February - A Look Ahead

January went by in a flash! We have been very busy taking care of details associated with the homebuilding project. We finished making all of the major decisions for outfitting the new place, including the paint colors. (Rather than describe all the colors, I’m going to wait and show you when the time is right.) I hope that you have been entertained by the photos of sudden transformations that took place in January. The interior right now is a jumble of lumber, wiring, roughed-in plumbing, and air vents. It is not very photogenic, LOL.

We’re still a good three to four months away from completion, so hold tight for the ride! More big changes will happen in February. Siding and brick will go on the exterior, covering the rather garish “green board” and concrete blocks. The structure will get outfitted with soffits, fascia boards, and gutters during this time frame too. Then insulation, sheetrock, and wood floors will follow. We signed off on the final cabinet designs yesterday and those are now being ordered. You’ll be treated to some interior pictures this month as it all gets pulled together. We couldn’t be more pleased with Builder Mike. He has been making the building process downright enjoyable.

We’re getting a few medical checkups this month. I have my annual physical and mammogram scheduled in a few weeks. It’s time for a tune-up! We’re also continuing our regular visits to the fitness center. The replaced knee still has some residual soreness, but I am getting better at maneuvering the obstacles of everyday life, thank goodness.

We are continuing our digital photographic studies on lynda.com and learning a great deal. My Photoshop skills will continue to develop, and you will see the happy results! One of these days, I plan to put tags on my inventory of digital images to better catalog the growing collection. But right now I’m having too much fun learning editing techniques. I have said this before and I’ll say it again. You can take a terrific photo or you can take a mediocre one. But some simple digital editing will always improve the image. It is truly amazing how far the digital revolution has come. Vintage folks like us have no urge to ever go back to the days of film!

As far as vacations planning goes, we’ve gotten a little further in our deliberations. Our potential destinations have been whittled down (east coast versus west coast for our big vacation), and we hope to make some decisions in the next week or two. Mum is still the word!

I appreciate all your recent feedback, letting me know your favorite posts. I need to know so that I can continue to keep your interest and make this an enjoyable haven for your visits! Photographs continue to be a popular item, including the ones for the Brenda Photo Challenges. Please see the link over on my sidebar if you would like to also participate in this fun activity. More journey stories will be also forthcoming. I am so glad that I figured out how to widen my main blog column so that you could enjoy bigger pictures! If you would like to try this format change as well, please follow the convenient tutorial link over on my sidebar. Several friends have tried it with great success.

I hope that all of you have a warm and safe month. Let’s just get through this one, and then spring will be right around the corner! Okay?!