deja vu

Yesterday we awoke to snow, falling, sticking. It snowed enough that Ben, Aaron and I went out to play in it.

We found bunny tracks across the snow in our front yard. I put food for the bunnies to find today. Birds and squirrels are finding their food. I've seen a few bright red cardinals.

Yesterday we had a family gathering with Ben's family and mine - Aaron and I cooked for everyone. He made an AMAZING chocolate/carmel/salted cake to celebrate Ben's mom's birthday.  Everyone left full and happy to have spent the afternoon with us in our home.

I surprised my sis by bringing out a huge basket of our childhood comics. We are spending Friday night together with our old comics and toys and having a slumber party! I'm thinking cherry kool-aid and popcorn with BUTTER! It was wonderful to see the look on her face when she realized I'd saved them for us and knew she would love them.

Jess came by today and we hung out together. Love my niece - she is a great person, just like my kids and her brother. We are having family christmas tomorrow to accommodate the kids being here. Cassie will be missed!

All in all - I am loving it here. Course being back in CA last weekend with my friends was awesome too!
It's all wonderful.

If the weather does not keep my flight from taking off, I'll be winging my way back to CA tomorrow!

I have 4 full days planned - with friends, with family, My daughter graduates college on Sat!

I am SO EXCITED. Too bad it looks like I'll be missing the first BIG storm of the winter here. But its OK. Ben will likely document it for me.:-)

When I come back, I'll have my son with me for a week! I ordered a pizza stone and peel and cutter so we can work on our pizza skills! And Ohio family will get to hang with Aaron!

We signed up for this once we got here. Association Holiday dinner (and meeting) was open to the 300 homes or so in this area. We were sure we would be wanting to leave as soon as we got there. We were wrong!

Its pouring rain outside, but the house is so well insulated - I can't hear it sitting here in my office.

Ben is in his office, now painted a DARK brown with dark carpet and black wood desks - his man cave - playing with friends online.

We've managed to get the rooms painted we wanted to change, put in new carpet, get new furniture, set up guest rooms and there is a new hot tub in the enclosed garden room - once potting shed - just waiting for Ben and my brother in law Mark to pull the 150 feet of cable and wire up a new electrical box for it.

Today I finally decided on health insurance and studied for the driver's license test. It will soon be official -

Just talked with both kids. Miss them - but will see them soon at Cas's graduation.
She's graduating UC Davis with 2 majors and a minor. She's applying to law schools.
Aaron was cooking dinner with a friend tonight - steaks in pepper and olive oil.
I can't wait to see them on the 12th!

Soon, maybe this weekend - the rain will turn to snow.

A neighbor found a kitten in her woodpile, another neighbor thought it might be my cat and got me. Of course it was not mine, but I got to find out what one does here when one finds a cat. AND I got to meet a neighbor who is MY AGE! Nancy, who found the cat is awesome and 55. She and I hit it off. She like me finds animals and helps them to find new owners.

I took the cat to my sis's animal clinic and they checked it out, fed it, gave it shots and tests and have it under observation for the weekend. On monday I'll "drop in" and see if I want this new little girl cat or if I feel she should go to another family. (likely)

There, I snagged Beanie, Barb's dog for a playday with Nym. Beanie and Nym played ALL day and into the night.

My sis and Mark came to dinner and I finally got to cook for them. Mexican was the theme including intense margarita's. We all plan on going for a motorcycle ride tomorrow!

I found the "STATE" store and stocked up on liquor. :-)

It's all good. It really is.

I ordered new carpet today for all the bedrooms and Ben's office.
They will start on Tues. By then I should also have received the guest bedroom furniture and Ben's office furniture!
Once the carpet is in , and furniture put together and in place I'LL BE DONE!

Well, I'll still have things I'll want to add to the house, but we will be waiting till spring to do those since they are all outside!

Photos will follow carpet and furniture - I promise.

• Ben and I rode our motorcycles south and east through a bit of Amish country. Hills and curves OH MY!
  
• Finished painting front door "wild currant" - but still to tacky to hang back up.
• Finished painting the halls, the guest bedrooms, the offices, the kitchen, the sun room and entry. (thanks to Pat, Carol and Pete)
• Ordered new office furniture for Ben - I'll be pulling pieces from his office to make mine work better.
• Wired more of the house for TV cable and internet (thanks to Andy and Steve).
• Tomorrow I pick up the last of the family room furniture and talk to the carpet folks about new carpet for Ben's office and all the bedrooms (Ben gets brown, bedrooms get beige)
  
• Put together one of two side tables for our bedroom (they match patty's lights) and have another for living room
• Have an order holding on Overstock for the "couples" guest bedroom - holding out for the bed frame I want.
• Cleaned up the kitchen from the 4 days of painting and home projects
• Fixed the lighting in the entry, sun room

And when all done, I was able to cook dinner and eat with Benny! I have decided to "master" the electric cooktop before pulling it out and replacing it! I did not burn dinner! Hurray!

So you know, I miss

• My kids
• My girlfriends
• Whole Foods (especially the soaps and salad bar)
• Sushi
• Trader Joes (especially the frozen foods)
• San Francisco (in general)
• The beach (even through I did not get there often)
• My kids (again, because I really really wish they could come visit my new home!)
• And all our CA friends - Too many to list y'all - but you know who you are.
  

Yes, I am taking time to enjoy the new house.

Right now I am in the family room, on the new leather sectional  with Abby on my feet watching TV - drinking a fine chardonnay (from CA) and enjoying the peace and quite this space brings me. Ben is with his friend John in his office (next to the family room) but with the doors shut I can't hear them.

It snowed a bit 2 days ago - Ben and I ran into this room and watched the flakes fall. We hugged and kissed and wished for a bit more to fall, but then it warmed up. It's been sunny and warm since. We would go riding, but too much to do to the house.

Today I brought home carpet samples - we picked and they come to measure on Monday.

Ben and his buddy's spent hours under the house rewiring for TV and interent. I hear the crawl spaces are carpeted and well lit!

I think the most amazing part of our being here is having people come to help us . Ben's family was here for 3 days helping us paint. His friends came today to help wire. We are going to an early thanksgiving at Ben's uncle's home. My mom drops in to see what's new and I stop in to her home and take her with for shopping and lunch. My sis and her husband have helped us set up the washer dryer, moved the freezer down stairs etc

We are nesting and I love it.

etc etc etc

I have been buying things for the new home and realized the final touches could be best found on overstock.
I got a rug for the family room and a collection of lamps  - then I thought "why not look for the trundle beds I want for the bunk room?"

Guestbeds_bunkroom