Mmmm - yummy! We had a scrumptious lunch at Gayle's in Santa Cruz after Emi and Alec did a little surfing and we visited Wisteria to look at all their great and beautiful items! Emi was a champ, going surfing on a cold day, getting swept off her board, being rescued by her hubby and all the while with a smile - allbeit crooked - on her face! What a gal!!

Alec and Emi took pity on me and came down for a long weekend to keep me company and keep me moving forward to the finish line. It's amazing what a little company can do for a gal!

First efforts!

The original bathroom was totally creepy to enter, but after the new one found a home, the rest of the house was sadly in need of attention.

The best part of the house -- the yard!

The beautiful, expansive lawn with hydrangas, fucsia, rhodies, azaleas, tri-color beech, camelias, gardenias, and lots of other lovelies! Amanda (my niece) told me she was restricting my purchases at the nursery because I was going overboard. Little did she know that going to the nursery and seeing all the incredible flowers was my therapy... and bringing them home and finding a place for them made me feel I had enriched my little paradise. I'll miss this part of paradise.

My new kitchen

Finally, a place to not cook that is beautiful to look at! I hadn't used the oven for months, but decided I'd better at least check to see if it turned on! Woe is me - it didn't. The j-box had been buried behind a cabinet and after calls to Gary Witzell to find out where the box was, cutting the back of the cabinet out and hours on tracing, the problem was discovered. Raul fixed it - voile! It heats.

House Remodel!

Sparkling floors, new drapes (first drapes) twinkling lights, open spaces ... I'm really enjoying this new look!