A Quick Update

It's been almost a week now, but yes, we made it and we are moved in! I didn't have internet for a few days, and then it was unloading the pods and getting everything into the house while my son finished three college classes, so it's been a whirlwind of activity in our new house. I'll be updating slowly - there's still much to be done but now that my son is done with the semester and the pods are empty I can work at a slightly slower pace. 

We are so happy in our new home and neighborhood! God has been gracious to us and has provided over abundantly. Can't wait to share all the moving and decorating that's been going on!

 

Week In Review

The saying "Never a dull moment" certainly described this past week. 

Monday was a pretty good day. My back was feeling much better, and I was able to go grocery shopping and get some errands done. My daughter, who hadn't been feeling too well, stayed home from work. The previous week she'd had a stomach bug which no one else in the family caught, so it might well have been food poisoning, but now she had a stuffy nose and sinus congestion. Not unusual for this time of year; it's pollen season in Florida and allergies are running rampant. Others at her job were also sick so she wasn't entirely sure it was just allergies so she decided to stay home. She hadn't slept very well either, thanks to all the congestion. We all figured some rest would do her good.

Tuesday morning she was still all stuffed up and still hadn't slept more than a couple of hours. She decided a trip to the minute clinic was in order; Mucinex didn't seem to be enough. Since she works at a school she also went to get tested for Covid just to be safe. The week before, with the stomach bug, she'd gotten tested twice and both times tested negative. The doctor at the minute clinic told her she had a lot of fluid in her ears and nasal passages, common with bad allergies. He prescribed Zyrtec along with the Mucinex and a round of antibiotics to kill any bacteria that could cause infection. Then she got both the rapid and PCR tests for Covid and came home. About an hour later she got the rapid test result: Positive. Can y'all say panic?! I hate to admit it, but my first thought was, "I'm closing in 10 days, we can't get Covid!" I know I should have been worried for her first, but the truth is she didn't have fever, loss of taste, breathing issues (other than her nose was stuffed up), all her symptoms indicated a simple head cold, not a pandemic virus. The only reason she got tested was because she works at a school. If she'd worked anywhere else she wouldn't have bothered because she'd tested negative twice just a few days earlier. 

Within a couple of hours she got a call from the health department to take down her information. Since she'd also gotten the PCR test which, according to the CDC, is a more accurate test, she asked if it was possible for the PCR to come back negative. "No", she was told, "you can get a false negative but not a false positive. If you got a positive result it's because there's something there and the test detected it." So the quarantining began. We all stayed far from each other, she stayed in her bedroom with a mask, and the three of us went to get tested. All our tests came back negative, praise the Lord. She called her boss, while I emailed my realtor. We prepared for whatever might come.

Wednesday I went back to our old neighborhood - not the one we just moved out of, the previous one. My son has his favorite barber there, and I wanted to go see some friends and the new sanctuary that our church recently inaugurated. I had coffee with my best friend and realtor, then went by our old house to see our neighbor and catch up. It was such a nice day, but the Covid thing was always on the back of my mind. I was praying that my daughter's next test would come back negative even though she'd been told it was unlikely. I also prayed that neither my son E nor I would catch it.

Thursday morning I awoke to glorious news: her PCR test did in fact come back negative. Praise Jesus! I was over the moon thrilled! She was more confused than anything. She called the health department and asked how it was possible that she'd gotten a positive rapid result but a negative PCR. They told her the PCR was the more accurate test, so if it came back negative then the first test was a false positive. She argued that she'd been told she couldn't get a false positive, but this person told her that information was incorrect. Then she spoke to a doctor who said she should get tested again because one of the tests was wrong and the PCR might be the false negative. Honestly, I don't think anyone really knows what's right and what's wrong. By Thursday she was feeling 95% back to normal thanks to the meds the minute clinic doctor had given her. I'm still of the opinion it wasn't Covid; it was a head cold or really bad allergies, and either way it's gone. She's back to her old self, none of us has gotten anything, and we are just thankful that God spared us. Can we still catch the virus? Of course. But I don't dwell on that. We are happy and healthy and for that I'm grateful.

The next few days were project days. I wanted to help my son-in-law out with some to-do's before I left. Thursday and Friday we worked on the laundry room refresh that I posted about last week. Then Sunday I helped him put up window blinds in the dining room. They'd had some old vertical blinds that had yellowed with age and didn't look good at all. The new bright white blinds not only look better, they make the whole room look bigger and brighter. I'm so happy I could do this for them. They've been so good to us, it was the least I could do.

This week is the big week. Lord willing, we close on our house on Friday. I have a virtual walk-thru scheduled for 9:00 am. Since I won't have a mortgage, I can sign all the documents online and send them in via email. Within an hour I can be done and on my way to our new house. My, how times have changed! It's so much easier now to do things, what with the internet and all. I'm not gonna lie, I'm excited, nervous, and sad all at the same time. Excited to be moving in to a new house; nervous because I'm a planner and I keep going over everything, trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row; and sad because I know how much I'm gonna miss my daughter and it hurts my heart that she won't be a 3 minute drive away. This move is bittersweet for that reason, but I know God has a plan and a purpose for everything, and that He works all things together for good for those who love Him. I'm resting in that knowledge and praising him along the way. 

A New Project

 My kids know me so well. They know I love a project. Putting things together, painting a piece of furniture or a room, decorating for a new look...anything that makes me feel productive. My daughter delivered, and while my shoulders are killing me I feel accomplished. Hard work is worth it whenever you can appreciate the end results.

I'd done my laundry room/closet at my townhouse and my son-in-law really liked it. He asked if I'd consider doing the same thing for their laundry closet. Theirs is in the kitchen and is slightly larger than mine was, and I was up to the challenge. My laundry room had a wood-looking wallpaper, in a cream and brown tone. My kid's home is decorated in cooler tones; the walls are all light gray. It wasn't going to work with the warmer tones that I'd used, so I sent them pictures of different peel and stick wallpaper to look at and consider. They came back with a brick pattern that is what I would call greige - not to warm but not complete cool either. It was the perfect color and pattern for the look they wanted.

I didn't get any before pictures because my daughter emptied everything out before I had a chance to, and whenever I was working I didn't stop to take pictures. But this is what it looked like after putting up the wallpaper and new shelves:

The wallpaper was surprisingly easy to put up, except whenever it was time to get around all the plumbing. It was tricky but I managed to get it all covered. My daughter picked out the darker colored wood shelves to make the room look more elegant. There was white, light wood, and gray wood as well. I took a piece of the wallpaper with us to Home Depot so we could find the right color and the dark wood worked. We used decorative brackets that are much nicer than the plain ones. They're more expensive but like my son-in-law said, for an extra $20 they got a higher end look so it's worth it.

I'm glad I was able to do this for them before I leave for Central Florida. An update on our move is coming - stay tuned!
  

The Week In Review

I usually do my weekly reviews on Sundays, but I'm sorta stuck at home today. I figured out the pain in my lower back, which radiates down my leg, is actually sciatica. I've had this before, whenever I was pregnant but after that as well. It's always gone away on its own so I'm not overly concerned. I just have to take it easy so the swelling of the muscles goes down and I can go back to normal. And it's really important that I get my mobility and strength back, because my realtor emailed me some good news this week. 

The reason we haven't moved into our house is because the sellers are building a new home, and they can't move into their home until it's completed. They requested extra time, and we agreed to give them until April 23rd. The problem is that new builds aren't predictable. Weather, materials, inspections, anything can cause a delay. They were told their house would be ready by the second or third week of April, but what if there were glitches? The sellers are trying to save money so going to a hotel with three kids, two dogs and a cat would be very expensive. We agreed that if they stayed in the house longer than the 23rd they would have to pay $100 per day, but we've already been in my daughter's house for a month, plus we've been sleeping here since late January. There's also the rental charges on the Pod containers to take into consideration. I was hoping and praying that they would be out of the house on time so we wouldn't have to wait any longer.

My realtor is so amazing. She has been in contact with the seller's agent on a weekly basis and keeping me in the loop. This week she emailed me a copy of a text she received from the seller's agent, saying that the sellers are on schedule to be out of the house a couple of days prior to closing, and they'd have the house and floors professionally cleaned before then as well! Thank You Jesus!! If all goes well (and I realize something can always come up) we will be able to close and move in on the 23rd, which is now less than two weeks away! Y'all, I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again, LOL! Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful to my daughter and son-in-law for taking us in, and thankful to God that He has provided for us. But I'm ready to start the next chapter of our lives in our new house, in our new city, getting to know the new area and seeing what God has in store.

So even though my week has been spent resting and not doing much of anything, I feel it has been productive. I've made a meal plan for the first couple of weeks in the new house, along with a shopping list. The refrigerator is scheduled to be delivered the day after we move in; once it's in we can buy groceries and stock the house with food. I also have a list of things I want to buy prior to the move. The nearest Costco is almost an hour away from our new house, so I won't be going there as often as I do now. There are certain items that I always get at Costco because they've got the best prices: facial tissues, toilet paper, allergy medicine, and a few other items. I've got two moving checklists going, one of things that have to be taken care of before the move, and one for immediately after. Next week I'll be setting up utilities so that nothing gets cut off whenever we move in. After that there's updating all my accounts with the new address. I'm a list lover so being able to sit down and get that organized and done gives me peace of mind.

I've had mixed emotions this past month. It still saddens me that I moved out of my townhouse, not because I didn't like it there, but because I was driven out by a stalker. I don't wish that on anyone. At the same time, I'm excited about the move, the new house, decorating, all that fun stuff. It's change, it's learning to accept change, and looking at it with the right perspective. 

Five More YouTubers I Love To Watch

I'm sitting on a very comfy couch resting my back. I was walking my daughter's dog the other day, and whenever he saw his mama leaving for work, he bolted after her. The hard yank and subsequent holding him back so he wouldn't go under her car caused me to throw out my back. I was in some serious pain, but thanks to rest and Advil I'm doing a whole lot better.

In the meantime, what have I been doing? Splitting my time between crime documentaries on Hulu, classic movies on Disney +, and of course, YouTube. I figured I'd go ahead and share five more channels I enjoy watching and wholeheartedly recommend. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here we go.

1. It's A Southern Thing - This Alabama based comedy channel is absolutely hilarious in how it portrays Southern life with impeccable accuracy. There's different playlists to watch, like Southern Certified, Bless Your Rank, Back Porch Bickerin', or my personal favorite, So True Y'all. Proof that the funniest comedy is just real life. They've also got a channel called This Is Alabama that's got some similar content along with tours and stories all about - what else? - Alabama.

2. Old World Home - I've been watching Hilary for years, since back when her channel was called My So-Called Home. I love that her style is classic. She doesn't shop where every other YouTuber shops. Her home is decorated in early American thrift store. She gets her furniture and decor from Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, antique markets and the like. Yet her home doesn't look like a hodgepodge of other people's discarded junk. It's tastefully done and reflects her New England traditional design style beautifully. Her three kiddos (and number 4 on the way) are also dressed in lovely outfits all purchased from thrift stores. Another mom who shows us that you don't need a ton of money to look classy and elegant.

3. Do It On A Dime - Another YouTuber that believes in the art of upcycling and having a high end home on a low end budget. Kathryn's channel has grown to over 1.75 million subscribers, but I've been watching her since she was just a little influencer. Her DIY's made from Dollar Tree pickins are impressive, and her crafts are simple, inexpensive, and nice enough to display in any home. She's also not afraid to pick up some tools and build whatever she wants if it means saving money. Which leads me to my next pick...

4. Momma From Scratch - if I had to pick a DIY hero, Emily would be it. I'm amazed whenever she decides to build something. She has some mad skills, y'all! I've watched her build benches, tables, and beds; she makes signs for her home and has even sold many of her creations. She and her family recently moved into a new build in the Pacific Northwest, and rather than pay a hefty upcharge for add-ons, she has customized her home to her tastes - by herself. Built-ins in the living room, shelves in the kitchen, she does it all. She is the Queen of Construction. And speaking of royalty...

5. Crystal Tara - Crystal is the Queen of Tiered Trays. I personally don't have tiered trays in my home, except for a glass two tiered tray that was given to me years ago by a colleague and friend who passed away, but I only put that one out at Christmas. Crystal decorates multiple tiered trays around her home and goes through them step-by-step. Whenever anyone says they don't know how to decorate a tiered tray, I point them to Crystal. She also decorates her beautiful home in South Dakota in the modern farmhouse style while caring for her four children, two which are adorable twins. I love that she keeps it real; while she enjoys decorating and baking desserts, she admits cooking is not her forte - which is fine. No one is perfect at everything.

I will have an update to post - hopefully this weekend - on our move which, Lord willing, is happening in two weeks. Stay tuned!

YouTubers I Watch

I'm so thankful to have a place to stay while I wait on my future home. My realtor says the current owners should be out of the house by the 23rd which is closing day, though it's unsure if the house will be move-in ready, since they have a cleaning crew scheduled to come in on the 24th. In the meantime I'm blessed to be staying with my daughter and son-in-law at their little villa. I spend my day making preparations, lists of things that I need to do or will have to do once we get to the new house. I prepare meals for myself and my son E (my daughter prefers to cook for herself and her husband), clean up the kitchen and the bathroom we're using, and...that's it. Oh, and I walk the dog. It's boring, y'all. I'm used to being busy around the house, but there's not a lot to do in my daughter's home. Instead, I watch way too much television.

Now, by "watch television" I'm not talking about network television. In my opinion there isn't anything on there that's worth watching. I also don't mean cable tv. I cut out cable years ago, and my son-in-law didn't have it before or after getting married. My daughter has Disney + which I can watch, and occasionally I do indulge in some of the classics: Cinderella, Snow White, Swiss Family Robinson, those sorts of oldies but goodies. I have Hulu and watch that as well: 20/20, or I'll watch one or two (or 12) episodes of House Hunters. But generally what I watch is YouTube. 

There are several different types of channels I enjoy on YouTube. There's the design channels like Kinwoven Home that teach a lot of the design basics. There's cleaning channels, those that show a typical home cleaning day and those that teach good cleaning techniques, like Clean My Space. Cooking channels are some of my favorites; you can watch the Food Network giants like Paula Deen, Alton Brown, even Rachael Ray, but I prefer to watch the typical housewife making her family's favorites or trying out new recipes and giving her honest opinion. Of course there's the beauty channels, but there's just the one that I still watch after all these years, Shelbey Wilson. No, wait, that's not true, I still watch KathleenLights because she's based in Miami and she's hilarious. But my favorite YouTubers aren't the big names. They're the ones that like the same things I like: simple, intentional living, on a budget, who try to honor God with their channels but also like to have fun while sharing their lives and their gifts. You don't get that on network television. 

So, here are some of my favorite YouTube channels, in no particular order (though my favorites will probably be listed first):

1. Karrie Lynn (second channel: Cleaning with Karrie) - Karrie Lynn is a young mama of two living in Central Florida. She started her YouTube channel whenever she was living in a single wide mobile home in Georgia. I started watching her whenever she was moving into her current home, around the same time I moved into my townhouse. What I love about Karrie is that she decorates her home beautifully on a tight budget. She buys used furniture that looks sad and turns it into a high end looking piece. She and her husband Dylan have built furniture even though she admits they'd never done anything like that before. She's extremely talented while still being down to earth. Hands down one of my very favorite YouTube channels. 

2. Moss Family TV (second channel: Heaven's Rhythm) - For anyone who likes down home Southern style cooking and hospitality, this is the channel to watch. Mrs. Falon takes care of her five kids (ranging in age from 1 to 16), her husband, her home, and even though she's got her hands full with homeschooling and posting on YouTube daily, she's always got the sunniest disposition. She's just as happy making pinto beans and cornbread as she is trying a complicated recipe, and she's not afraid to admit when supper doesn't turn out like she'd hoped. This is a family that loves Jesus and everyone around them. If you enjoy good old Southern gospel, they have a music channel called Heaven's Rhythm. It's a family band, led by dad Titus Moss. Totally worth listening to.

3. Till Vacuum Do Us Part (second channel: Ashley and Chase) - It's strange that I would like this channel so much, since Ashley's design style is so different from mine. I like more a more traditional while still rustic look (sprinkled with some farmhouse), and Ashley is all about glam. There's lots of crystal and shiny pieces that would not go with my decor style at all. The reason I like this channel so much is that, like Karrie Lynn, Ashley likes taking the old and making it new. I've seen her take an old dresser and glam it up so it looks like a showroom piece. She also has lots of cleaning hacks and great suggestions for both cleaning and decorating, regardless of your style. It goes to show we don't have to like all the same things to learn from each other.

4. The Minimal Mom - I'm not a minimalist. At least I never thought I was, until my townhouse sold the first day it was shown. My house prior to that also sold the day after it was listed. My realtor told me it was because I kept my decor to a minimum, which made the house look bigger and show better. I credit Dawn from The Minimal Mom for helping me declutter and live more intentionally. I realized that the more stuff I had, the more I had to clean, the more I had to organize, and the less time I had for other things I wanted to do. Granted, I enjoy cleaning and organizing (yes, I'm weird). But I don't want that to be the only thing in my life. For years I worked five days a week and cleaned all weekend long. I'm over that. For me, living intentionally means keeping only the things I use and love and getting rid of the rest. Dawn breaks it down simply and gives great tips. On Sundays she and her twin sister Diana do a devotional and talk about their faith. I call that a win-win.

5. Mandy In The Making - Here's another cooking channel that I absolutely love. I've tried a couple of Mandy's recipes, and they've been approved by my picky son E which says a lot. Mandy will usually test three recipes a week, two that she's researched and believes her family will like, and one Subbie Supper, in which her subscribers send in recipes and she selects one for her channel. She goes through the recipes step by step, gives her honest opinion, and if there's anything she changes or would change in the future she lets us know. Her husband Steven helps out in the kitchen and they are so fun to watch! 

There are many more YouTubers I could list, but I'm starting with my top five. I think I'll make this the first of several posts. There's great talent out there, and I want to give props where they're due. I'll be back with more soon!