.

We just relaxed, smooched, ate, shopped and slept in. :0)

This is a pretty lighthouse that was nearby.


And, before we knew it, it was time to leave for home.

Bye bye Lighthouse.
Bye bye cute seals and squirrels.
Bye bye Ocean.

The trip home was uneventful, which can be a good thing.

Pookie is always good to stop for me.

At every outlet mall, every antique shop and
nearly every In-N-Out burger on the way. lol

Before you knew it, we were back home.

When we arrived, I went out to check on
the flowers in the front yard, and this beautiful creature
was there to welcome us home.

Can you see it???


What a wonderful time we had.

:0)

Woooohoooo. A surprise!

"Ziggy....WAKE UP!"

















"Dad just called from work and says he's got
a surprise for us!!"



Oh....this is just what I needed!
I'm so excited.
Pookie is very good at keeping
secrets....the little butthead.



C'mon...C'mon. The time is dragging by.





"Where is the surprise?? There's nothing up here!"




















"MAMA, I SEE HIM!! HE'S PULLING IN THE DRIVE WAY!

And, there's something next to him in the front seat!"


























Oh, my, these are so pretty.
And they smell wonderful!



















And, a brand new chew bone for Ziggy!

The deluxe beef flavored rawhide with the
knots at the ends. His personal favorite.

(He's already taken it upstairs to hide it..lol)

Ah Pook,
You're the best!!!



What...wait.... there's more you say????























Pack my bags, enough for 4 days.???
Casual only.



And, that's all the information I got!!
I have no idea where we're going.

We leave tomorrow morning.

Wooohoooo!

Have a great weekend everybody and I'll have
pictures when I get back!

Keep Smiling!

Gayle