Laundry room B-4 $ after

In our forever San Clemente beach home...we sacrificed a couple of important things, a 3 car garage and a laundry room. However, after 6 years, we have never regretted it for one moment!

This week, my garage laundry room was finished and I am so excited I just HAD to do a load of laundry and show you :)
Here is the B-4 photo with plumbing pipes hanging out of the wall on the right and the water heater on the left. A plumbing leak in May prompted us to do what we have been talking about for a couple years. We did the tankless water heater and sink then but just now finished the folding table.

We replaced the 28 year old water heater with a new tankless (to save space). That allowed for a garage sink! YEAH. And my new folding table, tucked under the water heater pipes, same level as the washer/dryer with storage for folding tables etc. below. A new cabinet was installed above and hanger for clothes straight from the dryer. They were previously hung over the hood of the car much to the left of these photos. If you are still with me, cool. If you do laundry regularly, you will appreciate this too!

Dressing up

Tomorrow night is the biggest event in San Clemente. The Toast to the Casa. Tickets are $175 and the theme is Casa Royale, James Bond, etc... I am working the event and it will be spectacular.
Well, we rented a JB movie so I could get the jist of it...I am just not a movie person. Anyway, love my new 'little black dress' and just had to share my 'dry run' tonight.

My friend, Sheila K. gave me these great rose gloves for my birthday and I am going to take them with me and put them on at opportune moments :) Everyone knows I am the 'head gardener'. Will be fun.

This event will be after manning a garden club and bluebird booth at the Character Counts Jamboree all day tomorrow!
Check in next week for another update.

Slurry, Screwed and Social Security

Well, it's been quite the day...no photos this time.
7am.
Our street got a new fresh coat of slurry today. We parked the cars up the hill but fortunately did not have to use them as our schedules allowed us to be home today.
8am.
Mike's schedule changed as he received the "we have to let you go" call from his boss.
10am.
I turned 62 in July and have been toying with the thought of applying for Social Security. I won't get enough to really make a big difference, but, we decided to do it. Figured out it would take 10 years to make up the extra $200+ I would receive if I waited until age 66. When you look at your SS deductions on your pay check, know that $600 of your SS payments will come to me :) Thanks!

The positive is, we have been here, done this before and MG Consulting is set up and ready to take off again. Just have to figure out health insurance and all that stuff. And drum up clients that have StarTeam.

On to the next chapter. I like to look at periods in life as chapters.

Butterfly week

'The Butterfly Lady" Kris E. spoke at the Casa on Wednesday at lunch time. We had about 40 people turn out to learn about butterflies. Kris is a garden club member and has been my mentor for the Casa butterfly garden.

Kris started a butterfly garden at a local elementry school. We went to help the parents and children clean up the garden on Friday.

They also have rain barrels. I helped this little guy get water from the rain barrel to water the plants. We haven't had much rain and it is amazing how much water is collected from one portable classroom roof! The children love working in the butterfly gardens and learn so much. Even the parents expressed how much they learn, working beside garden clubbers.

The Shack

My brother is really enjoying life in his 'apartment' at an assisted living facility (Silvergate, Fallbrook). Most of you know he had a motorcycle accident in 1985 that left him with a head injury and multipal physical challenges. After the most recent total hip replacement in December 08, he has recovered with no pain now! He is comfortable and independent.

We visited David to celebrate his 61 birthday. I am his 'older sister'. David is all smiles. I am only 14 months older!

Mom came along and this is another photo angle of his room. Mom is only 5 minutes away and does his laundry and checks in on him during the week.

Mike and I brought birthday gifts and helped with tasks like battery changes in his camera etc. The door on the left is the bathroom and then the exit to the entrance. He is so happy and so are we! Tomorrow he visits the Birch Aquariam in San Diego on a field trip!

Labor??? Day Weekend

It felt like Thanksgiving or maybe Christmas (without the gifts).
Nicole and children came to visit. Randy and family joined us for a fun cousin connection!
Parents and grandparents (us) were really busy with a 5, 3, 2 and 3 month old...

I grabed a quick opportunity for a rare photo of all of them together.

When they visit, my focus is with the grandchildren. Their parents and Mike are such a help with cooking, clean up, etc.
I miss one on one conversations with their parents but...I feel the most important time spent is with the children, giving them a new experience with me (many hugs) and the environment around me...garden, compost pile, bugs, fountain (named 'bob,' ) beach... They LOVE it!

And so do I ::::))))

Golf balls and Big Bear

We have lived in our 'final destination' home in San Clemente for 6 years. Every now and then we have golf balls show up in the driveway, flower beds, I have seen them land and bounce. Well, Thursday afternoon I was watering on the back deck and heard a loud THUD and kind of explosion sound. I turned around and saw the glass on top of the bar was shattered. I assumed it was the heat wave that made it expand and explode (85 at the beach is a heat wave).

I called Mike out and he saw that there was a definite impression -about golf ball size- in the glass. Then scanning the area, found an errant golf ball within view, down the canyon, just past the deck. It could have easily bonked me on the head! Mike called the sherrif and made a report as to the golfers on the hill above us to remind them their balls must land somewhere!!!

Then Friday we took off for a fix-it weekend at the cabin in Big Bear. Here I am, after raking 15 bags of pine needles! The hammock is from Cancun! The kids got us a beautiful hammock for the deck in San Clemente and we brought it to Big Bear and everyone loved it so much. I had a goal to find a simple one, for the cabin, from the Maya People in Cancun. It does not compare to mine at home, but will be fun for the cabin.

The first thing I do when we arrive at the cabin is to put out sunflower seeds to attract the local birds and squirrels. It takes them a bit of time to realize we are there so that is my first priority. Here are Nuthatches draining the bird feeder within one day! The Flickers, Steller Blue Jays and Squirrels help pick up what is left over. Much pleasure for us.