Oh how they glow!

Would you just look at these floors now?  The restoration crew has done an outstanding job of putting my floors, walls and ceilings back together again.  The painters finished last night and the cleaning crew will work their magic today.  On Friday, the movers will bring all my stuff back to me and I will settle in, once again.

Show and Tell

So, yeah, where were we?  Right, my house. It got wet, very wet. I learned a little something: it doesn't take much water to create a whole bunch of soggy damage. I think that when your house has water damage in the ceilings, floors and walls, that one thing and one thing only will get you to sleep at night. That thing? Good insurance. (In my case, thanks to my father's serving his country in the Navy, I have USAA. Thank you, Dad!).

Last Friday, packers and movers from the restoration company ascended upon my house early in the morning. 

My dining room looked like this.



And my living room looked like this.



My driveway was a wrapping-to-loading triage point.



At about 5:00 that afternoon, this was my living room.



It's funny, isn't it?  There's no damage in my living room.  But my house is considered an open plan, so since the damage in the dining room ceiling and walls faced my living room to one side and the kitchen on the other, everything got a fresh coat of paint. Both upstairs bathrooms got re-painted as well.  The hardwood floors downstairs are contiguous so, once the damaged boards were replaced, the entire downstairs was sanded. That took place yesterday.

During the week, a whole lot of work went down at my address.





And here's where we are today.



And my formerly clean and serene front porch? 



Even though everything is a big dusty, dirty mess at the moment, I'm pretty amazed that in four week's time, my house has gone from a wet soggy mess to more than halfway through a near total makeover.  Again, good insurance is a very, very good thing to have.

Water baby!

On Sunday, I spent the day with Cassie and Faith. We went shopping for Faith and oh dear did we ever get the cutest clothes for Fall.  Her first pair of boots (brown suede, with a bow) and her first blue jean jacket!  Then we went for a nice long lunch and, finally, to my friends' house for a small party of friends and family, yummy food and pool time. 





The fun of splashing has definitely been discovered!







Such a fun, sweet day it was.

I dare you not to smile

This little one will be ten months old on Monday.  She just gets cuter by the minute!

Dear September

Dear September,

Yea! I'm so happy that you are (finally) here!  And how 'bout that miserable introduction August had for you?  Has August ever been so rude in the past?  I don't recall but seriously, she needs a time out.  All "Me Me Me"and "Look how hot I am."  Yeah, we get it.  Oh did we get it.  There was no need for her to scorch us with triple digit heat day in and day out.  No need at all.  But that's her, not you.  Right?  Please say I'm right.

Now that you're here, September, I have a few favors to ask of you: First, would you rain?  I'd really like you to rain, we NEED you to rain.  Second, would you drop the temperature?  That too would be great.  Lastly, the leaves.  Oh dear, the leaves.  Hang on to them, would you?  The ones that are left, the ones that August didn't sear to a crisp, they need you now.  Don't drop them, okay?  Hang on to them, nourish them like you usually do in this part of the state.  Let January color them and drop them (you know she enjoys that). 

I know I'm asking a lot of you but I also have equal amounts gratitude.  Thank you for ushering in the new school year, for bringing in school clothes and school supplies, for new pencils and notebooks.  Thank you for an opportunity to change up the home decorations, redecorate the mantel, plant colorful Mums in the flower beds. Thank you thank you thank you for being the first of the "r" months. 

Love,
Me