Monday – a gorgeous day.

I painted the old decking on the she shed with a dark gray, heavy duty paint.  It looks way nicer now…the old pressure treated wood was yucky and needed a facelift.  We also went to the barn and cleaned stalls.  We hadn’t gone for over a week so it was pretty bad, but we had two buckets and had them running continuously.  It was a good workout!  We wanted to burn some of our brush but it was just too windy last night so we tabled that.  Hopefully Tuesday night!

So here is where the rubber hits the road…I love my job.  I LOVE helping people plan their dream vacations.  I love seeing people make memories that will last them a lifetime.  I work for free for every single client – they never pay me; the supplier pays me AFTER my clients travel.  I serve my clients with the best prices anywhere; customized personal service and I am on-call 24/7 when they travel.  When my clients don’t travel, I don’t get paid.  For the past three months, only two out of the 22 planned vacations that I have been working on for almost a year, happened.  My planned summer travelers are still waiting on bated breath to find out if their plans will be thwarted by COVID-19.  I am still helping my clients AND people who booked their own travel navigate the rebooking and Future Travel Credit situation ensuing.

My state, Maine, just decided last Friday (May 1^st) that they had figured out how to administer unemployment claims for self employed folks.  I applied March 23^rd and found out in April that they didn’t have a procedure for self employed folks.  I got my denial and was told to wait.  Friday, my window for refiling opened up at noon (since my last name starts with an “S”), but there was an issue, of course – and I was given three business days to call.  The office closes there at 12:30pm.

Yesterday I called 47 times.  They have no waiting queue for calls so you have to continuously call back.  The offices opened at 8am and I have dialed in 34 times already today (Tuesday).  This is hard for so many!  Fingers crossed I eventually get through.  I know there are so many people in this with me – self employed entrepreneurs that are trying to follow their dream and seeing that dream on hold.   I think we are going to start renting out the She Shed!  Who’s first?  Socially Distant “glamping”!!

Day 50 and counting….

Friday, Saturday and Sunday – Friday started out wet but it brought a gorgeous weekend!!!

So, thinking back – I feel like the days run together so I am having a hard time remembering what I did on Friday – WOW!  So I’ll move onto Saturday!  Hahahahah

Saturday Kelly and Kelton were on the church crew and were gone most of the day.  In the morning, I worked in the garden creating some terraces in an area of the garden that has always been a sore spot, and then finished it up after Char’s lesson Saturday afternoon – final pictures when mulched to follow!!!

That night, we had an AMAZING summer dinner with a huge Delmonico steak and beef short ribs on the grill.  I made a caprese salad and also made some tin foil potatoes with butter and red onion to have on the grill also!  It was a fabulous dinner!!!!

Sunday work continued on the She Shed with trim and roof strapping.  Char helped me clear out an old fire pit and we are getting ready to burn some brush later this week.  I also made another tripod for growing vines from some of the small trees we cut down and finally got some of our fairy lights put up from last year.  Moving right along…

Elvis decided she needed a vacation!

Days 47-49 and counting….

Thursday – cloudy, cold and sprinkles.

In Search of…

1. A Laundry Folding Fairy
2. My own Marie Kondo to help me sort my mess
3. Three full time “honey-do list” specialists
4. A professional chef to make me a menu
5. A drill sergeant to yell at me to work out
6. A contractor for 1 week who will work for food
7. A bull dozer
8. A large dumpster
9. A daily supply of squeeze cheese

Day 46 and counting….

Wednesday – a sunny, warm and beautiful day!!!

Today – I worked in the morning and then headed out to plant my new perennials and paint!!!!

I had some help painting from Char, Kelly, Zuzu and Cooper!

One of my favorite plants is catmint.  Zuzu LOVES the catmint and here she is getting her catmint groove on!

I finished the siding painting for the She Shed and also started painting the old wood to refinish it and make it look new.  The paint (which is a light gray even though I would love it to be white – but they didn’t have that option) is so thick – like painting with cement!!!  But the coverage is great and it really revives the wood!  The cottage look is happening!  On deck for the She Shed – the roof and trim!!!

I still haven’t folded the laundry and now I need to do more – UGH!!!  I really need laundry fairies!!

Day 45 and counting….

Tuesday – warmer and not much rain!

Today was my run around day.  I have been going to the store every TWO weeks and have been picking up the things we run out of (like my half and half I ran out of a week ago!).  I went to the bank, to get gas, the local garden store to pick up some seeds and some perennials, the pet store for dog food, a local restaurant that is selling farm fresh eggs for curbside pick up and finally, the grocery store.  I donned my mask at every stop!

I had a pretty busy day but other than my running around and then the unloading, work responsibilities and such, it was kinda boring – I can also report that my last manicure was 6 weeks ago in preparation for my trip to Greece ☹ and things are getting rough!  hahahaha

At the end of the day, we did have some special friends drop off a bag with a 6-pack of Firewater nips in it – it is a bit of a running joke but let’s say, I probably won’t be drinking the Firewater!  Hahahaha

We were blessed with a  beautiful sunset and that is something to be thankful for!

Day 44 and counting….

Monday – rainy☹

Today is a shout out to my friend Stacy – I don’t even know if she reads my blog, but I’m thinking about her.

Mondays seem to be rainy this spring – I DO like the rainy days as they force me to stay inside.  I got caught up on work (which has had some trying refund/voucher situations lately) and had 3 hours of Zoom meetings – which was lovely!

Kelton and Char did school.

Kelton learned how to do his taxes.

Cooper got bored but lazed around most of the day.

Elvis, the fat cat, got her nails cut.  Cooper still has not.

I did more laundry but still have not folded the last 3 loads.

I almost wrote that I wore real pants today – but they are jeggings.  Sigh….

Kelton, Kelly and I made the most amazing pizzas last night (Charlotte had Dino Nuggets – very healthy as they have cauliflower in them – don’t tell Char – hahaha).  Kelton’s pizza was organic dough, BBQ and wing sauce, bacon, sautéed red onions and cheese.  Kelly and I had red sauce, goat cheese, sautéed red onions on half, goat cheese, dates and balsamic glaze.  Holy cow – SO GOOD!!!

Day 43 and counting….

Friday, Saturday and Sunday – Nice weather!!!!

Friday – we did stalls so we could enjoy the weather Saturday.

Saturday Kelly recorded the Sunday service and when he got home, we worked outside for a few hours.  Kelton and I finished cutting down some underbrush and dead tree limbs and have piles set out to chip.  Some friends of ours are letting us use their tractor for a couple days next week and we will hopefully wrap us this crazy undertaking!!!

Sunday we worked outside and the She Shed got some attention!!!  The outside is almost done…waiting on shingles (Kelly said I have to do these last), paint (doing that Wednesday if the weather cooperates), trim and finally, the roof!

Looks like an old west facade!

Cutting off the facade.

She has a door!!! But no roof! hahahaha

I also started work on a project I have wanted to do for years – this used to be a dirt/mud ramp that lead from our driveway area down to a lower area where we store the boat and sometimes camper during the winter.  They aren’t perfect steps, and I need to add gravel, but they are a huge improvement and I think I will like them!!  The first thing both kids said was, “now I can’t ride the 4-wheeler down there.”.  UGH!

Char has been making the best of her BFF Zoom – Saturday she had some fun in the driveway with her blow up flamingo costume – Keepin’ it real!!!!

Days 40-42 and counting….

Wednesday and Thursday….It was chilly Wednesday and great Thursday….

Do you have those days where, in your mind, there is a tiny voice saying, “Move along, folks.  There’s nothing to see here.”?  That was the last two days!

I actually don’t remember what happened Wednesday!  All the days are running together.  I know I took Cooper for a walk out back.  I started a load of laundry which is still actually in the washer!  Hahahaha  I should maybe take care of that.  Char went to the barn and rode for a short time but it was pretty windy and Syllabus wasn’t too happy about the fallen limbs and such.  The kittens were visited and snuggled.

Thursday Kelton, Kelly and I finished cutting down some brush out back and I cleared some out – now I need to buckle down and finish gathering all the brush for chipping.   Cooper also got to spend some time outside AND take two car rides for church errands Kelly had to run.  He really is living his best doggie life!

We have not had any progress on the She Shed since Sunday.  It is slow going but I guess what’s the rush!

Coming up, I think I will work on some Bucket List blogs and some easy tips for folks looking to get back into the swing of travel soon – I hope it’s soon!!!!

Days 38 & 39 and counting….

Tuesday – started out nice, windy and then we got down to the rain!  Hahahah

Work in the morning for everyone.  Today was a pretty slow day – after a 2pm Zoom meeting for me, we had to return the large coolers that all our meat came in, so Kelly and I ventured out to Wolfeboro to do that.  It was a nice ride and Cooper came with us.

Since things have been slow, I think I will post our before and after painting pics.  I love how the hall and large room look with the new paint and my favorite part are the doors!  They were still the original primed doors we had installed when we built the house almost 9 years ago and I have just been putting off doing it.

Before….the coloring looks similar due to lighting, but at the end of the hall you can see yellow color that it was.

Pictures and colors redone.

Before….

After…still just as messy! hahaha

As an aside – I have been keeping up with laundry this week and I am rocking the side bun…my left arm frozen shoulder is making it so I can’t get my arm high enough to do a pony or regular bun – so I’m setting a new quarantine fashion statement.

Day 37 and counting….

Monday – a beautiful day.

Cooper has made friends with the neighborhood kids and they come over almost daily to walk him or play with him.  Yesterday, he was the President and had a detail of 3 kids protecting him while one kid was the “assassin”.  Cooper loved all the attention!

Kelly and Kelton got the final touches for the She Shed although there is still a lot of work to be done.  We’ll get there!!!!

And we learned that school will officially close on May 29^th.  These are crazy times!!!!

Day 36 and counting….