so close!

yes, we've been in this house just over a month now, and I admittedly love it. Less to clean up around, the clutter is gone - shamedly, didn't realize how much I had accumulated! But last weekend some asshole stole the copper plumbing out of the big house, and right now I'm cash-strapped so I'm not sure yet how I'm going to pull this off. I can't put the tenant in there until I fix it, so well, now what? I'm sure something will come up

yeah like me winning a million dollars hahaha

We're here!

we are 90% in the house, all of our stuff (downsized). I still have to schlepp my clothes over and a few other little things. Then I have to start looking at the big house getting it ready to rent. The kids have to clean out the attic.

The electrician Bob still needs to finish his work. I admit I'm a little lost here without electrical plugs as I was spoiled at the big house. Well, needless to say my electrical bill will be small! The weather's been cool (relatively speaking) as I can't tolerate heat well. Aric likes his new room. The dog is adjusting too. Trying to train him to stay on the porch, or if he does escape, to come right back, long tedious thing

I'm exhausted, bruised but still a lot to do, like call the stupid insurance company!

grrr

okok, so much has gone right so far with the house, and man I got SOO mad tonight when we moved the fridge into the kitchen and it ripped, majorly, the new linoleum. I know it sounds really lame, but having a shiny new floor for the first time meant something. okok, I'll move on

we've made a lot of progress!

Today is the one-month anniversary of me getting the little house. It doesn't even look the same. I'll try to get pics posted soon

we are making

tremendous progress at the li'l house

Of course, had I not lost my Chuck-key to the drill, I would have been better off!

I am SOOO tired!

Today I have to force myself to take it easy, just getting things finalized before the baby gets here.

Friday, cut the grass here and at the orchard, Saturday, Sunday and Monday painted. Yesterday it got hot outside, so painting became a gooey endeavor. It looks gorgeous though - all of 1st floor is done (painting anyway). I have to put the hardware on the kitchen drawers (and soap so they slide!). Jim and I are debating moving the gas line to a better place. He helped me over the weekend, and omg, I don't know what I would have done without him and his paint sprayer! The upstairs will be a lot easier for sure. Will paint and fix bathroom later. We are now concentrating on getting me moved in and we'll take it from there (like for electrical).  Pictures to come

painting

Thursday spent about 2 hours sanding, cleaning and primer painting. I had to get some rollers because painting with a 2" brush ain't gonna make it. We had some bad storms rip through, and damned if I don't need new gutters both house. Oh well, it will have to wait because I'm officially out of money and way into debt. I need to get moved into the smaller house by mid-July, have big house ready to rent by 1 Sept so I don't lose money with time wasted. Now I have to learn to be a landlord. Website http://www.clevelandhousing.org/ is a good place because I can specify veterans! So that take a lot of worry from me. The bitch of all this is that I'm doing 80% of the work so far by myself - Jim's been working overtime, but Cortney has been helping. But I'm tired, way tired.

oh terrible storm!

sigh - I need new gutters on both houses - this sucks

some pics

my body hurts!

I hate that my body betrays me with so much pain - I know it's the bursitis. Cort & I worked on the kitchen (the toughest room). We're almost at the painting point (well, priming)

Work has begun!

Let's see - so far I've taken the kitchen (4) drawers out, too, hardware off and we really need to get in there and paint, at least the primer. All the rooms needs painting. And desperately need new electrical plugs, but I'm going to go ahead & paint, then touch up when electric is done. I did the back porch railing all by myself! came out so cute. I'll get pics later.

Yesterday, after doing the porch, I had to clean out the garage. The roof leaks :( but worse is all the wood that has been sitting in there for like-ever that had gotten moldy and make the inside of the garage smell horrible. I bagged up some other yucky stuff, not the least of which the 5 layers of carpets, linoleum and rubber mats Joe had on the garage dirt floor. I hope that nasty garage isn't why he got sick!

Got to run to HomeDepot (yes again) for screws & other little stuff.

Rain Rain Rain

well, as much as my heart wants to work next door, the weather fails me. Got stuff to do inside (like painting, lots of painting) and outside, fixing the back porch, stairs, gates. Windows can all open and we got the back and side doors open too. I'm excited, I admit it!

as of May 13th, 2011

I'm officially the owner of the little house now. Got the keys yesterday (Saturday). Garage roof leakes, but then it's been raining like the dickens, and I need electrical work done too (some). Very nervous about finding the right person at a reasonable price. I got the paints, light fixtures, spent $500, but well worth the investment. scary but excited...

ACK!

Been a bit since I wrote. No I still don't have possession of the house however Jim and I did put up the fencing in the back. I won't have it ready for when my daughter get here, but oh well. Slowly but surely. Having the house to work on will take my mind off of other matters, like the lumps in my left breast. Not sure what to think about all that

VA housing meeting today

and omg, this stuff is worse than 70's stereo instructions ...

need to make some phone calls

precious metal

Well, you know that commercial showing "precious metal" as a brass key for a front door to a home, I got that feeling again today when I signed the purchase agreement for the li'l house! I guess it was a wee bit bitter-sweet for Pat (Joe's sister), but one less thing she'll need to worry about. She's also dealing with some other financial issues (not tied to the house).

She said she get me the keys soon enough and then the work starts. mmmm I think I'd better take a nap now!

kids

I always thought that being a loving mother, fighting hard for my kids, sacrificing so much for them would reap me the reward of the family I craved since being a child. Well, live and learn and you learn that despite all you did, you're still going to grow old alone.

by May 2, the house

will be mine, and all the responsibility thereof. Then I have to get to work about getting the government involved, or somehow otherwise to fund the home for veterans. I go next week for a "class" at Brecksville.

We're close

to getting the little house ... Sister Pat talked with me today. I did a lot of work around the yard (oh yeah, my muscles are hurting). I even think I'm a tad sunburned on my face. My headache is acting up, but then I've been stressed out. Just want to get things finished legally with the little house so I can get work started for when Janessa comes

please please please!

There may have been a screw up at work (DFAS) on my pay & retirement. Not that I don't have paperwork (email) backup on it, but worrying about it right now is NOT doing me any good - and still no word on finalizing the house next door. I had a dream, I made a promise to God to help others, as he kept me safe for so long (ok I did go crazy, but who wouldn't have with what I had been through). It's not much, but it would help so many. Just please, in the next few weeks let this all go "right"...

It's Saturday,

but have a lot of work to get done around the house. Staying low, headache still there

I'm trying ...

truly to stay calm. Too much going on right now. Hope the house all goes through ... hope that all settles at work too...  

I just may get screwed...

I'm trying VERY hard to think positive here. Still waiting for the appraisal on Joe's house - I'm going to be a battle of emotions if they try to ask for more money on it. Plus my dreams of helping veterans by putting his house up for rent for the homeless vets may go up in smoke. To make matters worse, I got a letter from OPM saying they are going to stop my retirement! They say I earn enough (it's a formula thing), but to hell, one leg is short than the other and I still can't do things like before. Worse yet, though not suggested by a doctor, I'm showing signs of MS, twitching, numbness etc. Great just great :(

oh no!

We have to start thinking the legal paperwork! argh - this is good and this is well, confusing

Just a few more weeks

and I'll have the "pink slip" to Joe's house - and all the responsibility thereof! Ok, I would like the kitchen done in white with red trim (basing this on research). I thought about a Sunflower motif, but I like the red/white cherry thing! but NO wallpaper! hate wallpaper!

No doubt I can find fabric (who me?!?!)  lol!

One of the first things we are going to have to do is open up windows (on a warm day) and air out the house. It does have a "musty" thing going, but then it's been winter too.

GRRRR

So this little twit of an ass who's helping to handle the "estate sale" next door touts himself as an electrician. And he's probably thinking I just fell off the turnip truck and as a female I'm ignorant, takes me throughout the house, him showing ME what he thinks needs to be done (and it's hard to really gauge where the existing plugs are). This ass tells me that in the Dining room, I need GFI (kitchen/bath) plugs, and then I KNEW he was BSing me! So I let him babble, but I was getting madder. He told me that he thinks he can rewire the house for "just under $10,000" - he's out of his ever-loving idiot mind! I don't deal with liars and I don't deal with thiefs, and this guys is BOTH.

good news

The li'l house should be mine by the first part of May. Legal mumbo jumbo.

Am still wanting to turn the big house, once I move to the little one, into a female veterans homeless facility. The VA mumbo jumbo is on the back burner until I get the place and am ready to set it up. The big house will be "ready to go", but will need furniture, food, probably clothing and a way to fund it. I'm sure I'll find a way, as I always think 3 steps ahead and how many options. I'll try to call in the big guns - don't ask me what that will be, but I'm thinking!

it's awful

I normally take a small nap when I get home from work, and considering I didn't sleep well last night I napped. But had bad dream again (unusual when I nap). My aunt Olga's husband was in it, in a house. I don't know the town. There was a small dog. I kept asking where Olga was and I couldn't find her in the house. I kept trying to leave but got mixed up on the streets and wound up back at the house. I finally got so scared of him, that I am hitting him with a trash can. I can't find Olga anywhere. And I'm still tired!

This is why I'm exhausted...

Bad dream. I was in the hospital, not sure which one. I hear nurses talking about a girl who had a premature baby, then I hear Janessa's voice. Seemed she was pregnant and had the baby early, a boy named Nathan. I went to see Janessa and was upset with her about her not telling me. I can feel my heart pounding out of control. I try to find the baby, there is one of Nessa's friends with me as we try and walk the horrible maze of a hospital to the baby area. Bill and Rob were there. Nessa did not seem upset about what happened, not sure how 'early' baby was. I hate these dreams and the baby ones really get to me badly.

laptop back!

ok, 5 days without a laptop was ok, missed this and that, but not some other things. Work on the back house on hiatus until I get the pink slip - that's just the way it's going to be. I'm washing many blankets & putting them in space bags for storage (and moving if needed). Quiet here now, but Aric will be by later - no doubt just to play video games :(  It's ok, we'll do something together. I should tell others about my blog, but for now, it's private, sorta.

Yeah!!!

The guys who are doing the Estate Sale were at the house, I introduced myself. I wanted to check on the hot water heater, and to my RELIEF, it's a newer one! Just one less big expense. The frig looks so oversize for the kitchen, and I may move it to another part of the kitchen - we'll see as the kitchen is small but cute! I can't wait to have walls that are NOT all paneling, which is what this house is. It definately needs to be aired out, some Febreze. But yes, I'm so excited!!

and the bushes are all gone! Still need to clear the stumps (but hey it was really wet out there!). And we've saved the rose bushes on the west side

time to deliver

two huge boxes of fabric - taking them to Virginia Marti. Bushes in front of back house all bent down - Jim and I will cut them down later. We'll rent a chipper in a few weeks to make it manageable. Estate sale is 24-26 of March.

oh my

Just wondering how long it will take for the house next door to come to fruition. I've contacted the VA to see about having homeless veterans here at the big house - waiting for their call back. I'm lucky now, not like just over 20 years ago being homeless myself and no one to really help me. You can't imagine the Welfare office not giving me any help, me homeless with two small children (one in diapers) and no money, no food. They offered to help pay for rent then didn't. The veterans helped, so now it's my time to give back

already

some of the bushes have been cut down. Rain today and next few days will delay progress on that. But that's ok. Talked to folks about having a Veterans home here, and it will take about 6 months before I can further investigate. Once step at a time, and the most important one right now is getting the back house into my name!

and is thinking

that once I finish the back house (as I call it now), to move in there and perhaps, if it is meant to be, create a place for homeless women veterans to have a home. I'd need to create a 501(c)3 (non profit group) for it. But that's down the road. In other words, I'll move into the smaller place (so the dog won't have a yard haha), but we'll see...

And so it begins

Though the house is not officially in my name, Joe's sister has given us (me and Jim, who's be helping) permission to cut the bushes down. And all I can say right now after 2 hours of clipping these fat branches down - OUCH! It's gonna be a long work to get them all out.