weekends are too short ...

 where to begin?

Some mornings King Charles and I have coffee in the rear gardens.

Eventually I want to put a proper firepit there.

The other morning, he wanted to be rocked like a baby on the front porch, but he didn't want to pose for a selfie.

Moving had become a slow, day-to-day process that I finally finished Monday evening.  My knee can only take going up and down the stairs before it starts to swell, and then I'm done for the day.

I've driven more in the month of July than I have in the previous four years.

Even slower than the packing to move out has been the unpacking process.

But I do have something hung on a wall, so that is progress

At the end of the day, it still feels good to be home.

coming up for air ...

 As you can see, everyone is hard(ly) at work unpacking.

Although, to give the cats credit ~ Gracie (on the left) is at least diligently patrolling for mice.  I found what was left of one in the hallway early one morning.  Ever so grateful that I had turned on the hall light on my way to the loo.  Stepping on the remaining innards, hind feet, and tail would have certainly woken up the entire county.  I'm certain it was her because she lived a semi-feral life in the Michigan Upper Peninsula prior to living with me.

"Some" of us work harder than others.

I was amazed at how well the buffet upcycle goes with the wall color.  

King Charles on his throne, surveying his kingdom one rainy morning while I had my coffee.

I should have the last of my stuff out of the previous toxic residence tomorrow, and then will have the challenging task of finding places to put it all.  Or not.  I'm currently making good use of some extra-large trash bags, rather indiscriminately.  A box for items to sell, another for items to donate.

💚Ci

Home...

Charlie and I have been doing this thing for the past month and a half.

Yesterday, I finally signed the papers.

This is our new home.

Say hello to The Roxy. 

It is a flipped house, here is what it looked like before:

She was built in 1922 ~ just in time for flapper dresses and the Roaring Twenties.

She is a one-bedroom house, perfect for us, and in a community with a lot of art events and creativity.

Yesterday I hung some curtains, got the internet hooked up, all of the utilities put in my name, a window shelf unit in the kitchen window for my herbs, and pretty much exhausted myself and Charlie with all the running around.  To be fair, Charlie was mostly bored but did perform some excellent guard dog duties when the internet guys showed up.

I will post more pictures eventually, but the next two weeks will be super busy as we move from one house to another.  At least this will be the last time I ever have to move (willingly).

💚 Ci

Saturday ...

 This is the front porch cabinet that Brenda found for me.  It did have glass panes in the "window" door, but Joey took those out for me so I could put chicken wire in. I added the legs and the twig handle also.

 I might take the glass panes and try a reverse layered painting project on them, but will have to think it out first.  My Aunt Linda used to make them, and I used to have one of hers that was lost in Wisconsin.

 Fingers crossed that I will sign the closing papers on the house on Wednesday and start moving in that day.

 Once everything is signed and final I will share a photo.

where does time go?

 ... like the wind at times.  Fast.  Silent.  Loud.  Or slow.  Always changing.

Sometimes I measure summer by the flowers ... we've recently started the chicory season.

Daisies bloom after the spring early bloomers.  I love driving along the country roads here and seeing their white petals and yellow smiling faces.

They are followed by black-eyed Susans, bright yellow petals whose name always makes me think of my Alaska cousin, Sue, and her mom, also Sue.

Chicory, tall, multiple flowers on the stem, seem to be waving in a 4th of July parade with their blue flags along the road.

I am hopefully a week away from having a dream realized, and can't wait to share it with the few who find me here.

In the meantime, I'm continuing to purge and pack and convince myself that there really is not a shortage of art supplies in the world and that maybe I should share some of my stash.

I'm trying to wrap up some odd projects.  I took some broken plastic designed to look like vintage amber glass out of this small cabinet and put in the chicken wire.  It was going to be for art supplies after the move, but since I'm trying really hard not to become a hoarder ... it might just become a cabinet in the mud room for cat and dog food, treats, and cat litter.  Cold weather gear like hats and gloves.  Charlie's coats.  Laundry supplies.

This weekend I'm going to put chicken wire in a small cabinet for the front porch that Brenda found for me, and maybe have to find a magnet closure for it since the door tends to come open.  It will be a seasonal decor cabinet that will get solar fairy lights, the baby fairy & mushroom I got at Pence Flea Market, and some other little found treasures.  I did get a twig-shaped handle for it today that Joey said he would put in.  Pictures soon of that one.

Have a safe 4th if you are celebrating, and be sure to protect your pets if they are afraid of idiots on the loose with fireworks.  Keep your pets inside!

💚 Ci