EVERY LITTLE THING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT

I love to start out posts with a pretty picture and I think this is something you just have to make up your own mind about.  Southwestern Michigan in March.   I personally like green fields  and sunny skies, and even more so, a crisp and colorful landscape in the fall.  Waxing poetic, I believe each season prepares us for the next.  And in this wide open country, I always drink in the vastness, and am grateful...this somewhat city girl.

We went to the lake on Saturday...Friday proved to be a little busy.  Too bad, Saturday was cloudier and colder and I was so not in the mood to see what had become of the lakehouse after 2 weeks of the "cleaning up pro's" there.

It looks like a new construction doesn't it?  In reverse.  First, this crew did a fabulous job...everything was swept and clean, a few pieces of furniture they didn't move (why...not sure) covered in heavy plastic.  No drywall dust which would have kept me outdoors for sure with my breathing issues, and gigantic fans working overtime to continue drying the house out.  Everything is on generators...no electricity.  

This is a skeleton of my kitchen and the hall on the other side.  I know it's confusing and I won't elaborate on what is where.  But remember me telling you my kitchen was not effected by water damage?  No such luck, a lot of water seeped through and under the wall from the hall that received so much of the damage.  So that's what you see on the mid-left.  The floors in the kitchen were removed, as were all of the floors in the house.  We had thought these floors were saved.

Wow...walls that separated the rooms we lived in for 25 years, gone.  Upstairs, the damage was so bad, I hesitated walking there.  All of the floors were gone and replaced temporarily with plywood.  A big U-Haul van had taken all of our furniture and belongings the week before.  It was our job to inventory, but I wasn't sure how to do that with nothing there.  I guess if you had a fire you would have to rely on memory as well, and that was pretty much what our instructions were.  It was difficult.  The Husband couldn't get to the garage as there was no electricity and sadly no sun that day.  Lots of damage there, so he has to go back.  

I'm trying to remember things I had on my walls, collectibles (thank you, Rita).  What, how many, from where, what did I pay?  Very confusing.  Answers will come,  I'm trying not to freak.  I have been having hives really bad.  I've never had them this bad before but I'm prone to them emotionally.  I'm scratching like a maniac and can't find a remedy.  And tension headaches.  We don't usually have a single bottle of pain reliever in the house...The Husband and I never have anything like these sort of headaches.  And I hit the Tums almost every night when my mind (and stomach) shift into 4th gear.

Still, I try to concentrate on the positive.  I've made a Pinterest board just for this "project", and since The Husband just doesn't get Pinterest, I have bought a few magazines to show him ideas.  I need to look at paint samples and flooring options.  I have plenty of time but loose ends are my demise.

A little trivial info.  The two homes to just the left (west) of us have been up for sale for a good bit of time.  They both just recently sold in the past few weeks.  I find that sort of ironic...new beginnings and new friends all around.  I just don't know when we will be back in to meet these new people.  Patience, Jane.  Patience. 

 

I needed some stress free time on Sunday after a two hour drive to the lakehouse on Saturday...two hours of crappy work, a brief 1/2 hour with Susie, and then another 2 hour drive home.  I made cookies like a madwoman.  

We made impromptu plans to visit Kevin, Mary Clare and baby Elsie on Sunday.  It was so fun.  We ordered a pizza, The Husband and I took turns holding our baby, and she did nothing more than have the hiccups.  The girl is maintenance free...at least while we're there.  I think she is such a combo of her mom and dad.  We'll see.  I love our visits.  And Chicago pizza is always good. :)

I made these cookies before we went...simple sugar cookies and I've given you the recipe before...the same old from the baby shower and then the marathon for my niece.  I made a very sweet (and tart) Key Lime icing/filling, and using various size cookie cutters, made layered cookies.  And I brought these to Kevin and MC's, as they are not safe here in my clutches!!

I have to ask for some healing thoughts, good karma, prayers for my Milo.  I've never mentioned but he's been having seizures for the past three years.  They happen about once every few months and are brief.  He's been having them very frequently lately, and it's very upsetting.  They last so much longer and they seem to happen at night.  I think dogs are very much creatures of habit, so he gets very agitated at night now, as if he expects one to happen.  It breaks my heart.  I do my best to help him weather through each seizure, we hold him tight, whisper words of comfort and just try to be there for him.  These are just gut wrenching and painful to see.  No cure or treatment unless we want to drug him...so we are just dealing with each horrible episode one at a time. 

Whoa...too much bad stuff here!  But no...good things always. That's the way I have to see things or I would go nuts.  I am working out hard, physically...The Husband made a great little work-out room in Abby's old room (and the future guest room).  He likes to lift weights some nights here, and go to the gym other nights to do laps.   I've been doing a DVD I love and it's all about cardio and strength training.  I'm not always so good about it...believe me, sometimes I can't even walk by the door of that room!  But I have my son's wedding in 5 months and I want to look my best.  How about some prayers for that?!  Yes, I know a smile is the best thing you can wear, but I smiled through the last two weddings and still don't like to look at the pics! Ha!

Truly, things are good here.  We can have so many bad things thrown at us, but I feel a sense of clarity.  It's life with all of it's ups and downs. We need to keep the important things in perspective...health, love, family, peace on earth and happiness for all.  

Happy Almost Spring to All of You!!

Jane xx